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Posted By Matthew
Does anyone know what the regs are if any on staff bring Dogs to work ?
This dog in question is allowed to run up and down the corridor, barks etc.
Thanks
Matthew
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Posted By David .J. Minnery
Matthew
Dogs in the Workplace ?????
I would suggest that apart from the obvious risks of an animal apparently running wild in any workplace , that your internal policies should forbid anyone/anything on the premises other than employees or authorised visitors and certainly no pets .
There are a number of reasons as to why this practice should be stopped with immediate effect , trips/falls , frightening people with a fear of dogs , possibility of the dog biting someone , dog fouling etc.
Regards
David
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Posted By Graham Sargeant
I must agree with David on this topic, the appearance of a dog in the workplace is something which I'm sure wasn't considered as a forseeable risk in your risk assessment.
I have come across this problem in the past, a scaffolder employeed by the firm I work for insisted on bringing his pitbull terrier into work, after being sent home several times (minus wages for a day) he soon gave up. But at least his dog got a good walk to and from work!
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter
Matthew
As far as I am aware there are no Regs dealing specifically with dogs at work but, of course, the matter should be addressed through risk assessment. A friend of mine is blind and her guide dog accompanies her to work everyday (indeed the dog has the honorary title of Assistant Director) but the dog is very well behaved and does not roam the premises while "on duty".
Regards
Paul Leadbetter
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Posted By Ken Taylor
The employer has a duty to provide a workplace that is safe and without risk so far as is reasonably practicable. Unless the workplace is a dog's home, dog training centre or the like and with the obvious exception of trained dogs to aid the disabled, the employer is unlikely to have much defence against legal action by an enforcing authority or individual in the case of loss or injury arising from the presence of free range dogs.
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Posted By Geoff
I would agree with all the comments made. If dogs are well behaved then they can reduce stress levels. We had an instance of a person who insisted that he brought his dog to work. The managers would not stand their ground and he continued to bring the dog in. It has to be said we got more sense out of the dog then the employee at times. He the dog was very well behved and did not go anywhere without his owner. It might be interesting for a reaseach project to see if animals in the workplace did reduce stress levels and what type of animals produced the best results.
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Posted By Peter J Harvey
Don't forget that under Part 4 of the DDA, if you operate a public place, or a facility used by the public you should have made reasonable adaptations for disabled use by 2004. This will include, allowing partially sighted or blind persons in with their guide dogs.
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Posted By Nigel Singleton BSc
You haven't said what type of workplace the dog is in, this has a huge bearing on the question.
I work in the nursing and care home sector, and it is common for the business to have a dog, which becomes part of the family and keeps the 'old folks' amused. In most cases the animal in question is allowed free access, apart from the food areas.
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Posted By David .J. Minnery
I understand that animals might have a calming influence , but correct me if I have read this thread wrong , it states that a dog is running about the workplace , barking etc , certainly not a good atmosphere and definitely a recipe for trouble especially for the employer that allows it to happen .
Guide dogs for the blind etc are highly trained and do not cause problems like the dog apparently left to run wild !!!!
Sorry but I certainly do not see the point of debating the therapy aspects of animals when the question relates to something completely different .
Regards
David
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Posted By Bruce Sutherland
Oh dear - more dog phobes I fear - we run a health and safety consultancy with several MIOSH RSP and FIOSH RSP and up to three dogs!
There have been some interesting points made and perhaps the DDA is the most pertinent - if one wants to be negative about dogs then in your list you should all perhaps include the risks of zoonotics etc ... but as with most things perhaps the answer comes down to a bit of common sense and understanding - if the dog is being a pain then speak to the owner. I always thought health and safety was meant to be a positive force not an excuse to create rules... but what do I know?
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Posted By Nicky
I agree with Bruce, I have worked as a consultant for a firm where an employee brought her dog into work - the dog was fine-well behaved and nobody minded. In fact it was quite reassuring that the "boss" was human enough to allow it. However, I have a friend who had to ban all dogs at work because someone with ill-behaved/trained dogs brought his to work and someone was bitten. That ruined it for those with well-behaved animals.
It isn't really a safety problem but if the dog is running around barking it is obviously distracting, or else why the forum question.
Nicky
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Posted By Marie Dolman
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is how this may affect other employees with allergies to animal fur. As a long time sufferer myself, I could not spend any time in an environment where dogs (or cats) had been without having a serious asthma attack!!
Not something you would normally consider unless you've been there...
Marie.
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