Ref / Date / Mod Apl 2015
Category / Unclassified / Page / 1 of 8
HEREFORDSHIRE COUNCIL
Health & Safety
Arrangements
New & Expectant Mothers
Prepared by Herefordshire Council - Resilience Team (Health & Safety)AUTHORISATION
The Resilience Team (Health and Safety) is responsible for publishing policies and arrangements within a hierarchy of similar publications. Readers wishing to quote these policies and arrangements as reference material in other work should confirm with the Resilience Team whether the individual particular publication and amendment state remains authoritative.
DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of policies and arrangements is managed by the Resilience Team. Requests for issue of this publication, or amendments to its distribution should be referred to the Resilience Team:
Resilience Team
Herefordshire Council
Brockington
35 Hafod Road
HEREFORD
HR1 1SH
LINKS TO HEALTH AND SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS
This document should be read in conjunction with the Health & Safety Policy & Protocol HSP001 document and responsibilities outlined within the Policy will apply to the implementation of these management arrangements.
AMENDMENTS
There are no previous arrangements to note in this section. These are new arrangements to support the general risk assessment process as referred to in HSA015.
Initial Checklist
A review of existing workplace risk assessment must be undertaken as soon as a Manager is formally notified of the pregnancy.
All female staff of child-bearing age must be given information about the risks that the work may present and which may affect pregnancy and health.
The new or expectant mother must be informed of the outcome of the reviewed assessment and any alterations to working practices or duties required
The risk assessment needs to be regularly reviewed during the pregnancy, with informal discussions with the expectant mother and, if any changes are required, for these to be formally noted.
The assessment must take into account any potential adverse effects on the unborn child or the breast feeding child - not just upon the mother herself.
The workplace should have a rest place provision for expectant and nursing mothers.
Records of all assessments must be maintained, and all relevant persons informed.
Introduction
Workplace risk assessment should already consider any risks to female employees of childbearing age and, in particular, risks to new and expectant mothers (for example, from working conditions, or the use of physical, chemical or biological agents). Any risks identified must be included and managed as part of the general workplace risk assessment.
New and Expectant Mothers can be defined as ‘a woman who is pregnant, who has given birth within the previous 6 months and women who are breastfeeding’.
Being pregnant, or a new mother, does not prevent a woman from working and developing her career. Many women work while they are pregnant and return to work while they are breastfeeding.
In many workplaces there are risks which may affect the health and safety of new and expectant mothers and that of their child. Working conditions generally considered acceptable may no longer be so during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, therefore action will be required
Legislative Requirements
Legislation to protect the health and safety of new and expectant mothers at work, include:
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSW)
- Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 (the Workplace Regulations)
- Sex Discrimination Act 1975
Risk Assessment
A line manager should review workplace risk assessments as soon as they become aware that a member of staff is pregnant, has given birth within the previous six months or is breastfeeding, so that risks can be evaluated to ascertain whether additional risks are present due to the change in circumstances.
Therefore, it is important that female employees inform their employers that they are pregnant, have given birth in the previous six months, or are breastfeeding. The notification should be given in writing as early as possible. Reference needs to be made to relevant HR policies and procedures concerning Maternity Rights.
When evaluating possible increased risks, there are some common hazards that need to be considered, these include:
The layout of workstations
Manual handling
Exposure to chemicals
Working at height
Stress and fatigue
Exposure to infectious diseases
Violence and aggression
Night work
Reference should be made to the checklist in Appendix 1.
Workstation Layout
The layout of workstations may need to be re-assessed for expectant mothers to make working arrangements more comfortable. Repetitive twisting movements should be avoided to prevent back and shoulder ache. Further guidance on workstation assessments can be found in the Display Screen Equipment Arrangements.
When looking at the broader issue of the place of work, generally pregnant workers will not have significant difficulty in climbing flights of stairs or using them for evacuation purposes. Where this is a problem, then reference should be made to the procedures for the evacuation of disabled employees, and these amended accordingly for the expectant mother.
Manual Handling
Due to the hormonal changes which affect the ligaments during pregnancy, pregnant mothers are at a greater risk of manual handling injury. They may also experience postural problems as pregnancy progresses.
There are also risks for women who have recently given birth, for example, after a caesarean section there is likely to be a temporary limitation on lifting and handling capability.
In line with the standard risk assessment procedures, managers should consider the following hierarchy of control measures when assessing manual handling risks for pregnant workers:
- where ever practicable, manual handling should be avoided by pregnant workers;
- where this is not possible, is there any lifting equipment which can be used to assist handling operations;
- can loads be reduced or tasks changed to make handling easier, and
- is the manual handling environment clear of obstructions.
Reference should be made to the Manual Handling Arrangements.
Exposure to Chemicals
Some substances may cause harm to the developing foetus and some may cause harm to babies being breastfed, so it is important to consider this when undertaking specificCOSHH assessment.Reference should also be made to the COSHH Arrangements
If a pregnant worker uses chemicals as part of their everyday work, you must check that it is safe for her to continue to do so. Common groups of chemicals, which may pose problems, include:
- Pesticides
- Solvents
- Wood preservatives and adhesives
- Chemicals used in school science experiments (also refer to CLEAPSS information for schools)
- Lead, mercury and asbestos.
