As soon as an employer has received notification of pregnancy from an employee, a risk assessment should be carried out.

The employee should give their employer a copy of any advice that their Doctor/Midwife has given them if it could have an impact on the pregnant employee’s risk assessment. The risk assessment’s purpose is to evaluate the employee’s ability to carry out their role and to identify any possible risks to mother and baby.

Examples of hazards are : Standing/sitting for long periods, Long working hours, Exposure to chemicals, Lifting/carrying heavy loads, Work-related stress, Workstation ergonomics.