Expectant Mother/New Mother Risk Assessment (AA-HS-SF-30)

Expectant Mother

• Contact Number

• Department

• Role

• Details of role including typical tasks:

• Working hours

• Does the expectant mother work nights?

  Yes

  No

• Pregnant workers and new mothers can work nights, provided the work involved presents no risk to the health and safety of them or their child.
  
  However, you should offer suitable alternative day work, on the same terms and conditions, when:
  -your worker's individual risk assessment has identified a risk from night work
  -their doctor or midwife has provided a medical certificate stating they should not work nights
  
  If alternative day work is not possible, you must suspend them from work on paid leave for as long as necessary to protect their health and safety and that of their child.

• Medical / wellbeing advice from GP

• Conducted on

  Date

• Prepared by

Hazards

• Is there exposure to shocks, vibration, or movement?

  Yes

  No

• Is there any manual handling involved which might introduce a risk of injury?

  Yes

  No

• Will there be exposure to high noise levels which might increase blood pressure and tiredness or damage the unborn childs hearing?

  Yes

  No

• Is there exposure to extremes of temperature, i.e. cold or hot?

  Yes

  No

• Does the movement or posture involved pose a risk?

  Yes

  No

• Does the mental and physical fatigue involved pose a risk?

  Yes

  No

• Is there any exposure from hazardous substances that may cause irreversible effects, cancer, or genetic damage?

  Yes

  No

• Is there any exposure to hazardous substances that may harm the unborn child?

  Yes

  No

• Is the expectant mother exposed to carcinogenic and mutagenic substances?

  Yes

  No

• Is the expectant mother exposed to levels of carbon monoxide?

  Yes

  No

• Is the expectant mother at risk of violent or aggressive behaviour either in the workplace or due to using public transport to get to and from work during higher-risk hours (evenings)?

  Yes

  No

Risk Assessment

• Hazard: Postural / Movement Problems
  Harm: Increased susceptibility to musculoskeletal disorders and deep vein thrombosis from prolonged work, poor posture and excessive movement. Pregnancy may affect the ability to stand or sit still for long periods in comfort and safety.

• Controls in place / agreed:

  Select

• Do additional controls need to be implemented:

  Yes

  No

• Hazard: Slips, Trips & Falls
  Harm: Increased risk of injury due to physical change and or hormonal changes.

• Controls in place / agreed:

  Select

• Do additional controls need to be implemented:

  Yes

  No

• Hazard: Manual handling
  Harm: Hormonal changes can affect ligaments, increasing susceptibility to injury. Postural problems will increase as pregnancy progresses.

• Controls in place / agreed:.

  Select

• Do additional controls need to be implemented:

  Yes

  No

• Hazard: Welfare
  Harm: Hygiene facilities – Easy access to toilet facilities will be required. There may be a need for pregnant females to use the toilet more often.
  Rest facilities - both physical and mental rest is important for new/expectant mothers. Tiredness will increase during pregnancy.
  Storage facilities – access to appropriate facilities for breastfeeding mothers to express and store breast milk may need to be considered

• Controls in place / agreed:

  Select

• Do additional controls need to be implemented:

  Yes

  No

• Hazard: Mental & Physical Fatigue
  Harm: Fatigue from prolonged standing or physical activity.
  Mental and physical fatigue will be increased by long working hours or by shift and night work. Both mental and physical fatigue increase during pregnancy and in the postnatal period due to the various physiological and other changes taking place.

• Controls in place / agreed:

  Select

• Do additional controls need to be implemented:

  Yes

  No

• Hazard: Work Related Stress
  Harm: Individuals vulnerable to stress due to hormonal, psychological, and physiological changes during pregnancy

• Controls in place / agreed:

  Select

• Do additional controls need to be implemented:

  Yes

  No

• Hazard: Temperature/ Humidity
  Harm: Lower tolerance to heat and humidity, resulting in discomfort/fainting.

• Controls in place / agreed:

  Select

• Do additional controls need to be implemented:

  Yes

  No

• Hazard: Access/ Egress
  Harm: Mobility may be impaired during later stages of pregnancy

• Controls in place / agreed:

  Select

• Do additional controls need to be implemented:

  Yes

  No

• Hazard: Lone Working
  Harm: Pregnant women are more likely to need urgent medical attention and should not be left to work alone without supervision or means of communication.

• Controls in place / agreed:

  Select

• Do additional controls need to be implemented:

  Yes

  No

• Hazard: Work Related Travel
  Harm: Increased medical risk from business travel.
  Poor posture / prolonged sitting increase risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

• Controls in place / agreed:

  Select

• Do additional controls need to be implemented:

  Yes

  No

• Hazard: Personal Safety
  Harm: Risk of harm to unborn child due to physical injury or stress because of verbal aggression.

• Controls in place / agreed:

  Select

• Do additional controls need to be implemented:

  Yes

  No

• Hazard: Biological/ Chemical Hazards
  Harm: Certain substances / biological agents may be harmful to the unborn child if the mother is exposed during pregnancy.

• Controls in place / agreed:

  Select

• Do additional controls need to be implemented:

  Yes

  No

• Hazard: Excessive noise
  Harm: Sound can travel through a pregnant person's body. Very loud noises may be able to damage a developing fetus's hearing. A fetus's ears develop by about the 20th week of pregnancy. Fetuses start responding to sounds around the 24th week.

• Controls in place / agreed:

  Select

• Do additional controls need to be implemented:

  Yes

  No

• Are there any additional hazards that need controlling?

  Yes

  No

Acknowledgement of risk assessment

• Expectant mother: I confirm that the hazards and controls have been communicated and that I am happy with the protective measures put in place.

  Sign

• Manager signature:

  Sign

• You can save this form as complete and the below sections can be completed during the next reviews.

Third Trimester Review

• Have any further controls been implemented since the original assessment was completed?

  Yes

  No

• Do any further controls need to be implemented following this review?

  Yes

  No

• Has the expectant mother received any new medical advice or guidance from medical professionals that may impact them at work?

  Yes

  No

Acknowledgement of risk assessment review

• Expectant mother: I confirm that I am happy with the protective measures in place following my review.

  Sign

• Manager signature:

  Sign

• Changes are saved automatically so you can exit the document until the next review

New Mother Review

• Breastfeeding
  Employers must provide somewhere suitable for breastfeeding mothers. It should:
  -include somewhere to lie down if necessary
  -be hygienic and private so they can express milk if they choose to (toilets are not a suitable place for this)
  -include somewhere to store their milk, for example, a fridge.
  
  Some work presents an extra risk for breastfeeding mothers and their children. This includes working conditions that could expose them to organic mercury, radioactive material or lead.

• Have any work adjustments been made for the new mother?

  Yes

  No

• Do any additional work adjustments need to be made for the new mother?

  Yes

  No

Notes / Comments

• Use this area to record notes or comments: