Health and safety at work

Health and safety at work

There are a number of aspects of pregnancy that can affect your health and safety at work.

For example, varicose veins can be aggravated by standing for long periods, and the effects of hormonal changes on your ligaments can increase the likelihood of injury or strains when lifting heavy loads.

You have the right to:

But you can also think about how you can help yourself. For example, standing may not necessarily constitute a risk, but it might be hard work if most of your job involves standing.

Standing for long periods

While it depends on individual circumstances, standing or indeed sitting in one place is likely to become more uncomfortable as your pregnancy progresses.

  • A workplace risk assessment will identify if you are being placed at risk by standing for long periods while you’re pregnant.
  • Any job that can be done sitting, should be done sitting. Can your work be done while sitting and could a chair be provided?

If not, remember to take frequent breaks. And don’t forget that your employer has to provide somewhere for mums-to-be to rest if they need to.

Tips to help you stand safely at work

If you need to stand for long periods at work, try these tips to keep as comfortable as possible:

  • Stand with knees relaxed.
  • Try to stand upright – no slouching! 
  • Keep your weight evenly distributed. 
  • Wear comfortable shoes and clothes. 
  • Wear support stockings – rather than tights, which can increase your risk of developing thrush; they will help prevent varicose veins, too. 
  • Move as much as possible – it helps to avoid stiffness and gets your circulation working well. 
  • Take regular breaks.

Tips to help you sit comfortably at work

If you sit down for most of the day, at work or at home:

  • Keep your spine well supported. Use cushions if necessary.
  • Get up and move around regularly.
  • Don’t cross your legs – it can make your feet and ankles swell.
  • Put your feed up whenever you can.

Computers

Many women have heard the rumour that working in front of a computer all day could harm their baby. Research doesn’t show that being in front of a screen causes miscarriage or harm to your baby. But you should take regular breaks from your computer anyway; take a walk about and don’t sit for too long in the same position.

Take care at work by:

  • Remembering to lift properly
  • Wearing suitable clothing/flat shoes/support stockings. 
  • Eating little and often to keep your energy levels up – take fruit and healthy snacks to keep at work. 
  • Delegating where possible – don’t be proud!

If you need help in changing your work conditions, talk to your union representative or your personnel department. If your company has neither of these, contact or Working Families on 0800 013 0313.

 