Working at Height
Expectant mothers may experience problems with low blood pressure, which can cause dizziness and fainting. In addition as the baby grows, postural problems and a changing centre of gravity can affect balance and agility.
It is not advisable for pregnant women to work at height. Where it is unavoidable, every effort must be made to minimise the risks of such work, and the matter closely monitored during the pregnancy in line with the risk assessments review process.
Stress and Fatigue
During pregnancy women may feel anxious and can also experience periods of extreme fatigue and tiredness. To manage these hazards, managers should support expectant mothers by providing them with appropriate information on aspects such as;
Hours of work
Volume and pacing of work
Work targets
Breaks (consider whether more frequent or longer breaks are needed)
Where employees are on their feet for long period, provide seating so they can rest.
Reference should also be made to the support on offer from the Council’s Occupational Health Service and Counselling Service.(Health@Work Procedure)
Exposure to Infectious Diseases
Some workers, particularly those working with children or animals, or where there is exposure to syringes etc., are at a greater risk of exposure to infections, which could harm the developing foetus. Listed below are some common diseases:
- Hepatitis and HIV exposure
- Chicken pox
- Rubella
- Chlamydia in sheep
- Toxoplasmosis
The risks of infection are relatively low if measures are taken to reduce exposure, e.g. avoiding contact with infectious children, wearing correct PPE etc. For further advice and guidance on risks to pregnant workers please contact the Health & Safety Team or Occupational Health Unit.
Violence and Aggression
Where expectant mothers are exposed to risks of violence and physical assault at work, steps must be taken to protect them. This could include looking at alternative duties or where the risk is small making sure that they have adequate support in order to carry out their job safely. Reference needs to be made to the Violence & Aggression Arrangements
Night Work
Special consideration needs to be given to those new or expectant mothers who work at night. If such an employee has a medical certificate stating that there is a significant risk that night work would affect her health or safety the Council must take action to either offer suitable alternative daytime work if any is available; or if that is not reasonable, the provision for paid leave as appropriate.
Aspects of Pregnancy that may Affect Work
The following list provides some aspects of pregnancy that may affect a woman’s ability to undertake some or all of her job.
Morning sickness / Early startsExposure to nauseating smells, which could include cooking, chemicals, cleaning products.
Backache / Standing for long period
Manual Handling
Posture
Fainting / Working in hot conditions
Getting up from seated position too quickly
Varicose veins / Standing or sitting for long periods
Frequent visits to the toilet / Difficulty leaving job or site of work
Increasing size / Use of protective clothing
Working in confined areas
Manual handling
Tiredness / Overtime
Evening work
Balance / Problems of working on slippery, wet surfaces
Working at height
Dexterity, agility and co-ordination, speed of movement and reach may be impaired because of increasing size / Physical jobs and tasks.
Minimising the Risk
The risk assessment process seeks to minimise risks to the new and expectant mother, and reference to the checklist in Appendix 1 will assist the manager in identifying relevant risks. Reference should also be made to the Risk Assessment Arrangements HSA015.
The checklist is not exhaustive and it is important to discuss all aspects of pregnancy with the expectant mother to ensure that all the relevant information is considered as part of the assessment.
Rest Facilities
Suitable and sufficient rest facilities should be provided at readily accessible places for pregnant workers and nursing mothers. These facilities should be conveniently situated in relation to sanitary facilities and, where possible, include the facility to lie down. Frequency of use should be discussed as part of the risk assessment process.
Further Guidance
Health and Safety Executive - Health and safety for new and expectant mothers
Intranet guidance -
Appendix 1 - Risk Assessment Checklist for New and Expectant Mothers
Name of EmployeeDepartment
Job Title
Pregnancy or new mother details, e.g. approx. due date, actual birth date, medical certificate from GP
Is the woman exposed to any of the following specific hazards?
Workstation / Yes/No / Stress/Fatigue / Yes/NoManual Handling / Yes/No / Infectious Diseases / Yes/No
Chemicals / Yes/No / Violence & Aggression / Yes/No
Working at Height / Yes/No / Night Work / Yes/No
Other risk (please specify) / Yes/No
If answers for above are ‘yes’ - have specific risk assessments been undertaken as appropriate to address any issues identified? If so, please attach to this form / Yes/No
Do special precautions need to be considered? / Yes/No
Has the employee been informed of the potential risk? / Yes/No
Have all safety measures been undertaken? / Yes/No
Is there still a potential risk to the new or expectant mother? / Yes/No
Are you able to adjust her working conditions? / Yes/No
Are you able to offer her suitable alternative work?
If no, does medical suspension apply? / Yes/No
Yes/No
Is a referral to occupational Health required / Yes/No
What actions or work adjustments are required?
Name of Line Manager
Signature / Date
Name of Employee
Signature / Date
NB: This assessment needs to be reviewed at regular intervals during and after* the pregnancy (*breastfeeding mother).