Pregnant Worker Risk Assessment – ATemplate for Reps

The conditions will vary from workplace to workplace, but here is a basic risk assessment for pregnant workers.

Working hours and travelling for work

- Does the woman work night shift?

- Are there adequate arrangements for toilet breaks, refreshment and meal breaks and rest periods?

Hazardous substances

- Is it likely that the woman will come into contact with biological or chemical hazards?

- What prevention/control measures should be put in place, including a move to other work?

Radiation

- Have steps been taken to ensure that the woman has been given alternative duties if radiation exposure or contamination cannot be prevented or controlled to the required minimum level?

Trips, slips and falls

- What are the potential hazards and what can be done about them?

Workstation

- Are there ergonomic issues and awkward spaces?

- Does the work involve continuous standing or constant sitting?

- Is work at height avoided?

- Are there accesses, stairways, steps etc safe and free from obstruction?

Stress

- Does the woman do unusually stressful work?

- Will changes to her work be necessaryto reduce the risk of stress?

Workplace temperature

- Are steps taken to ensure that the woman is not exposed to extremes of heat or cold?

Passive smoking

- Is there a smoking policy which gives priority to the needs of non-smokers?

- Are rest areas arranged so that separate areas are provided for smokers and non-smokers?

Facilities

- Are rest facilities free from environmental tobacco smoke?

- Are rest facilities easily accessible from the woman’s workstation?

- Are there facilities to lie down, breastfeed or express milk in privacy?

- Can women store expressed milk in a secure, clean refrigerator?

- Are there facilities for washing, sterilising and storing receptacles?

Violence

- Is the woman potentially exposed to violent situations at work, eg working with the public?

- What steps is the employer taking to minimise the risk?

Working alone

- What arrangements are being made for lone workers, for example if there is a medical emergency or if they may face violence
Manual handling
- What are the risk factors in the woman’s job, do these affect pregnancy: ergonomic factors, lifting, twisting, bending and stooping?
Any other issues