To think this father was being unreasonable over heating a baby bottle in a bakery?

[MiniEggsMmm]

I work in a bakery and yesterday it was really busy. This father came in with a baby bottle full of milk and asked (his tone was demanding) if we could heat it. I politly said to him that we aren't allowed to heat baby bottles of milk due to health and safety.

He then asked for a bowl of boiling water so he could heat the bottle himself. I told him we aren't allowed to do that either due to health and safety either.

He was really angry and demanded to see the manager. The manager came out and this man was really angry and was shouting at this point saying "you begrudge my little boy a warm bottle of milk you tight b@stards!" The manager explained that if we gave him a bowl of boiling water and he knocked it over himself or worse still, the baby, we would be in so much trouble. Plus we could get sued for something like that.

I suggested to him that he bring a flask of boiling water and a jug to heat the bottle in in future and told him that's what i used to do. He then shouted "oh fck off you stupid btch!" at me and walked out.

I wasn't being a jobs worth, this kind of thing really is a health and safety issue and unfortunatly, people will sue for anything these days so you just cannot take the risk anymore. Plus we had a shop full of customers waiting to be served.

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I can see both sides of this! The father must have been stressing 'cos his LO needed feeding but like you said he should have been more organised and brought all necessary equipment with him.

IMO, health and safety is OTT in this country but the risk of being sued is also too high.

We were in a shop on the weekend and my 2.8 year old DS needed to wee. I asked a member of staff if we could use their loo and they said no due to H&S reasons. How do you explain that to a 2.8 who doesn't understand. Luckily we weren't far from home, so he had to hold it in until we got home.

They could be sued I think.

It's not the shop/cafe/resturants responsibilty to heat/supply hot water to heat baby bottles. I don't know why some people don't get this?

I've quite often asked for a pot of hot water to warm bottles in places that say no (even though they then sell me a steaming hot teapot full of scalding water).

BUT lots of them offer to warm the bottles in hot water behind the counter for me, so they don't have to give out hot water. A bit more of a faff for them but always appreciated.

The father may have been stressed, as we all are from time to time but that's no excuse for foul and abusive language.

His attitude was outrageous - but how is it that some places can give hot water without H&S worries and others refuse on that basis? Besides which you have insurance to cover the cost of being sued for such accidents?

Mishymoo - a friend was once faced with this one and said "well she's going to end up doing it on your floor then" They changed their mind

We always took a flask of boiling water with us when we went anywhere as nowhere can give you water.

YANBU, its not worth being sued.

pooka your right, we could be sued. If health and safety found out someone was scolded because of us giving them boiling water to heat a bottle in, we could be in so much trouble.

She what a fuss men make when looking after babies? He should have been ashamed of himself speaking to you like that.

obviously, his attitude towards you was unreasonable.

But... I really do think that someone could have warmed up his baby's bottle - or at least given him some water so he could do it himself.

I understand what you say about being sued, but imo things have gone so far that nobody will do the slightest little thing to help someone else out just in case they get sued.

Not that I'm blaming you for that, your company has a policy and you stuck by it.

My mum's friend owned a tea rooms and she gave someone boiling water and she burnt herself on it and got sued and had to close down. So it does happen.

Agree, H&S in the UK is UTTERLY OTT, and stops so many ordinary, humanitarian acts just because of the worry about being sued for this, that or the other supposed dangers.

I bet this bloke forgot about baby's feed, and had probably had his ear chewed by baby's mother as to why he hadn't remembered to put the flask in the car or something, before he even got into your shop

As some one else said. Why is it against H&S to give a bowl of hot water, but OK to put the same water in a cup and sell that?

i have always found people to be very helpful with just barely potty trained children.
if your children must drink warm milk, then its your own responsibilty to ensure you havet the equipment to heat it up.
none of my babies was used to very warm milk. just not feasible to always provide.
i would never walk into a bakers and demand a disposable diaper, so why heating facilities? although i would ask, and recieve access tot he toilet for my three year old

Did he buy anything or did he just come in and start making demands?? I think if he was out and about when he knew it was feed time, he should have made sure he had the wherewithall to do it himself, IMO

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But surely it was that woman's fault that she burnt herself on the water!! Not the teashop owner!

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bootsmonkey, no he didn't buy anything. He just walked in past all of the queing customers to the front and asked for his bottle to be heated.

No she was sued and she couldn't afford to keep it open after paying out the money. She gave a jug of water for the woman to warm her babies bottle.

Thats what she told me and my mum anyway.

WallOfSilence you would think it was the womans fault wouldn't you but like i said, people sue for anything nowadays whether it's their silly fault or not.