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Original poster

would you leave dirty nappies in a library?

245 replies

starlover · 30/03/2006 19:02

kind of following on from the restaurant thread!

My mum works in our local library and they have a baby jiggle and rhyme time on a friday morning.

Due to persistent requests they got a changing mat so that babies could be changed if necessary and people have now started LEAVING their dirty nappies beside it! for library staff to remove and bin....

I was Shock when I heard it

OP posts:
TheBlonde · 30/03/2006 19:37

Maybe they should tell everyone at the start of the class to take the nappies home or where the appropriate bin is

Original poster
starlover · 30/03/2006 19:40

yeah i said they should just say that they want people to take them home, or put a sign up.

I was just so shocked.. i'd never leave one of Linus's nappies on the floor for someone else to pick up!

that's like going to a friends house and just leaving nappies lying in their bathroom or something

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 30/03/2006 19:49

How crass, discourteous and disgusting are some people today? Who brings people like this up? That's just beyond rude and gross.

yeamam · 30/03/2006 20:23

But anywhere that provides a mat for a baby to be changed should, surely, provide a bin for disposables to go in? (Mine is a clothie so I have to carry them home Grin)

Even in the cafe where I go for lunch, they just have a table in a little corner away from people and they have a pedal bin under the table...not really that hard is it?

Original poster
starlover · 30/03/2006 20:27

mine is a clothie too! lol

but it's like saintgeorge says they can't just throw nappies in the rubbish,they would have to pay for specific disposal.

staff shouldn't be handling it, because things like polio can be carried in poo... if a member of staff contracted it then who would be responsible? (a highly unlikely scenario, I admit.. but still)

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 30/03/2006 20:30

(as an aside, polio isn't carried from the vaccine in poo any more as it's an inactive version now)

SoupDragon · 30/03/2006 20:30

I'd expect a bin or a polite notice but wouldn't leave a used nappy there, wet or dirty.

Original poster
starlover · 30/03/2006 20:32

ooh really? learn something new every day on here!

OP posts:
philippat · 30/03/2006 20:33

"it's just a free playgroup for people who never use the library otherwise"

Isn't that the point of these classes? encouraging more people into libraries? and possibly they might not be the tidiest, politest people, but that's who they are trying to reach out to?

Does the library have a toilet? I'd be surprised if, as local authority it doesn't have a sanitary disposal bin, so a nappy disposal bin would not be a huge extra cost as thge disposal form will be visiting anyway.

While I appreciate your mum might be annoyed, I think she needs to stand back a bit.

philippat · 30/03/2006 20:33

that'll be 'the disposal firm' even

Original poster
starlover · 30/03/2006 20:35

well would you want to clear up other peiople's shitty nappies?

I wouldn't!

and the fact is they don't have a bin, not yet anyway.
leaving your nappies on the floor for someone else to clear away is disgusting...

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 30/03/2006 20:36

Out of interest, why can't they just throw nappies in the rubbish?

Original poster
starlover · 30/03/2006 20:38

i believe that human waste has to be disposed of correctly... like in changing rooms in shops/restaurants... they ought to have a special bin (normally with yellow liners) that is taken away and incinerated

OP posts:
yeamam · 30/03/2006 20:41

How much would it cost them to have one?

In the toilet your mum uses they are law bound to have a sanitary disposal unit.. my DH is in this line of work and has to check buildings for regulations. If a building is of a certain size it is meant to have so many toilets and for so many employees so many toilets, females need sanitary disposal units :)

Callisto · 30/03/2006 20:42

I always take dd's dirty nappies home with me. I wouldn't expect anyone else to deal with them.

Original poster
starlover · 30/03/2006 20:43

I have no idea how much it would cost... but if people won't even take it with them then they're also not likely to go to the desk, ask for the key to the toilet and then use the bin in there are they?

then they'd want facilities in the loo... that'd cost a fair bit.

and trying to get our council to spend ANY money is just a joke!

they are however building a brand new library (due to start 2008 i think) so hopefully it'll have plenty of up-to-date facilities

OP posts:
lockets · 30/03/2006 20:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

threebob · 30/03/2006 20:44

They need to put up a sign asking mothers to take away their nappies. They may need to have a few supermarket plastic bags behind the counter for the terminally disorganised.

A threat to take away the changing mat if they are left in the shit should do it.

Original poster
starlover · 30/03/2006 20:45

i just read ythis on another thread which i think sums it up for me really

"Think it's important...to respect the work of others & not to make more work for others than necessary"

the library are providing a service to these people for free, because they want to... i think they should be treated with respect and nto subjected to a load of demands for more, more, more and left clearing up behind them

OP posts:
SaintGeorge · 30/03/2006 20:45

Contract for waste disposal would be about £250 - £500 (in this area at least) depending on the quantity/frequency of collection.

Libraries already have very tight budgets.

julienetmum · 30/03/2006 22:44

I'm quite surprised that they don't have a proper baby changing room, especially if they have baby activities there. I take the baby changing area at our local libraries for granted. All the ones i have been to have them.

Original poster
starlover · 30/03/2006 22:46

it's a very old building!

OP posts:
julienetmum · 30/03/2006 22:51

There are a few libraries around here that are in old buildings but they are moving as they don't comply/cost too much to be altered with the disability discrimination act.

oops · 30/03/2006 22:53

i totally understand your mother does not want to have to deal with other people's childrens' nappies.
she shouldn't hvae to Full Stop, i am sure we all agree with that.

But the service provided in a library isn't free....it is paid for by the local authoruty, and therefore by the local residents, i believe, correct me if i am wrong.
I am not sure what you are saying, that the kids' stuff is for free...do people really leave their kids there...
at our library, people come with their children and hang out with them in the singing and toy library.
If one of them needs a nappy change the staff sympathise, but cannot help any further than explain where the women's toilets are (with sanitary bin as per regualtions)
the parent needs to cart the children up the stairs (can't get buggy up there so i am particularly in trouble with 2.5yr old and baby in tow) and if i don't have my changing mat handy i have to lie toddler or baby on the toilet floor \9tiled and only space is right next to the door so it opens onto your back or baby's head)
I will then obviously bag up said nappy and carry baby and toddler downstairs back inot the group.

I really really don't think it is too much to ask for for the management to consider the fact that IF they provide a service for toddlers/children then maybe it would be sensible to provide a hygenic and realistic change facilty in a toilet that is accessible to the parents and the children, purely so that woprkers like your mum aren't left to clear up the mess..
parp!!

paolosgirl · 30/03/2006 22:53

Crikey, I can't believe that anyone would think to leave their dirty nappies for someone else to clean up Shock. And for those of you who think that you pay your taxes so you should get a nappy bin, you might be interested to know that libraries are usually the first thing that Councils cutback on, and that library staff do a fantastic job with limited resources, without having to clean up bags of stinking nappies.

Some of the old Victorian libraries round here have shared staff/public toilets - would YOU want your staff toilet to stink of week old nappies because the contract the Council have negotiated only pays for a monthly uplift, and because parents can't be bothered to take a nappy bag home? No - thought not.

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