Expectant Mother RA

roddypiper · Post by **roddypiper** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:33 pm

Hi all, I have been asked to create a risk assessment for an expectant mother, it is within a service centre. There is an office, training room, service workshop and warehouse area (no forklift truck) all on the one level.

I have uploaded the one I have done, can you please give me any advice on anything esle that maybe should be on there?

Just one other thing of note, there are smokers who stand near the main entrance near the office where the expectant mother works and when the office window is open the smoke comes in the office area causing a sickness feeling for the mother to be

. Can something be added to notify and prevent this? If so, then what?

Piper

Ashanti · Post by **Ashanti** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:57 pm

Hi Roddy

I don't know if it is worth adding to yours but for ours I include biological hazards, meaning diseases such measels which can harm the unborn child. We go out to peoples houses so the action is that an expectant mother avoids contact with known cases. Working at height could be worth a mention just to say that they do not even use ladders due to changes in centre of balance. I would probably change lifting to manual handling so it inludes pulling, pushing and carrying.

Re smoking, our policy includes no smoking near entrances or open windows. I have visited buildings where the entire grounds are no smoking for the same reason but that seems a bit OTT to me.

Post by **Alexis** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:58 pm

Hi Roddy. Nice to see you again. Looks like you have everything covered as far as I can see.

Just wondered if the lady in question would be working unsociable hours at any time ie perhaps needing to come in earlier in the morning which could cause difficulty if she is at the morning sick stage. Maybe she needs to eat more often at this stage too, which would mean more breaks perhaps.

Have you looked at fire risks or evacuation for the said lady, or perhaps not necessary by the sounds of her workstation.

As for the smoke fluttering in the window. I would say this must be addressed as soon as possible and would also suggest they are breaking the law anyway with or without a pregnant lady. Surely there is another place smoking workers could go.

Post by **bernicarey** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 1:20 pm

Roddy
I'm with Alexis - Seems to me your company is breaching the smoking legislation by allowing smokers to stand around a doorway or window and pollute the building. Sort of a self defeating stance, to make the Tabbers stand outside and then get their revenge by blowing their smoke back in.

See this website for some support on this. http://www.smokefreeengland.co.uk/contact/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

roddypiper · Post by **roddypiper** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 1:41 pm

Thanks for the quick reply guys. it's good to be back on here again. I apprecitae that you are pointing things out regarding the smoking issue, the more worrying thing is that one of the people in question is from management (not a good example, to say the least). I have spoken to all concerned in the past (I guess the management heard me say or read it is illegal unless you are management) to no avail, this is also why I thought it would be good to be able to add it in the EMRA and get the manager to sign it. I know ultimately these are 2 seperate issues, however if the effects are directly being felt by the EM then surely this should be recorded to re-enforce the importance of the no smoking policy? I don't really want this thread to concentrate solely on the smoking issue and would still very much appreciate any comments on the RA.

Piper

Post by **Alexis** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 1:43 pm

roddypiper wrote: I don't really want this thread to concentrate solely on the smoking issue and would still very much appreciate any comments on the RA.

Piper

Then it shall be done.

roddypiper · Post by **roddypiper** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 2:02 pm

You're so understanding Alexis

I think I will bring all my worries, problems and troubles to you, It will certainly make me feel lighter

Post by **Alexis** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 2:10 pm

roddypiper wrote:You're so understanding Alexis I think I will bring all my worries, problems and troubles to you, It will certainly make me feel lighter

If we can help somebody as we go along..........then..........

Need more opinions on your initial post now.

roddypiper wrote:Hi all, I have been asked to create a risk assessment for an expectant mother, it is within a service centre. There is an office, training room, service workshop and warehouse area (no forklift truck) all on the one level.

I have uploaded the one I have done, can you please give me any advice on anything esle that maybe should be on there?

Just one other thing of note, there are smokers who stand near the main entrance near the office where the expectant mother works and when the office window is open the smoke comes in the office area causing a sickness feeling for the mother to be . Can something be added to notify and prevent this? If so, then what?

Piper

Post by **HelenPJ** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 12:04 am

Hi Roddy

It looks good to me

There is a dedicated microsite on the HSE for new & expectant mothers:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It looks as if you have been browsing already as you seem to have most aspects covered

Toilet breaks can be very important for comfort (and technical reasons for some mothers, too) so that may well be worth a mention -
Is the EM able to get up, walk around, have a little stretch now & again?
Is she able to leave her workstation at short notice, if need be

It may be worth ensuring she knows Who to go to in the first instance if circumstances change & get that onto the RA as well.
I would suggest you define the individual by Job Title and then by Name - e.g. Line Manager, Fred Bloggs or whatever.
If she feels she would find it easier to discuss matters with a woman, instead, where possible they will be of Managerial grade if they are not her Line Manager (this is so they will have enough Clout to get necessary things/procedures etc put in place, if required).

