Help our CC is now banning cloth nappies as of March

[*Beema*]

I work in OHS and being a cloth user i would find it diffficult to believe that there would be a different OHS implication to that of a sposie... they are still removing the nappy and still cleaning the bum of the child... its just what is done with it afterwards... and TBH i cant find a difference.
one you chuck in a bin, the other you chuck in a plastic bag. Fair enoough if they are having an issue with the poo - as in cleaning it off, but t should be put down the toilet anyway, cloth or sposie, so there is no difference.

Would like to hear their rationale

Thanks SJ Only the firm poo's are put in the loo, the others come home and I clean them as soon as they get home., as soona s I get more information I will have a chat if they bring up the OHS.

[Epacris]

When we started FDC for my DS they said no to cloth for "health reasons". So I questioned "what health reasons?" Like others have said, there is absolutely no difference between MCN and sposies, except MCNs goes in a wet bag, not in the bin. They couldn't come up with anything, any real reason so I just insisted that we were going to use cloth. I was quite prepared to walk away and find another care option but luckily they backed down and it's never been a problem. And why would it be anyway?

[Visitor6]

I stumbled acrooss this thread with interest (as a profesional bum wiper).

What is the set up of the 'wet bag'? How are things done. Are the 'contributions' gotten rid of first ie dow the loo and then the cloth nappies put in the wet bag.

Wrapping up a disposable and into a bag straight up may be perceived as a risk reduction method.

I can see how the child care staff (if the above is the way) can cite OH&S reasons.

More concern exists with rotavirus spread now. Similarly, fecal matter isn't exactly clean waste, so handling it more than required can be perceived as a risk. If stools aren't formed for example, this is a hazard as well with droplet spread.

If this facility is making a decision based on risk then it should have done a risk assessment and have that available. It might not be to your liking however if it is sound then in some ways you may find your choices limited.

I remember after having handled all sorts of body fluids that the enrolled (Dvision 2 nurses) used to get Nausea Allowance for cleaning up exactly the same as me as a Division 1 nurse! Hard to get my head around, but thats just the way it fell!

[Epacris]

Hi Stretcher Bearer,

Our FDC (Family Day Care) lady puts the MCN (Modern Cloth Nappy) any wipes she uses, and if there is a poo, a disposable glove, all wrapped inside the nappy in one of those small plastic bags that are often used with disposable nappies. They then go in the wetbag. A wetbag is just a waterproof bag with a zipper, I put a tissue with some lavender oil on it inside to keep it smelling nice-ish. The MCN nappies we use, Green Kids Pockets, are functionally exactly like a disposable. They are the same shape, with velcro tabs, you use them exactly like you would use a disposable.

At the end of the day I pull everything apart (yuckko!!!) I put the wipes and glove in the bin, the poo in the toilet and the nappies in the wash.

I think this is much more healthy and hygienic because the poo ends up in the toilet, where it should be and not (illegally?) in the bin.

I think all of the resistance to cloth at daycare is because people just don't know about MCN and how they work. They think when you say "cloth nappies" you mean terry toweling flats with pins and plastic pilchards. I just can't see how anyone could argue that they can't use cloth (MCN) for "health reasons" or any other reasons either for that matter.

[mollycat]

I'm not 100% sure, but if you look through Quality Assurance standards, you may be able to use "continuation of care from home to centre", ie, using cloth at home to the centre would form part of their QA standards. I haven't time now, but I'll have a look later and see what I can find.

I'm a FDC provider, and would happily use cloth. I don't see the difference with cloth or disposable. I put on gloves whichever "style" of nappy it is, the gloves are removed once the nappy has been dealt with (and I use both cloth and disposable). The change mat is disinfected after each use, so no chance of cross contaimination there.
I have also in the past when I've had a lot of children in disposables sent the dirty ones home at the end of the day, to me, a bag of dirty disposables poses more risk then a wet bag/bucket full of cloth nappies.

It will be interesting to see what is said from our scheme manager when she realises I have my baby in cloth nappies next year when I return to work.

[*Beema*]

It has happened I received a letter this morning when I dropped of DD at CC, the cloth nappy ban will be as of March. What has made me more angy is that DD came home yesterday wearing a disposible nappy, from which she now has a horrendous nappy rash, and two completely clean dry fressh MCNs

I was sooo upset when I saw her bum last night it is horrible! Yet she went in the morning and it was fine

So now I have to write a letter as to why we should be allowed to use cloth, I am happy to take a bucket for it and separate bags for each nappy (eco biodegradable ones) so it would be the exact same thingas putting them in the bin, no extra handling or touching of the nappies, but I really don't know if I will have a chance or not. So I amd having to reasearch and see if there are alternative CC centres who do allow/encourage cloth nappies

If anyone has any suggestions on items to include in my letter please post or if you have encountered this before and let me know I really really don't want to move her as she is settled within the centre, but FT we haven't used FT disposibles on her for a very long time.... It is a cost implication as I have bought cloth to see her through for TT....

[~Raven~]

Can you protest and say it is due to allergy reasons to the disposable nappies? They make provision for sunscreen allergies so this could come under a similar thing. It's just not fair that your DD ends up with a sore rash from being put in a disposable nappy

[suse]

I would be asking your care centre to provide reference to the relevant legislation that has prompted their decision - because to my knowledge it is not legal for a centre to refuse to use cloth.

I believe CCCs have a dispensation from any Council requirements to dispose of solid waste in the toilet, for contamination/excessive handling reasons (change & nappy disposal areas are not always immediately convenient to toilet facilities, which are part of the accessible area of the facility, as they have to be separate from the areas accessible to children, so if the carer has to travel through the accessible area in order to dispose of waste this presents a contamination risk).

So long as their handling of cloth is consistent with their handling of sposies, which it is if they roll the nappy up without disposing of waste, deposit in a sealable container consistent with that used for sposies which is removed by the parent at the end of the day for cleaning - they have no legal grounds for refusing to use cloth.