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Gosport Borough Council
Town Hall
High Street
Gosport
Hampshire
PO12 1EB
Tel: (023) 9258 4242
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New and Expectant Mothers

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
A 'new or expectant mother' is defined as ' an employee who is pregnant; who has given birth within the previous six months; or who is breast-feeding'. The Management Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 has now incorporated all the requirements of the pregnant workers directive (92/85/EC). Where specific prohibitions do not exist, employer must carry out risk assessments before new and expectant mothers carry out any work. The risk assessments must take account of physical, biological, and chemical agents, processes and working conditions, which may affect the health and safety of new and expectant mothers.
 
RISK ASSESSMENTS
 
These regulations require employers to carry out an assessment of the specific risks posed to the health and safety of pregnant women in the workplace, and then to take steps to ensure that those risks are avoided. Risks include those to the unborn child or child of a woman who is still breast-feeding - not just to the mother.
 
 

Talking leaflets

These files are provided in mp3 format,
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MAIN RISKS TO BE AVOIDED
  • Physical agents
    Shocks/vibration/movements
    Lifting, moving and handling of loads entailing risks
    Noise
    Non-ionising radiation
    Ionising radiation
    Electric shock
    Compressed air
    Extremes of cold and heat
    Fatigue and stress
  • Biological agents
    Listeria
    Rubella
    Chickenpox
    Toxoplasma
    Hepatitis B and HIV
    Herpes
    Syphillis
    Typhoid
  • Chemical agents
    Substances labelled R40,R45,R46,R47,R61,R63,64
    Benzene
    Anaesthetic gases
    Mercury
    Carbon monoxide
    Lead
    Anti-malarial chemoprophylaxis-mefloquinine
    Pesticides
  • Working conditions
    Diving
    Flying
    Aircraft passengers
    Display screen equipment
    Ergonomics
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVIEW RISK ASSESSMENT
 
Where risks have been identified following the assessment, affected employees or their representatives should be informed of the nature of the risk and the preventative measures to be adopted. These assessments should be kept under a regular review
In particular, employers must consider removing the hazard or seek to prevent exposure to it. If a risk remains after preventative action has been taken, the employer must take the following course of action.
  • Temporarily adjust working conditions or hours of work
  • If it is not reasonable to do so or would not avoid the risk
Offer suitable alternative work
  • If neither of the above options are viable
Suspend on full pay for as long as necessary to protect her health and safety and. or that of her child.
 
PROVISION OF REST ROOM
 
The Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 requires that suitable facilities for rest to be provided for any person at work who is pregnant or a nursing mother. These facilities should be suitably sited in relation to sanitary facilities, and where necessary, include the facility to lie down
 
ASPECTS OF PREGNANCY THAT MAY AFFECT WORK
 
The following table sets out some features of pregnancy which you may wish to take into account in considering your arrangements for pregnant and breast-feeding workers, although you are not required by law to do so.
 
ASPECTS OFPREGNANCY
FACTORS IN WORK
Morning SicknessEarly shift work Exposure to nauseating/strong smells
Back-achePosture/manual handling/standing
Varicose veinsStanding/sitting
HaemorrhoidsWorking in hot conditions
Frequency of visits to toiletsDifficulty in leaving job/site of work
Increasing sizeUse of protective clothing
Work in confined areas/workspaces
Manual handling
TirednessOvertime/Evening work
BalanceProblems of working on slippery, wet, etc. surfaces
 
NB Dexterity, agility, co-ordination, speed of movement and reach may be impaired as the pregnancy progresses.
CHECKLIST - MATERNITY
 
1.Have you carried out an assessment of the risks to new and expectant mothers? 
2.Have you controlled any risks as far as is reasonably practicable?YES /NO
3.If you have been unable to avoid risks to new or expectant mothers, have you :-
i) made changes to working condition or hours?
ii) offered suitable alternative work or, where these are not possible
iii) given the worker paid leave for as long as necessary to protect her health or safety or that of her child
 
 
YES /NO
YES /NO
YES /NO
 
REFERENCES/FURTHER DETAILS
1. Booklet HS(G) 122 'New and expectant mothers at Work -a guide for employers
2. Information Sheet MA6 - Occupational health aspects of pregnancy (HSE)
3. 'Infection in the Workplace to New and Expectant Mothers ISBN 0-7176-1360-7
4.
HSE Books:
7. Book L21 - Approved Code of Practice for the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
For further information please call (023) 9254 5505, 5506 or 5507 during office hours or call at the Town Hall, High Street, Gosport, Hampshire PO12 1EB.
Alternatively e-mail ehs@gosport.gov.uk any time