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#1 Posted : 17 August 2001 18:51:00(UTC)
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Posted By Frank Barry I have been asked by the boss to carry out a risk assessment cincerning a fellow forker who informs us that she is pregnant. we work in a situation where manual handling and challaging behaviour are factors. any suggestions would be most welcome, also how can I get hold of H.S.G.122 New and Expectant Mothers ,Is it available on the web. Regards Frank Barry
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#2 Posted : 17 August 2001 19:23:00(UTC)
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter Frank As HSG 122 is a priced publication, I do not think that it will be available on the web Paul Leadbetter
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#3 Posted : 17 August 2001 20:10:00(UTC)
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Posted By Nick Higginson Frank, You will need to purchase the document through HSE, unless you have access to HSE Direct (a priced internet site). Also useful will be the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regs 1999 (contains the duty to carry out a risk assessment on new and expectant mothers) and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 (contains the duty to provide sufficient rest facilites for new and expectant mothers). As you state that manual handling plays a large part in your work, you will aslo need the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. These demand a specific risk assessment for significant manual handling tasks and criteria for assessment is divided into Task, Individual, Load and Environment. (The fact that this woman is pregnant obviously comes under the Individual part). A sample risk assessment form is given as an appendix to the regulations. One of the questions asks "Does the task represent a health hazard to pregnant women?" Hope this helps. Nick
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#4 Posted : 17 August 2001 22:45:00(UTC)
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Posted By Ashley Williams If you give me a bell we have all three at work and can offer you any information or help for free. Keighley Worksafes Number is 01535 664462. Ashley
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#5 Posted : 18 August 2001 14:35:00(UTC)
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Posted By Robert Woods HSG 122 is an excellent publication and is the one we use when giving advice on to managers and the pregnant staff and new mums. I know Ashley has a copy. Robert Woods
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#6 Posted : 18 August 2001 20:44:00(UTC)
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Posted By Frank Barry Paul,Nick,Ashley and Robert many thanks for your help I will be in touch and let you know how I progress.
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#7 Posted : 19 August 2001 13:08:00(UTC)
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Posted By Brian Dawson Your boss has made the usual mistake. The MHSW Regs require an assessment to be carried out if the employer has women of child bearing age on the workforce and staff should be informed of the outcome. Then when a member of staff informs the company of her pregnancy (which is more likely to be sooner rather than later if she has been informed of risks to her pregnancy) the company can immediately implement the control measures which have been identified. How do you know you have not already exposed her to unacceptable risk?
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#8 Posted : 19 August 2001 19:39:00(UTC)
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Posted By Frank Barry Point taken Brian. I wonder how the Irish Regs. cover that requirement?. I will find out to-morrow and be in touch. regards. Frank
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#9 Posted : 19 August 2001 20:57:00(UTC)
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Posted By Nick Higginson Fair point from Brian, but he has phrased it in a way that every employer must do this assessment, and that is not strictly the case. The regulations states that a risk assessment must be carried out if: 1 - There are women of childbearing age; and 2 - The work is of a kind that could involve risk, by reason of her condition, to the health and safety of the mother, or that of her baby. Hence extremely low risk work (e.g. filing) would not require a risk assessment. Nick
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#10 Posted : 20 August 2001 09:44:00(UTC)
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Posted By andrew cowley I have recently performed a risk assessment on a pregnant woman. One of the things you must consider are the biological changes that occur during pregnancy. One of the least known are the changes in hormones. Some of the hormones released cause muscle relaxation, and these are to help the abdominal cavity stretch whilst the foetus is growing. One of the side effects of these muscle relaxants is that they relax the muscles in the back, with the result of there being very little support for the muscles in the lower back, exposing the woman to a high possibility of back strain. They also cause sphincter muscles to relax causing frequency of urine, heartburn, haemorrhoids etc. Due to the baby using up oxygen and the reduced capacity in the intra-abdominal cavity, there is less space for the lungs to inflate, so there is less air taken in with each breath. This causes tiredness, and sometimes breathlessness. Also, if the woman is to do any lifting, one of the first thing people normally do is take a deep breath and hold it during the lift. This is very bad for the foetus, as this also increases the intra-abdominal pressure. Under no circumstances should pregnant women be allowed to lift heavy objects. Due to the baby pressing on veins in the abdominal cavity, the venous pressure in the legs is increased causing varocose veins and swollen ankles. Pregnant women should be allowed to walk around whenever they feel it necessary (they should be asked to wear flat sensible shoes), and should be allowed to put their feet up, or even lie down if they want. I hope this helps you a little in your risk assessment. Andy Cowley Goodyear (GB)
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#11 Posted : 20 August 2001 14:44:00(UTC)
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Posted By Diane Warne Following on from Andy's posting, remember that the 1999 Management Regs say you have to provide facilities for pregnant and nursing mothers to rest, and to lie down if they need to. As Andy says, the changes to the circulation in pregnancy sometimes make this necessary. You mention challenging behaviour - if this includes abusive behaviour or threats of violence, perhaps this needs to be looked at, as such threats are likely to be more emotionally upsetting to a pregnant woman.
