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EXPECTANT MOTHERS
WHAT ARE MY DUTIES AS AN EMPLOYER?
Employers have a general duty to assess risk to all employees, under the management of Health and Safety Regulations l999. As an extension to this, they are required to take particular account of the risks to workers who are pregnant. The assessment should commence as soon as you have been notified in writing that a worker is pregnant and when you have been provided with a certificate (Mat B1), from a registered medical practitioner or midwife, confirming the pregnancy.
If a specific risk applies, such as a worker who is pregnant handling a chemical, then it will normally be enough to simply follow the relevant regulations - in this case those relating to COSHH (the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations.
Pregnant workers are particularly at risk from manual handling injury. Hormonal changes can affect ligament, increasing susceptibility to injury. Also, postural problems may increase over time as the pregnancy progresses. The adjustments that you should make depend on the risks identified in your assessment, the working environment, the task and other working arrangements.
It may be possible to make changes to the nature of the work in order that risks from manual handling are reduced for all workers, or it may be necessary to address the specific needs of the pregnant worker. This may mean reducing the amount of physical work they are required to do or providing lifting aids to reduce the risks encountered. You should refer to the Manual Handling Operations Regulations, under which you are required to avoid the need for hazardous manual handling as far as reasonably practicable.
Contact Britrisk for further guidance and support.
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