New and expectant mothers are a particularly vulnerable group who may be affected by health and safety risks at work.
As a result, there are a number of statutory instruments such as the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999, the Employments Rights Act 1996, Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and the Equality Act 2010 which cover their employment and help to protect their health and safety.
Considering this legislation there are a number of steps employers must take and a range of additional steps to take for new and expectant mothers.
What tasks are unsafe for pregnant workers?
New and expectantly mothers are no different to other members of the workforce and will be at risk from hazards inherent in common tasks the same as other employees.
However, they are at particular heightened risk due to their pregnancy; this is true even for common tasks, such as working at height, lone working, using vibrating or loud equipment and manual handling where normal consequences of risk can be higher due to pregnancy.
Additionally, the ergonomic nature of a task can be a particularly exacerbating.
Workstations or processes that were previously adapted to fit the worker may no longer be appropriate and require further assessment and adaptation.
What conditions are unsafe for pregnant workers?
There may also be a number of conditions of the workplace which are particularly unsafe for this vulnerable group.
There are a number of COSHH substances that are acutely harmful to new and expectant mothers, such as lead, mercury and pesticides; which can harm both mother and the unborn child.
Furthermore, working conditions such as long hours, shift and nightwork exacerbate mental and physical fatigue during pregnancy and after birth.
How can you reduce risks for pregnant workers?
There is a statutory duty for employers to make a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for new and expectant mothers.
The assessment should be the first step in ensuring a plan with suitable controls is implemented and should be undertaken as soon as practicable after the employee has informed of their pregnancy.
The assessment should consider all factors related to the role, paying specific attention to the high-risk tasks and conditions above.
There are, however, some common adjustments that can be made in all cases including:
- Review workstation set up, workers may not be able to stand or sit for long periods and may require adjustments to improve ergonomics.
- Assess hours and shift work, additional breaks may be required.
- Examine manual handling requirements; pregnant workers may require additional handling aids or assistance with tasks.
- Review chemicals the worker is exposed too, some substances may be harmful to mother and unborn child so the risk should be eliminated.
- Check if PPE still fits; often the PPE provided is not designed for pregnant workers and other controls may be required if it is no longer suitable.
How can WA Management help?
As part of our online training shop, we offer a New and Expectant Parents online training course which can be accessed 24/7 online via desktop or tablet.
Evacuation Safety and New and Expectant Parents training courses are essential tools in keeping your office workers safe. Make sure you don’t miss out on our 10% off deal on these courses, available until the end of May. Simply enter the code ‘office10’ at checkout to save!
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