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#12 Posted : 20 August 2001 15:02:00(UTC)
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Posted By Nick Higginson Dianne, Apologies for being a pedant, I know some people take great pleasure in it. It is the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regs 1992 that require rest facilities for pregnant women. THought I'd better point it ou in case anyone couldn't find it. Feel free to find fault with everything I do, it'll just be like having 2 wives. Regards, Nick
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#13 Posted : 20 August 2001 15:09:00(UTC)
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Posted By Diane Warne Oops - Thanks for the correction Nick, I got my megulations all ruddled up!
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#14 Posted : 21 August 2001 01:25:00(UTC)
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Posted By Frank Barry Brian,Andrew and Diane Thanks for your comments. regards Frank
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#15 Posted : 21 August 2001 16:09:00(UTC)
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Posted By Robert K Lewis Nick Don't forget the extra husband Jack Bob
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#16 Posted : 22 August 2001 15:01:00(UTC)
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Posted By Peter Rees Following on from the excellent advice given by Andy Cowley don't forget two further points:- 1. The softening of the tendons etc that Andy described affects all areas of the body, and not just the lower back or pelvis. I know this from experiences that my wide had when she was pregnant - she spent over 6 months on crutches as her pelvis split and had other problems with knees, ankles and wrists(all at the age of 26!). Because of this, include into any risk assessment any type of manual handling (twisting, stooping, repetitive etc). It isn't just a heavy load that can cause problems. 2. Pregnant women also includes women who may be breast feeding, or up to and including a period of 6 months after finishing breast feeding. This is again due to the hormonal imbalance caused by the milk production, and thus any risk assessment must take into account this period of time after the mother returns to work.
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#17 Posted : 28 August 2001 13:27:00(UTC)
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Posted By Sarah J Shaw I hope I am not too late in the day with my response. I have worked very closely with our occupational health dept in setting up our risk assessment system recently. The first thing to mention is that we deceided that it was not prudent to do the blanket risk assessment as with all "medical conditions" the circustances are unique to the individual and the tasks performed. During the first trimester lifiting is not a great risk to the mother and baby (assuming the mother is physically fit) and physical effort is beneficial. The problem at this stage comes with prolonged sitting. This has been shown in medical evidence to increase the risk of miscarriage as the blood pools in the pelvic region leading to pressure and oxygen demand is reduced by the body due to less effort being required. Many people are unaware of this. DSE workers in fact are at greater risk than manual workers in the early stages. If you want a copy of our policy I would be happy to e-mail it to you. Sarah
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#18 Posted : 30 August 2001 09:07:00(UTC)
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Posted By Mark Thompson Sarah, i read your response with great interest, i do not have access to an occ Health Nurse and i realise that i have some what been remiss in this area. I would be greatful if you could supply any information on this subject. I have read the Hse booklet but as i do not have the expertise in this area i am not sure were to start Many thanks for any help you give in advance. Mark Thompson mthompson@qbe-london.com
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#19 Posted : 04 September 2001 23:23:00(UTC)
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Posted By Stephen Bridgehouse Sarah, could you please send me whatever info you have on risk assessment for pregnant women. stephen@sbridgehouse.freeserve.co.uk Regards, Stephen
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#20 Posted : 04 December 2001 09:49:00(UTC)
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Posted By Brad Bradley Sarah, I would also appreciate anything you have on the subject. Would it be possible to ring me on 02380 662275, so i can give you my works E-Mail. Many thanks, Brad.
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