Rank: Forum user 
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We have just been subject to an internal HSE planning audit and a recommendation that has been proposed is to implement risk assessments for new fathers and develop best practice.
I am just wording a response as to why we won't be implementing this.
Anybody else have come across this? I am slightly bemused, and although Sleep Deprivation can be a killer, we don't have highly hazardous tasks in our work environment, being an office based engineering consultancy. Worst thing that could happen is a design mistake being not spotted, but that wouldn't be part of my occupational risk assessments.
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Rank: Super forum user
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I really despair...I agree with you.
Even taking a moralistic/well-being approach to this, what is the significant risk?
Legally no requirement at all, struggling to see any impact on work - other than the sleep interruption you already mention.
Situations like this is 'just life' - deal with it!!
Surely you must have bigger things to sort out?
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Rank: Forum user
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Wow, you must have really nailed that audit if this is what they’ve had to resort to in order to find something to recommend.
And recommend they must I guess to prove they’ve done their job. Has anyone ever had an audit that didn’t have a list of recommendations at the end of it?
I know no one is perfect, but there is gold plating, and then polishing the plate until the shine blinds you :-)…
Graham
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Rank: Super forum user 
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While at first glance this may appear wasting time you should consider the "what if" scenario of the newborn baby being somewhat disabled, either known beforehand or a complete surprise.
I do have some experience of this and know for sure the impact of the individual/s concerned and the stresses that cancause.
Surely that does have an impact on work, and indeed it did with me.
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Rank: Super forum user
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You have to be firm with auditors and I would give them a robust answer as to why this is inappropriate for your organisation. I have seen organisations not challenge recommendations resulting in limited resources that should be managing significant risks managing insignificant risks.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Firesafety
Nevertheless - this is a 'life' issue - if adjustments to work (working hours?) are required its more of a HR issue.
For the vast majority of 'new fathers' having a new born around is just life.
How far do we let an employers h&s duties intrude into personal lives.
Too far in my view, already.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Rank: Super forum user
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It’s a mad world, what about a new dog, newlyweds, a divorce or your horoscope. Today I apparently can be hooked on rage, so I have done a risk assessment and gone home, boss not to happy.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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The world of work grows every more polarised.
On the one hand we have this politically correct namby pamby ism and on the other, people working in conditions pretty close to slavery.
Message to new mothers & fathers: we are pleased for you and rejoice with you, but you are not the first people in the world to have kids whatever you might be thinking.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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That really is equality gone mad. When new fathers get pregnant and give birth and nurse babies, then and only then will we conduct risk assessments for them which is, after all, the purpose of a risk assessment for new mothers.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Mods remove it and put it back on a Friday please or April the 1st.
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Rank: Super forum user
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quote=DP]Mods remove it and put it back on a Friday please or April the 1st.
No! Its important we have awareness that this thinking is out there.
The OP was asking for a reality check and we have agree & commiserated with them.
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Rank: Super forum user
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try a sense of humour....
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Rank: Forum user
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I do recall working with a lad who was having a particularly tough time due to a new baby and was dog tired!
We did decide we'd take his turn at driving the van and generally took some of the load off him. I suppose in an informal unwritten way we did a risk assessment. Wouldn't like to see it become a requirement though!
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Rank: Forum user
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Someone really needs to explain to why the answer to everything in this country is do a risk assessment.
In this instance, surely there are already appropriate pathways to manage the situation through HR.
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Rank: Super forum user
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MikeD81 wrote:Someone really needs to explain to why the answer to everything in this country is do a risk assessment.
In this instance, surely there are already appropriate pathways to manage the situation through HR.
yeh but.......... that would involve HR doing something and HR don't do things.
"do a risk assessment" has become shorthand for dump your problems on H&S
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Rank: Super forum user
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hilary wrote:That really is equality gone mad. When new fathers get pregnant and give birth and nurse babies, then and only then will we conduct risk assessments for them which is, after all, the purpose of a risk assessment for new mothers.
