Occupational Health & Safety must guarantee employee safety. In the case of pregnancy, preventive measures should be in place to protect the mother and the future baby.
Companies must ensure that their occupational health and safety plans are as complete and effective as possible, responding to all the needs and risks that could occur in the workplace.
Pregnancy is one of the situations that can occur in the work environment and specific training in OHS is required to guarantee the health and safety of pregnant employees.
Pregnancy and Occupational Health & Safety
Unfortunately, not all companies address Occupational Health & Safety with the same effort, and even less so in terms of pregnancy.
This has a negative impact on the health and safety of employees, in addition to presenting a poor image to employees and to society.
Pregnancy is an exceptional situation that requires extreme care and protection for both the mother and the future baby.
A complete, professional and effective Occupational Health & Safety Plan must feature the pertinent preventive measures to guarantee the wellbeing of employees.
What are interesting questions about occupation health and safety in situations of pregnancy?
- It is advisable for an employee to inform their company of pregnancy as soon as possible. By doing so, the necessary measures can be put in place. An employee is not legally obliged to disclose a pregnancy to their company, however, without sharing their situation, the employee cannot demand that these measures are taken.
- The company must inform/train its employees about the possible risks, causes, preventive measures and job roles that can cause damage in pregnancy.
The types of Risks for pregnant or breastfeeding women are:
- Physical. Shocks, vibrations, noise, extreme cold or heat, etc.
- Biological. Biological agents in hazard groups 2, 3 and 4.
- Chemical. Agents that can enter the body via inhalation, ingestion, penetration or skin absorption.
- Psychosocial. Risks derived from work organisation, the content of the position or the performance of tasks.
- Ergonomic. All factors related to movements, postures or actions that can be harmful to health.
For effective and complete Occupational Health & Safety, it is necessary to implement a training strategy that can train employees and the company in specific prevention issues, such as those related to pregnancy in the workplace. Consult our specialists, they will help you to find the most appropriate training.