To think it’s not my job to dispose of rat droppings?

[Coffee21]

Long time lurker here, I don’t normally post but need advice. I’m not sure if I am just being precious and need some perspective.

So I am a project worker in a house for 5 young adults with autism. I am in a team of about 12 project workers, 1 supervisor and a manager who occasionally will pop in. The house backs onto an industrial site, and we had a bad rat problem this winter 🙁 Fortunately the rats never came inside the house but the garden and out buildings were overrun. They got professionals in to get rid of the rats, but the shed and the garage are covered in shit. It doesn’t help that they were using the garage to store excess Xmas food, rubbish, ect. Anyway yesterday I come into work and find they have bought thick rubber garden gloves. I asked what for, and she said we must clean out the garage and shed. There are lots of tins stored in the garage and they want us to disinfect them and bring them inside. It’s not just a few droppings, the entire garage and all the surfaces are covered in rat poop and probably rat urine too. My role as a project worker does involve domestic tasks like deep cleaning the kitchen and cutting the grass, but aibu to think this is a step too far?

Whose job should it be then?

I wouldnt do it personally, id rather lose my job! Rat faeces and urine can carry disease and i honestly just dont think id physically be able to do it. What will your employer say if you refuse?

As pp, who should do it then?

Your job already includes some deep cleaning in areas used for your role, why should this be specifically not included?

Wouldn't it be quicker to pop a air of marigolds on, use a cloth and spray to wipe the surfaces and a broom to sweep the floor, than to even post this thread and complain to people at work about the task.

It's a really quick clean up. It's not an eating surface so doesn't need to be sterile and scrubbed, just swept and generally tidied.

If your job includes garden maintenance then yes this would fall under your job. It certainly wouldn't be something you'd call in a specialist for.

As pp, who should do it then?

Properly equipped professionals. Gloves are not enough. This is serious biological waste and should be treated as such.

I don’t know. I managed to avoid it yesterday as I was dealing with an emergency. The people we look after don’t access garage so no immediate risk to them. I’m a carer, and sometimes it feels like I’m expected to do things way outside of what you would reasonably expect a carer to do. Ideally I think they should hire a professional to come in and deal with it. I dunno, I imagine they’ll keep badgering us until someone gives in and does it. We have two polish workers, who seem to take on the brunt of the work, and I feel so bad for them. They don’t stick up for themselves and get taken advantage of.

@Milssofadoesntreallyfit

As pp, who should do it then?

Your job already includes some deep cleaning in areas used for your role, why should this be specifically not included?

I see what you mean, although I was not comfortable with this because I thought rat dropping were considered a bio-hazard. Perhaps I am just being silly and precious, and should just get on with it.. 🤔

It IS a biohazard OP!
ecobear.co/rodent-dropping-cleanup/need-to-know-rat-feces-cleanup/#:~:text=The%20Inherent%20Dangers%20of%20Rat%20Feces&text=Rat%20droppings%20can%20contain%20bacteria,hantavirus%2C%20a%20type%20of%20bacteria.

It's a really quick clean up. It's not an eating surface so doesn't need to be sterile and scrubbed, just swept and generally tidied.

Sorry but you haven’t seen the extend of it. It’s really bad and will probably take hours. The rats have been and left their mark on every surface, all the storage and shelves. Definitely not a quick clean up.

Ask for a risk assessment.

We have two polish workers who seem to take on the brunt of the work, and I feel so bad for them. They don’t stick up for themselves and get taken advantage of

That is horrible, discriminatory behaviour. If it's going to be done, it should be done as a team. In one of my old jobs the big boss was too tight to pay for a cleaner (small office) so we all had to take turns having a bit of a dust and a hoover each day which pissed me off but to be fair the boss did used to take his turn!

@Robbybobtail
I agree, it is horrible. Some staff members are so lazy and they always seem to be picking up the slack. I always do my best to make sure this doesn’t happen when I am on shift. I am happy to dust and hoover, but not sure that can be compared to a bio-hazard... I am not sure 🤔

It's an unpleasant job. I imagine money is tight so no budget for special cleaning team. I would be willing if I generally felt appreciated as an employee, I wasn't being singled out for the worst job, it was risk assessed and correct equipment provided, one pair of gloves wouldn't cut it, I would want a coverall, mask and goggle's and time to do it without attending other tasks at the same time (so not spreading it) and time to clean myself afterwards.
Oh and that they don't intend to store food in the shed again! 😮
I say that as someone who had this happen at home when I didn't realise neighbour had rats and they'd found my bird food stores. But mine was not an infestation it was a relatively light problem. The feaces and urine both carry disease so your employer shouldn't be dismissive.
If the source of the rats food is still there (in the estate) they'll be back if they find food in the shed again.

If they haven't risk assessed it they don't know what they're asking of you so you shouldn't do it

Anyone who thinks it's a quick sweep and tidy job has never done it imo.

[quote Hollybutnoivy]It IS a biohazard OP!
ecobear.co/rodent-dropping-cleanup/need-to-know-rat-feces-cleanup/#:~:text=The%20Inherent%20Dangers%20of%20Rat%20Feces&text=Rat%20droppings%20can%20contain%20bacteria,hantavirus%2C%20a%20type%20of%20bacteria.[/quote]
Agree
I would say risk assessment
Or pay to get the deep cleaners in

What's happening with the tins after?

A family man once died after drinking a can of beer from a small shop while on holiday. A rodent had urinated on the can. HE DIED. Not saying this will happen here but it should be paid deep cleaners if items are coming into communal areas

Yanbu. Rat faeces is full of pathogens and this needs a professional clean, by qualified persons.

There are very serious risks:
People get HPS when they breath in hantaviruses. This can happen when rodent urine and droppings that contain a hantavirus are stirred up into the air. People can also become infected when they touch mouse or rat urine, droppings, or nesting materials that contain the virus and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth.

@sheworkshardforthemoney
Yikes, that’s scary. They want us to disinfect the tins to make them safe again to eat. I personally wouldn’t want to eat anything that had been soiled by a rodent, regardless of whether it had been cleaned or not, but what can I do...

I think it’s a good idea to ask for a risk assessment like people are saying. They can’t fire you for asking and maybe then they will realise that just providing gloves is not enough..

It wasn't my job as a teacher to clean up after rats but, when we had a rat get into the classroom, I did it - and washed and disinfected everything else that had been in the cupboard just to be on the safe side.

Yup if the containers of food are removed and intended for use they need cleaning too.
Op you sound lovely, thank you for not being one of the people taking advantage of the polish workers and showing them that not all Brits are lazy and selfish.

This is a job for professionals. Specifically professionals who are registered for removal of bio hazardous material.

Do not do this OP.

There is already wrong advice in this thread: i.e. you are not supposed to sweep up rat droppings as it can cause dust that could then be inhaled. No employee, no matter how stretched budgets are, should be cleaning this up without proper PPE and training.

OP, I'd maybe call the local council and ask for advice, stressing that no one on staff has been trained or has PPE to do so.

A woman I know got Weil’s disease, probably from handling contaminated hay and because she had a cut on her hand. It resulted in partial paralysis of her hand. No way would I be touching rat contaminated items.

They absolutely are a biohazard, and should be handled by professionals. The risk of breathing in hantavirus is real, so proper PPE would be required m. And please please under no circumstances should you hoover or sweep an area with rodent droppings. That’s exactly what stirs up any hantavirus for you to breathe in.
www.cdc.gov/rodents/cleaning/index.html
Also, I wouldn’t dream of keeping those tins, disinfected or not. I’d put them straight in the bin.