Children in the Workplace

With the current move to improve work life balance, one of the issues that comes up from time to time is whether or not employees should be allowed to bring young children into the workplace.

Without doubt, it can be convenient for parents to be allowed to do so, especially when there are problems with childcare arrangements or perhaps it is “just a fleeting visit”.

Additional Risks

However, every employer needs to be aware that young children on the premises can introduce additional hazards and risks that would not otherwise need to be considered. If an organisation is to adopt a “family friendly” policy that includes allowing young children on the premises, then it is vital to undertake a full risk assessment to ensure the additional risks are being adequately managed.

It is important to consider the issue from at least two distinct angles, namely:

Risks to which the children might be exposed as a result of their lack of appreciation of risks in general and lack of experience of the workplace in particular.
Risks to employees and possibly other users of the premises as a result of children being present.

In the former case, it is important to review every aspect that might have already been considered in other risk assessments. The reason is that safety arrangements that are perfectly satisfactory for adults may prove not to be as safe for young children.

Example Scenarios

By way of example, we have found situations where safety barriers have been erected to prevent falls from height. These were perfectly satisfactory for adults but the distance between the horizontal rails was sufficient for a small child to squeeze through with relative ease. This fact, coupled with the natural inclination of young children to be curious and adventurous, meant that the barriers were inadequate to ensure the safety of children on the site.

A particularly tragic case occurred recently when a young child managed to squeeze through a 9 inch gap behind a glass screen and then fell, with fatal consequences. The case is still the subject of investigation but you can read the story as reported by the Times Newspaper. From the report, it appears to be a situation that would have been a zero risk to an adult but proved to be fatal for a young child.

Risks to Employees

It is also important to consider the risks to which employees may be exposed as a result of having children on site. Once again, natural curiosity can create problems if a child wants to find out by experimentation what happens if they press a button or pull on a lever that happens to be within their reach.

The youthful exuberance of young children can also present risks if they are permitted to run around or possibly leave toys on the floor. We need to appreciate that there is no guarantee that children will comply with housekeeping rules and conduct, even assuming they are able to read the notices or understand verbal instructions.

There are many workplaces that specifically cater for young children and are perfectly safe, such as nurseries, playgrounds, shops and the like. It is not our intention to discourage other organisations from adopting family friendly policies, but where they are introduced, it is essential that all the consequences are properly assessed and appropriate precautions put in place.

As Health and Safety Consultants, we are able to offer you a comprehensive Health and Safety Management service or, if you already have a comprehensive systems in place, we can provide the specialist services for which you may not have the trained staff in house.

Contact EDP HS&E Consultants for all your health, safety and environment needs. We can check your current arrangements and advise you about any changes or improvements you need to make.

To discuss your requirements, without any obligation on your part, please gives us a call on 01744 766000 or complete the Enquiry Form on our website.

In addition to our regular newsletters, you can also keep up with the latest information from EDP by visiting our blog at http://edp-uk.blogspot.com/