How to deal with the health and safety rights of new and expectant mothers

Author: Andrea Oates

Summary

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• Carry out a risk assessment in relation to new or expectant mothers.
• Tell employees and their representatives about any potential risks, and explain what action is being taken to ensure that new or expectant mothers are not exposed to those risks.
• When an employee provides notification that they are pregnant or breastfeeding or have given birth in the last six months, carry out an individual risk assessment for them.
• Ensure that the person assessing the risks to new and expectant mothers has received sufficient training, and that they have sufficient authority to act on the findings.
• Take into account risks from working conditions and exposure to certain agents when assessing the risks to new and expectant mothers.
• Alter the employee's working conditions or hours of work if any other action would not avoid a risk that has been identified.
• Offer the employee any suitable alternative work, if it is not reasonable to change their working conditions or hours, or this would not avoid the risk.
• Suspend the employee on full pay if there is no suitable alternative work available.
• Where a new or expectant mother works nights and provides a medical certificate from their GP or midwife that says that they should not work at night, offer them suitable alternative day work, or suspend them from work on full pay.
• Take into consideration that there are particular risks where women are breastfeeding.
• Record the findings of risk assessments, any steps taken to avoid the risks, and any offer of suitable alternative work.
• Keep risk assessments under review.