Health and Safety at Work- sigh. UK

11 replies

Rees100 · 31/01/2015 13:32

I am 24 weeks pregnant with my first baby and work in a very physical demanding profession with lots of possible hazards to myself and baby- radiographs, anaesthetic gases etc. I informed my boss I was pregnant at 5 weeks due to the risks and asked for a health and safety review. My boss has delayed and delayed doing this with just a few verbal words such as don't lift heavy things. I have used my common sense and tried not to put myself in any dangerous situations as the baby must come first. My boss has just been informed we have a health and safety inspection in 2 weeks and as such has filled in a health and safety form- back dating it to October! She filled it in without me bring there and I don't agree with a lot of it, for example she has put the risks of fatigue are low- but I work an 11 hours day generally with no lunch break. There is no mention of anaesthetics and if she has found anything to be a medium risk she has just put I shouldn't do it- except many days we are too short staffed for me not to do it and I have to try and muddle though in the safest way I can find.
My boss is demanding I sign the health safety form as she has to have it for the review but I don't agree with it and the date is wrong. My boss will make my life very very uncomfortable if I don't sign it and ultimately I love my job and want to come back to it after maternity leave What would you do- sign it to not cause trouble and continue as I have been, or amend it, or just refuse to sign? Help please!

OP posts:

mumofmunchkin · 31/01/2015 13:44

Is there a HR department you can talk to about it? I wouldn't be happy signing it myself.

PoppySausage · 31/01/2015 13:48

I wouldn't sign it and would try and talk to your boss about it. If anything happens to you you won't have a leg to stand on

Cisforcat · 31/01/2015 14:13

As poppy said- if ( you never know) anything was to happen and you signed it, you wouldn't have a leg to stand on and to be honest they really shouldn't be putting you in that position.
It's their negligence and quite honestly I wouldn't be willing to put ourself at risk above saving their ( lazy) arse.
I'd refuse and document the reasons for the refusal - that way you are covered.

Letmeeatcakecakecake · 31/01/2015 14:14

Don't sign it!

Take a copy to HR and explain everything you've just said here.

MrsCK · 31/01/2015 14:38

Can you take it home to read and then retype it phrased how you want it? Then use that as a basis for conversation? rather than refusing you're then offering an alternative. you could even give your boss the new copy already signed with a space for her signature

JennyBlueWren · 31/01/2015 14:39

Do not sign it.
Ask to have a meeting with her to complete it together or alternatively write you own and submit that to her. As you say you don't want to cause problems with her do it in a "being helpful to get this right together as we wouldn't want the inspectors to notice it was wrong would we" kind of way.

If you do decide to sign it (or a future version of it) put the date you signed it on -if it's already been dated for you cross it out and put in the actual date.

If it says on the RA that you just shouldn't do something then don't do it and point out that your boss has said you are not allowed to. Otherwise if anything happens it will be pointed out to you that you went against her instructions and put yourself in a risky situation.

rosedavo · 02/02/2015 18:25

Dont sign it, call hr dep and put in complaint - she is not doing her job properly

ImpatiencePersonified · 02/02/2015 20:08

Please please don't sign, it will invalidate any claim you may need to make should anything happen, she'll need to taker her slapped knuckles and fingers crossed learn her lesson.

A risk assessment should be done as soon as they're made aware and all risks reviewed regularly, even if she's faked the initial she's still fallen down with the reviews.

Seriously, don't let her put the next preggo at risk...

2015isgoingtobeBIG · 02/02/2015 20:43

Do not sign it. I work in the nhs and am also exposed to physically demanding wards, an x-Ray clinic and patients with infectious diseases. I had a risk assessment which had to be sent to HR as well as the H&S department. I'd contact both and tell them you've not had a risk assessment completed. As for your work, I know how hard it is to not help out your colleagues when they're busy but you've got to stop. Nobody else cares about your baby or will even think about the risk you are putting yourself and your unborn child under by helping them. You would say the same to a colleague if you knew they were putting he selves or their baby at risk. This is the one time you have got to be the complete opposite of normal and be selfish. It is hard. I know I'm doing it every day and it is almost the hardest part of being pregnant. But as my midwife said to me "you have given X years to the nhs, giving extra time etc, now is the time to the some of that back" and he was right. He also said "unless you wish to see your babies early, you need to slow down" and that was enough to persuade me I need to listen. If the is even a slight risk of my twins coming early I will do everything in my power to avoid it-for some reason that worked at persuading me.
Good luck but whatever you do, do NOT put yourself or your baby at risk by doing the things you know you shouldn't do even if the risk assessment isn't completed.

Kilicat · 04/02/2015 05:57

What did you end up doing Rees? I hope that you didn't sign it - that would mean that you're covering for your bosses negligence, and if anything were to happen to you and your baby because of your work then it would then technically be your fault. Please avoid the potential for this and speak to HR and your boss - this isn't the time to be nice and polite and just sign it because you didn't want to kick up a fuss or cause a stir.

Beesandbutterflies · 05/02/2015 13:23

Are you a vet nurse? Can you request a meeting with her, take someone with you and go through the form again? Good luck x

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