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Posted By Wendy Howells
Hi.
Anyone aware of an acceptable weight or load that is permitted for a pregnant women to carry in the first 12 weeks of her pregnancy?
Wendy
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Posted By Glyn Atkinson
Is any form of lifting of weights liable to be acceptable once the pregnancy has been declared, particularly lifting of heavy loads that could strain internal muscles and organs?
What is the general current health of the pregnant person involved in this enquiry, especially if nausea and morning sickness take their toll?
How has the risk assessment made of all task that this worker performs rated the possibility of harm to person and foetus for this work load?
Each review of a pregnant person should be individual to that person, I think, and hence their progress through their pregnancy from their own health perspective.
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Posted By Rachel Robinson
Hello:
Have a look at the HSE Booklet "Getting to Grips with Manual Handling". It gives guidelines for safe manual handling limits for women and men.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg143.pdf
There are no recommendations for pregnancy as far as weight is concerned. However, a risk assessment for reduced capacity due to pregnancy should be carried out.
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Posted By Tracey A
Plus you also have to remember the implications that pregnancy has on stature and the way that items are lifted, also having a 'baby bump' tends to restrict the carrying of items correctly. All these things and more must be taken into account when the individual has an expectant mother risk assessment carried out by her employer.
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Posted By Clare Gabriel
I would risk assess the activity the employee is being expected to do that involves lifting then involve occupational health and ask the lady to refer to her own midwife/GP. In my factory we have 2 ladies in their first trimester and to err on the side of caution in these very important months we have stopped them from lifting anything. the first 13 weeks are when the baby is implanting and there is the highest risk of miscarriage - lifting is based on personal ability so even advising on a maximum limit may not be appropriate based on the ladies stature/fitness/strength. the question has to be 'can it be avoided?' best risk assessment principle around!!!!!
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Posted By rjhills
We have just had a lady inform us that she was pregnant.
We did a risk assessment of her activities, and she was prevented from carrying out duties which she normally carried out, being restricted to the "lighter" work up to the time she took maternity leave.
This seems the logical and correct approach in my opinion.
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Posted By Wendy Howells
Thankyou for all the responses.
The lady you say that informed you that she was pregnant, did she have to give notification in writing before you were obliged to risk assess her?
My ex employers are hanging on to that fact of written notification so they don't think they have done anything wrong, but when they still expected me to carry 10kg plus loads each day and 'relieved' me of my lighter duties I began to think that I had been risk assessed - but to my detriment.
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Posted By Stuart C
Wendy I am sure if you notified them ,whether you did so in writing is irrelevant. They had been made aware and thats all you had to do,
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Posted By Pete48
Extract below is taken directly from HSE guidance. Plus most employers would have such a conditon written into employment conditions.
"Whilst there are no legal requirements on employees to inform their employers that they are pregnant or a new mother they should bear in mind that their employer is not required to take any specific action until written notification has been provided."
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