While it can be convenient for parents to bring their children to work with them, having children in a professional environment can present unique challenges. Children of different ages will have different needs and may need to be kept in a separate location while their parents are working. In addition, on an industrial job site, there could be chemical or mechanical hazards that children need to be kept well away from.
Children Should Be Kept in a Secure Area Adjacent to the Work Area
If your company conducts business in a factory setting, an adjacent building should be used to house any children who are brought to the factory. Keeping them sequestered in another building ensures that they don't accidentally get on an elevator to a floor that has chemicals or somehow find their way into a secure computer room because someone left a door open.
The company's
safety director should see to it that there are guards outside the building and surveillance systems that can keep track of the children at all times. This will prevent children from wandering around the facility unsupervised while also preventing unauthorized persons from getting to the children while their parents are away.
Parents Should Be Educated About the Safety Protocol Process
To be allowed to bring their children to work, parents should be required to attend an educational seminar or sign a paper as part of the policy adoption process. Such a form should say that they are aware of the sensitive environment in which they work. Having parents sign such paperwork is an acknowledgment that there are machines that older kids cannot use and that anything that they may see or hear is strictly confidential.
If a child does or says something that goes against that policy, that employee will not be allowed to bring their child to work anymore in addition to other penalties if appropriate. This may be enough to dissuade parents from letting their child visit them while they are in their offices or anywhere outside of the secure childcare area.
Sick Children Should Be Kept at Home Until They Recover
If a child is sick, he or she should not be brought into contact with other children. This can be helpful as some of the other children may have poor immune systems or haven't yet gotten vaccinated. As a safety director, it is important to think about the long-term implications of sick children being allowed to be around other children.
Even in a best case scenario, large numbers of children could catch a cold or the flu, which could force parents to stay home with their kids. This could harm worker productivity and make it harder to get products to customers on time or provide services in a timely and effective manner.
If management or other key personnel are required to miss work, it could cause further problems with getting proper clearance to certain parts of the facility or getting authorization to complete certain parts of a project. Therefore, it is critical that sick children are kept away from an industrial site or other facility.
Although some parents may have no choice but to bring their children to work, it is important that companies have policies regarding where they can be. During the
adoption process, it is critical that every gets on the same page and understands what to do if they see a child in an unauthorized environment. Keeping children in certain parts of a factory or industrial site can keep them safe and keep confidential information away from someone who may unintentionally tell others about what they saw.