Have a good browse of the HSE microsite just in case we have omitted anything Obvious from the answers so far.
Produce the RA document and then have a chat with the EM to see if there is anything she is concerned about

Every mother is different - and pregnancies will be different each time.
If both you and she are happy, sign and date the RA
Ensure the Job Title/Named individual on the RA also signs it
Copies to each - one for you (file), one for her (so she knows what she is/is not Reasonably expected to do and what precautions to take) and one for Mr/Ms Job Title (so they cannot disclaim all knowledge later

P.S. set reasonable review timings in the RA - perhaps 1 working day after her regular ante-natal appointments would be good - with, of course, the provision that the RA will be revisited on any significant change in circumstances, regardless.

Hope this helps

liamr · Post by **liamr** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 9:43 am

Just an addition from me,

i like to make the EM feel less like a "risk" if you get my meaning. i go and have a sit down with them, complete with coffee n biscuits, carry out our modified DSE assessment, and RA whilst having a chat.

then we talk about mobility as they get bigger (FRA) and any health concerns that our first aiders should be aware of.

It isn't a disease that we need to control, it's a condition that we need to allow for

most of the time they also receive the email below. just to cheer them up a bit

and, NO i'm not a woman (before you ask

)

The string-bag-and-octopus guide to parenthood

Women: to prepare for pregnancy, put on a dressing gown and stick a big bean-bag down the front. Leave it there for nine months. After nine months take out 10% of the beans.

Men: prepare for paternity - go down to the local chemist, tip the contents of your wallet on the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself. Then go to the supermarket and arrange to have your wages paid directly to head office. Go home, pick up the paper and read it for the last time.

Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have
allowed
their children to run riot. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behaviour. Enjoy it - it'll be the last time in your life that you have all the answers.

To discover how the nights will feel, walk around the living room from 5pm til 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 9-12lb. At about 10pm put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight and go to sleep. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until
1am. Put
the alarm on for 3am. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2am. Sing songs in the dark until 4am. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up, make breakfast. Keep this up for five years. Look cheerful.

Can you stand the mess that children make? To find out, first smear Marmite onto the sofa and jam on the curtains. Hide a fishfinger behind the stereo and leave it there all summer. Stick your fingers in the flower beds, then rub them on the walls. Cover the stains with
crayons. How
does it look?

Dressing small children is not as easy as it looks. Buy an octopus and a string bag. Attempt to put the octopus in the string bag so that none of the arms hang out. Time allowed for this - all morning.

Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and a pot of paint, turn It into an alligator. Now take a toilet roll tube. Using only copydex and a piece of foil, make a Christmas cracker. Last take a milk container, a ping-pong ball and an empty packet of Cocopops and make a replica of the Eiffel Tower. Congratulations, you've just qualified for the Play Group Committee.

Forget the BMW Z3 and buy a Mondeo. Don't think that you can leave it on the drive spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that. Buy a choc-ice, put it in the glove compartment and leave it there. Get a 20p piece and stick it in the CD player. Take a family-sized packet of chocolate biscuits and mash them down the back seats. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car. There perfect!

Get ready to go out. Wait outside the loo for half an hour. Go out of the front door, come in again, go out, come back in, go out. Walk down the path, walk back up it, walk down it again. Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes. Stop to inspect every cigarette end, piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way. Retrace your steps. Scream that you have had about as much as you can take until the neighbours come out and stare at you. Give up and go
back into the house. Do it all again later. You are now just about
ready to take a small
child for a walk.

Always repeat everything you say five times.

Go to your local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you find to a pre-school child - a fully grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat. Buy your weeks groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything that the goats eat or destroy. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not consider having children.

Hollow out a melon, make a small hole in the side. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side. Now get a soggy Weetabix and attempt to spoon it from the swinging melon by pretending to be an aeroplane. Continue until half the Weetabix has gone. Tip the rest into your lap, making sure a lot of it falls onto the floor. You are now ready to feed a 12 month old baby.

Learn the names of every character from the Teletubbies, Postman Pat and the Tweenies. When you find yourself singing 'Build a house' at work, you finally qualify as a parent.