A supermarket in Dublin has apologised after putting up signs banning some workers from entering their eating area due to their work-wear and it has left people divided.
Fresh, which has nine locations across the capital, hit back in defence of its decision to ban people wearing ‘construction workwear’ in its in-store dining area.
Signs put up by the supermarket recently ended up on social media, after a shocked customer saw the sign that said in order to provide a clean dining area, anyone wearing a construction uniform or carrying tools with them would no longer be permitted to eat inside.
One member of the public, Jules, spoke with Newstalk today to condemn the new rule and said: “I’ve seen people who are very well dressed get up and leave the place in an absolute state – far worse than a bit of muck on the floor.”
She insisted that “they’ve missed the mark here. They could have addressed it differently. They could have had boot cleaners outside the shop so people could clean their boots on the way in and they could have had complimentary wipes.
“I just think to say you’re good enough to come in and spend your money, but we don’t want you to stay here because you’re bringing the place down Is highly insulting.
“To target a certain audience that’s coming into your premises and say, come in and spend but get out is wrong. It’s not right.”
However, a construction safety consultant, Sean, said he backs the rule entirely: “Your average construction worker is dealing with glues, silicones, silica dust and hazardous materials which are on to their clothes and being transferred onto seating in the restaurants and the seats,” he said.
“In our canteens on site, we have specialist teams in once a week cleaning down the surfaces … so I absolutely see the Fresh point of view on this and absolutely agree with it.
“It’s not an awful lot of effort. Most of the decent sites at the moment have cubby holes where guys can leave their workwear when they go out on breakfast and lunch and most guys take advantage of that.”
Amid the commotion over its new rule, Fresh released a statement and said it did not mean to suggest there was a ban on construction workers in general but rather focused on the health and safety issues their uniform can pose.
“As with all our customers, constructions workers are always welcome in our stores,” it said. “The sign at the time referred to workwear and tools only in the seating area.
“Our experience in other stores, when we opened while major construction work was taking place, was the risk of serious trip hazards from tools, workwear and other equipment being left on the floor of the seating areas,” it said.
“If anyone took offence to our endeavours, we sincerely apologise.”
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