Comments

Submitted by f1rst1mer on Thu, 19/01/2012 - 11:51.
I work as a nursery nurse and wasnt issued a risk assessment until a few weeks after I told my employer I was pregnant. My duties have not changed and i need to lift tables , empty large water containers which the children play with and stand up on chairs to change around wall displays. I also work long hours and only get 30 minutes for lunch. No tea break. Is this normal ? I have been told my someone that pregnant women should have at least a ten minute tea break.
Submitted by stephsmithxx on Sun, 08/01/2012 - 14:50.
Also work in a bakery my work have issued a health and safety risk assessment which is reviewed every 4 weeks. I am due in may and are due to work up until 1st april 2012. Im 22weeks preg now and handed in a letter stating my maternity rights/ claim for SMP/ maternity leave and am awaiting there reply ....x i have 12 weeks left of work and am having all my holiday entitlement paid to me rather than taking it off as money would come in handy with the baby coming. I have bought my pram and car seat and most the baby clothes and nappies and wipes all i have left to get is baby bath and bath essentials and a cot and the bedding xx All the best to everyone x
Submitted by Liddleheart on Wed, 19/10/2011 - 22:31.
I work as a care assistant for children and young people with special needs, I told my team leader soon after finding out I was pregnant at 7 weeks, he did a risk assessment that day, which was fantastic. Then the school holidays rolled around, after which I moved to a different unit with all different staff, at first this was fine as my team leader is a mum and reviewed my risk assessment as I was by then 16 weeks, she also made sure I was kept as safe as possible, no heavy lifting and no working with aggressive students... Soon after, however, she went off sick and has been gone for a month... So now I'm really struggling as my senior is a fairly young man with no kids who doesn't seem to think risk assesment updates are neccissary and he also seems to think it's fine to re-deploy me to units where the students have behavioral problems and are prone to being aggressive and also moved me once to work with a student who had the flu, 2 weeks before I was due to have my flu jab... So I ended up with a bad cold (thankfully not flu) but it has taken me so long to recover, I'm still not over it and I got ill over a week ago... Being pregnant is hard work but I can't afford to go on maternity leave early so all I can really do is hope my team leader gets better soon so she can come back and look after me... I'm currently 22 weeks pregnant and this is my first child so I'm pretty much still paniking at everything... Should really learn to relax...
Submitted by ashthom27 on Wed, 31/08/2011 - 09:18.
I'm now 14 weeks and told my employer straight away. I work in the T.V. and Film industry as a Special effects technician. Last Thurs and Fri I had to do two 16hr days with only one hour brake. Was sooo tired after it. I was also exposed to live fire arms which hurt my ears, god knows what it was doing to my little one. My work have not done a risk assessment and I still do not know if I'm going to be getting Maternity pay. They are definetly not accommodating me!! And what's worse my line manager is female and has had two kids already.
Submitted by pegi2403 on Sun, 21/08/2011 - 10:39.
I'm a hairdresser and work on a commission only basis. Because I am on my feet all day, I need to take more breaks. This means I am not earning as much as usual. I think I am entitled to paid rest, but how should my boss calculate my rate of pay?
Submitted by wemy on Tue, 16/08/2011 - 21:29.
I am 22weeks pregnant and I told my deputy manager straight away even when it has not been confirmed by the doctor yet, so 2 weeks after it was confirmed I told my manager,I was particularly worried my health cos I work in retail and the bakery department which involves lifting heavy boxes, pushing rollers, entering into the freezer and replenishing stock, so I a the first colleague to be pregnant in my branch of Sainburys and my manager has never work with a pregnant staff before, so becos of my extreme morning sickness during the early stages I had my first risk assessment when I was 8wks pregnant and I was moved to the till, and I had another one when I was 16 weeks and another when I was 20weeks, though its still kind of stressful bcos its a convenience store I do get a chair but I can't actually serve a customer while sitting so I only get to sit down when am not serving a customer or when a customer is not waiting and d longest I have had to stand to attend to a customer when its really busy is 45mins and its actually giving me aback pain and my thigh hurts, am thinking of speaking to my boss again to be transfered to a larger store where I can be placed at a permanent sitting checkout position,at times he looks friendly and approachable and at times he just doesn't care, I have had to write him a letter when he made me work on my off day bcos I took time off work to attend a dating scan, and I wrote him with the necessary maternity rights that am entitled to a paid time off for antenatal and I wouldn't work on my off days to cover when I was away for ante natal care, and I have recently joined a workers union hopefully he won't misbehave again but he often says if there is anything else I think he might do to make my job convenient I shouldn't hesitate to discuss it with him, I think I might as well take him up on that idea, but so far my colleagues at work has been helpful and always look out for me.
Submitted by karinaharrison on Sat, 13/08/2011 - 20:07.
I told my new employer on my first day that I was pregnant and he was fantastic and said he still wanted me to work for him. I feel so blessed I work in a environment with men, I am the only female and all the guys I work with are so good they make sure I sit down for breaks, don't lift anything heavier than a mobile phone and eat regularly. I'm sorry for all the women who work in places that don't seem to care what their needs are and how they should meet them.
Submitted by zoey2011 on Tue, 09/08/2011 - 20:28.
i am 17weeks gone now with my second child and i am experiencing terrible back ache i am wakeing up in the morning with the pain that bad i cant even lift myself out of bed its that bad why is this???
Submitted by pebblest1 on Mon, 25/07/2011 - 11:53.
I am 9 wks gone gush!! not easy working like this, not every one understands. My first child was not born like this, I wasn't working then. Now I feel 've nerver been pregnant before.
Submitted by samandgavin on Thu, 21/07/2011 - 20:16.
i am 31weeks pregnant and a care assistant who looks after elderly dementia residents, i have had 1 risk assesment done when i told my boss at 6weeks pregnant and nothin since! i was on 12hour shifts up untill 27weeks pregnant when my partner put his foot down. at times they still ask me to lift residents ect and leave me on my own with up to 10 residents at a time. i get 1 15min break at work and is a joke and i dont get to eat enough,which is starting to cause problems. i am due to leave in 3weeks time but have been advised by midwife to get a sick note for remainder of time left there. my advise is just look after yourselves as work places like mine dont give u no thanks for putting yourself out.
 

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