Healthy,
safe and
productive lives
and enterprises
safe and
productive lives
and enterprises
Pregnant at Work Frequently Asked Questions
- I have just discovered I’m pregnant – from when do the regulations protect me from hazards in the workplace?
- What other legislation provides protection during this period?
- What should the employer do when he/she becomes aware that that an employee is pregnant?
- What does assess the risk mean?
- What are the main hazard types to which a pregnant or breast feeding employee can be exposed?
- What do General hazards include?
- What are the hazards specific to pregnancy?
- What are the hazards specific to breastfeeding?
- am breastfeeding – what are my rights in the workplace?
- I am pregnant – does my employer need to provide a rest room?
- I work in a very noisy environment – can it harm my hearing or that of my unborn child?
- I am pregnant/breastfeeding and work with radioactive sources. What damage can they cause?
- How and where can I find information on the statutory ionising radiation dose limits currently applying to pregnant employees?
- I am working with non-ionising radiation – can it cause damage to my unborn baby or me?
- Can extremes of cold or heat affect my unborn baby or me?
- What biological agents are harmful to me while pregnant?
- What do hazard groups 2, 3 and 4 mean?
- How can I avoid the risks associated with these hazard groups while pregnant?
- Is my employer responsible to carry out a risk assessment of all biological agents?
- What chemical agents have the potential to endanger the health of pregnant employees and their unborn children?
- What do the hazard statements mean?
- I work for long periods at a display screen – is this harmful to my unborn child?
- What happens when the risk cannot be removed?
- What is Health and Safety Leave?
- I am 6 months pregnant and my employer only carried out a risk assessment yesterday and has told me I will have to take health and safety leave today. Should the risk assessment be carried out sooner?
- My employer has said that I must take health and safety leave and has not provided me with alternative work even though it is there. I feel my employer is unfairly treating me because of my pregnancy – what can I do?
- Where can I get information on Maternity Leave?
- Where can I get information on Maternity Benefit Payments?
- What role does the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) have when dealing with pregnancy at work?
- My job consists of working in pressurised enclosures occasionally – can this affect my health while pregnant?
- What about diving while pregnant?
- My work involves occasional underground mining work – is this harmful while pregnant?
- Where can I find Useful Contacts and References?