The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require that potential risks to women of child bearing age, new and expectant mothers which arise from work processes be assessed and controlled.
All risk assessments for work with dangerous chemicals, pathogens, ionising radiation and work processes at SCFP should anticipate the potential for exposure to harm during pregnancy. If there is a possibility that a woman of child bearing age is to be involved/exposed to the hazard, then control measures should be put in place before it becomes a problem.
The existing risk assessment procedures for chemical, biological and radiation hazards will facilitate this but they may not always take into account all aspects of the work so a review should be undertaken (when a pregnancy is declared) and where necessary an additional risk assessment should be prepared.
If an additional pregnant workers risk assessment is prepared it should be reviewed at 3 month periods or if circumstances change, it should then be reviewed (or replaced) prior to the person returning to work.