Sorry, I have to disagree with you on the 'equality gone mad' side of things. I don't think the risk assessment for new fathers is required but if it's not required it's nothing to do with equality or that women get pregnant.
Regards
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Rank: Forum user
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walker wrote:MikeD81 wrote:Someone really needs to explain to why the answer to everything in this country is do a risk assessment.
In this instance, surely there are already appropriate pathways to manage the situation through HR.
yeh but.......... that would involve HR doing something and HR don't do things.
"do a risk assessment" has become shorthand for dump your problems on H&S
What's the organisational process for telling people where to put their risk assessment?
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Rank: Forum user
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This is brilliant but really missing the point about parenthood.
We should really be assessing the hazards to which ‘Prospective’ parents are exposed.
I suggest a two monthly questionnaire to both genders of child bearing age asking if they intend to conceive in the next two months. If they answer in the affirmative they should not be exposed to any chemicals that have the potential to affect fertility.
Furthermore if a women has attempted to conceive she must inform her line manager the following morning so that she can be put on duties that avoid exposure to agents with the potential to affect the unborn foetus.
It is in the first couple of weeks that a foetus is most vulnerable to these agents after all.
That’ll keep HR and H&S busy
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Rank: Super forum user
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Ref #19
If this is a serious post, this is almost asking to be told about someone's private life - ridiculous.
Is someone supposed to come into work and announce to everyone - 'I had sex last night'
Would you like to see the DVD video as well....
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Rank: Forum user
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Sorry should have put a sarcasm alert somewhere, but I thought it was very obviously NOT a serious post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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On reading #19 I did a BQC (brief quiet chortle) rather than a LOL (laugh out loud) having interpreted it as no more than a bit of humour. However, if it was intended to be humorous, some forum users - whether in or outside the UK - might not realise that was the case. That's why some of us include multiple exclamation marks !!! and/or smileys :-) or :-( [guess they're called frownies] with our humorous postings to help avoid ambiguity.
On a related note there is evidently less humour on this forum nowadays but, thank goodness, it's available on any day of the week and that so-called Friday Threads have all but disappeared - I never understood why humour tended to be limited to one day. Surely it's better to have doses of humour throughout the week!
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Rank: Forum user
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Graham
As a new father myself I feel that as part of your 2 week warning process it would be incumbent on the interviewing manager to provide financial counselling to the prospective parent.
Furthermore, a rigorous process of psychometric testing could be introduced. This could be easily accomplished by locking the employee in the storage cupboard overnight with recording of a baby screaming playing on loop.
Following this, the employee can be roused and expected to perform complex tasks such as: trying not to breakdown into a quivering mess, successfully placing washed forks into the fork section of the drawer and telling their partner that they do still love them. Coincidentally, this process could also be used to assess how new fathers' will respond solving the OP's initial request for advice.
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Rank: Super forum user
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MikeD81, congrats.
Look forward to a life time of no "me time", some say your committment ends at 18, don't believe them.
I booked the day off tomorrow, I have not had any hols for 5 months. My 34 year old son found out and it now appears I have to get out of bed at 5.30am to take him to the station (he is going to a teacher conference) as the station car park fees are nearly £15. He lives in his own home but is going to drive to my place and park his car at my place. The rest of the day will be spent pointing up brickwork of the other son's house.
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Rank: Forum user
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This is the kind of thing that gives Health and Safety such bad press because it may well come out as such. A waste of time. If there was any issues with 'new fathers' it is an HR problem - not Health and Safety.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Did the auditor give any indication during the audit what ( if anything) was going through their minds?
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Rank: Super forum user 
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I have actually raised this topic with an employer before, in the form of the question 'What would you do if one of the people doing safety-critical tasks in this high-hazard chemical plant was suffering from fatigue or stress, for example, because they had a new baby at home?'
The answer was 'We'd deal with it through our normal management processes.'
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