The old actors’ adage ‘never work with animals or children’ could just as easily sit within a facilities manager’s handbook. Health and safety would be the main reason for anybody refusing access to children and pets in the workplace, closely followed by issues of noise, mess and distraction for other members of staff and visitors.
So do these concerns magically disappear when faced with the prospect of a new member of staff who owns an assistance dog? Despite DDA legislation requiring you to make reasonable adjustments for a staff member with a disability, no they don’t.
If you have never managed a workplace that includes a permanent member of staff with a dog, or have never spoken to another FM who does, you may wonder about the following—what if the dog barks or has episodes of bad behaviour? Who is going to feed it and give it water and where will its bowls be kept? How can I guarantee that it won’t have accidents and will I be expected to clear up the mess? What if another member of staff has an allergy to dogs? Will I be expected to take it for regular walks? What if there are two assistance dogs in the workplace which don’t get on?
You’d be forgiven for feeling all of these initial fears—but under law, you certainly aren’t justified in raising barriers against a dog coming into your office. With some basic reading around the subject, you’ll discover that not only are these fears unfounded, but the experience of having a dog at work can be extremely positive.
Jean Hewitt, inclusive environment consultant and regular BIFM trainer, says that often facilities managers and other staff members are frightened of getting it wrong when approaching a person with an assistance dog to discuss these issues. “This really shouldn’t be a concern—it’s just a case for clear communication and common sense—you need to say, tell me what help you need in order to be comfortable.”
When it comes to other members of staff who may have an allergy, Hewitt again advises making sure everyone knows that a dog will be a permanent fixture at work and check if anyone has any serious allergies. “Obviously you wouldn’t sit the person with the dog next to the person with the allergy—so you’ll have to think about space planning issues.”
Guide Dogs, which supports around 4,600 guide dog partnerships in the UK, has produced a booklet for workplace managers outlining the main concerns that they may have, such as ‘who looks after the dog?’ and ‘can I talk to it?’ In terms of cleanliness issues, the onus is certainly on the owner, who will regularly groom their dog to reduce the amount of hair that it leaves on the carpet. It adds that the guide dog owner, together with the employer and a Guide Dogs instructor should identify the most suitable place for the dog to relieve itself nearby, whether that’s on the premises or offsite.
It also says that arrangements will have been made for the disposal of waste and cleaning the area, “but support from the company or individuals is always much appreciated”.
Emergency egress issues must be thought through carefully. The Fire Safety Risk Assessment—Means of Escape for Disabled People guide is available to download for free from the Department of Communities and Local Government and gives clear guidance on creating a bespoke access plan for people with disabilities.
It says that, in the case of an emergency, a person using a dog may prefer it to assist them out of the building, so escape routes should be pointed out. “Others will prefer to take the responsibility away from the dog for means of escape and request a human assistant. In these cases, a buddy should be allocated to the person. It may also be necessary to provide a person to look after the dog. Again, this may be provided in an informal or formal manner.”
Under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a duty is placed upon a ‘responsible person’ to manage everyone’s escape and not to leave people with disability in a refuge spot.
But legal experts advise caution in this area. “Some fire and rescue services say that they prefer for disabled people to be left at a refuge spot ready for their arrival,” explains Elspeth Grant, director of TripleA Consult. “If that’s the case, make sure you get it in writing and have them sign it. Otherwise, if you end up in court, you can guarantee that this agreement will have been forgotten.”
Speak to most guide dog, assistance dog or seizure alert dog owners, and they will agree that they have encountered very few problems in the workplace. Ultimately, facilities managers should remain aware that there is no legal approach to putting barriers up against dogs being allowed in the workplace.
It costs £35,000 to train and support a guide dog (funding comes entirely from voluntary donations) and registered dogs are highly professional working animals—unlikely to cause a disturbance or inconvenience to the workplace, but only if procedures are clearly set out and followed. Training is available, as well as dispute resolution from the relevant association, if it is needed.
In the meantime, liaise with the HR department and the dog owner themselves, says Grant, and the process will be as smooth and welcoming any other new staff member or visitor on site.
