NEW AND EXPECTANT MOTHERS
Health and Safety Guidance for
Staff and Students
HEALTH & SAFETY UNIT
SPRING
2014
CONTENTS
1. DEFINITIONS ..................................................................................................................... 1
1.1
New and Expectant Mothers ...................................................................................... 1
1.2
Hazards ...................................................................................................................... 1
2.
A SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................... 1
3.
WHAT WORKING CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS? ...................................... 1
4.
RESPONSIBILITIES – STAFF AND STUDENTS ........................................................... 1
5.
FACILITES .................................................................................................................. 1
5.1
SUITABLE FACILITIES .................................................................................................. 2
5.2 USEFUL CONTACTS .................................................................................................... 2
APPENDIX 1 ........................................................................................................................... 3
1. DEFINITIONS
1.1
New and Expectant Mothers
For the purposes of this guidance new and expectant mothers are defined as
an employee or student who:



1.2
is pregnant;
has given birth within the previous six months, or,
is breastfeeding
Hazards
For the purposes of this guidance, hazards to new and expectant mothers will
be regarded as any physical, biological, chemical, processes and physical
conditions that may affect the health and safety of new and expectant mothers.
2.
A SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Women who are pregnant, have recently given birth or are breastfeeding must,
under the law, have a safe working environment. The University is obliged to do
an immediate risk assessment of your working environment. The University
must consider any potential risk factors in normal work arrangements, and
where reasonable must make adjustments to ensure that your health, safety
and welfare is protected. However any changes to your employment
arrangements must be with your agreement and must not be of a discriminatory
nature. If the working conditions cannot be made safe, you must be offered a
suitable alternative job. If no alternative role can be secured then you will be
requested to not attend work until suitable alternative employment is secured.
You will receive your full entitlement of pay whilst at home under these
circumstances.
3.
WHAT WORKING CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS?
Problems range from women coming in contact with hazardous chemicals to
standing for long periods. Please see Appendix 1 for further details.
Night workers have a right to transfer to day shifts if their doctor advises it on
health and safety grounds.
You can request that your working hours be reduced. The University is
obligated to consider this request.
4.
RESPONSIBILITIES – STAFF AND STUDENTS
In order for the university to discharge its duties with regard to new and
expectant mothers, you are advised to inform your supervisor or course tutor as
soon you become aware that they are pregnant. Please refer to Appendix 2
5.
FACILITES
The university is required to provide suitable rest facilities for you when you
are pregnant or breastfeeding. A number of locations have been identified in
university buildings for this purpose.
5.1
Suitable Facilities
The following first aid rooms provide appropriate facilities for new and
expectant mothers. Access to the first aid room is normally gained via
Customer Services reception or a first aider.
Campus
Location of nearest first aid room
WDalton East
John
First Floor
h
All Saints
First floor Mezzanine
e
Business School/Student Hub
r
Crewe
e
Birley Campus
Ground Floor -Catering Atrium
Crewe Conference Centre
G46
f
Benzie
Ground Floor
i
Geoffrey
Manton
G20
r
s
t aid rooms do not exist pregnant women will need to use the existing rest
areas such as refectories and staff rest rooms.
5.2 Useful Contacts

La Leche League www.laleche.org.uk

The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) www.nct.org.uk

Association of Breastfeeding Mothers www.abm.me.uk

UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly
 Employees should refer to the maternity policy on the HR website.
2
APPENDIX 1
PREGNANCY, WORK AND STUDYING
There are some aspects of pregnancy that may affect your work /studying. The impact
will vary during the course of your pregnancy and you will want to keep their effects
under review. Consult your manager or supervisor if you have any problems.
Aspects of pregnancy
Morning sickness
Backache
Varicose veins
Haemorrhoids
Frequent visits to toilet
Increasing size
Tiredness
Balance
Comfort
Dexterity, agility, co-ordination,
Speed of movement, reach, may be impaired because of increasing size
Factors in Work and Studying
Early shift work
Exposure to nauseating smells
Standing/manual handling/posture
Standing/sitting
Working in hot conditions
Difficulty in leaving job/site of work
Use of protective clothing
Work in confined areas
Manual handling
3
Overtime
Evening work
Problems of working on slippery, wet surfaces
Problems of working in tightly fitting workspaces
Difficulty in exiting building during emergency evacuation
APPENDIX 2
Staff and Students
Please complete this form and return to your supervisor or course tutor as soon as
possible.
Name
Address
Date
Dear Sir or Madam
Pregnancy Risk Assessment
I am writing to inform you that I am pregnant and that my baby is due on
the.
I understand that as I have now informed you of my pregnancy I do have the right to a
personal and specific risk assessment as set out in the ‘Management of Health and Safety at
Work Regulations 1999’.
I also understand that you should regularly review my initial assessment as my pregnancy
progresses to take into account possible risks that may occur during the different stages of my
pregnancy.
I am writing to ask you to arrange to see me as soon as possible in order to conduct a risk
assessment.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing from you in the
near future.
Yours faithfully
4