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Is it reasonable for staff to remove cat poo?

Is it reasonable for staff to remove cat poo?

September 20, 2015

Here’s an interesting question.  Is it reasonable for staff to remove cat poo from the garden of a day nursery, pre school or club that they find on their daily pre use inspection?

It’s at this point I would normally say it depends what’s on your job description. However I doubt we would have ever thought about the need to remove cat poo when preparing such documents, so it falls under that lovely last sentence, any other duty as deemed reasonable……

It is reasonable to ask your staff to dispose of the cat poo they find on their inspection of the garden, so long as you provide instruction and resources to facilitate it’s safe removal. Disposable gloves, perhaps a face mask, a long handed trowel and specific disposal bag would be the minimum.

Without it being removed the staff are not ensuring the safeguarding of the children and if they allow the garden to be used with it there, they are failing in their responsibilities for health & safety.

I would prohibit pregnant women removing the cat poo because of the risk of toxoplasmosis, but if wearing adequate protection, which is unlike how we change litter trays at home, the risk is very small.

With staff its all about expectations really, would they call you to remove a spider from the kitchen? Do they refuse to change a nappy where the poo is half way up the little chaps back?

You lead by example, but explaining your expectations for an effective team to operate means addressing any concerns and explaining that they are not being asked something that is not a reasonable request.

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