Upon receiving a medical certificate to identify an employee is pregnant, has just given birth or is breastfeeding, it is essential for an employer to be mindful of all their legislative responsibilities*.
- At the forefront, an employer must complete an NEM assessment, to determine any and all hazards which the person in question might be exposed to. This should be reviewed at each trimester.
- This risk assessment should also factor in, how often the exposure may occur, as well as for how long.
Identify - General Hazards to Pregnant Employees Physical force/shocks, vibrations, manual handling, temperature extremes, (non-&) ionising radiation, stress, bullying as well as chemical and biological agents. - Specific Hazards to Pregnant Employees (breastfeeding*) Excessive lifting tasks, working underground*, lead substances*, Rubella exposure, pressurised chambers and Toxoplasma. Reduce Monitor the employees working ability throughout their pregnancy. Modify the employees working routine and conditions, this will allow for them to still perform at different stages during their pregnancy. Rest facilities (as required by law) must be provided and will help reduce stress. Eliminate When a risk cannot be removed from their role, even after reviewing protective or preventative measures, alternative work should be provided. If this is not possible, the employer should consider ‘Health & Safety Leave’ for the employee. For the first three weeks of this leave period, the employer must pay the employees’ wages at their normal rate. After this time elapses, the Department of Social and Family Affairs will assess the employee. They can be contacted on 01-7043478. Declan Ryan is a Technical H&S Advisor working with Peninsula Business Services (Ireland) Ltd; who are Ireland’s leading provider of employment law and health & safety services. Established in Ireland since 1997, we have thousands of businesses who have already integrated Peninsula to work as part of their HR and Health & Safety departments. With offices in Dublin, Belfast, Sydney and Manchester, Peninsula employs 1000 people across Ireland, Australia and the UK
