By Hadley Gavin
Amongst many of the responsibilities an employer has towards their employees is the health assessment of any workers who are either expectant or new mothers. Risk assessment must be undertaken to establish whether the work involved is likely to cause a hazardous environment for the employee. Adherence to the risk assessment programme is activated once the employer has received written proof that the employee is a mother to be.
Hazards
Factory work is considered to pose the greatest threat as many of the duties involve heavier work including lifting items, pushing trolleys laden with products and standing at machinery for long periods of time. Jobs in warehouses pose similar hazardous conditions which could all contribute to harming the employee’s unborn child. Other risks can be presented from the use of toxic chemicals or dust.
Health Screening
It is the employee’s responsibility to inform an employer of such a change in circumstances with a written letter accompanied by a signed certificate known as a Med 3 from a GP or qualified medical practitioner which provides adequate proof. As an employer you must provide risk assessment and monitoring. The terms of risk assessment are applicable to company’s of any size and even include businesses where the expectant mother might be the only employee.
Risk Assessment Action
Health screening is undertaken primarily to establish the risks that are posed by any working conditions in the business that could have an adverse affect on the health of the mother and the unborn child. If a qualified health professional considers any of the conditions within the work environment could pose a hazard of any kind the employee has the right to be offered a role within the business that would prove to be more appropriate. This could involve a temporary transfer to another department where the workload is lighter or the employee can take a position that includes being seated at a desk. However, in some circumstances an alternative is lacking in which case the employee may be granted indefinite leave while maintaining full rights to pay and other working benefits such as holiday pay.
Health Screening Services
Employers can opt to use an independent health screening service that will give impartial advice regarding any of the hazards within the company. Risk assessment is initially carried out to determine the overall working conditions and establish the general health of the employee in conjunction with the advice of the employee’s GP. The employer can also take advantage of the services offered by an assessment professional regarding the continued health of the employee.
Convenient Assistance
When using a health screening company such as Health Screen the employer can be confident of cost effective care particularly as all the assessments and checks are carried out at the employee’s place of work. Detailed analysis includes a thorough assessment of the work environment and assistance in recommending alternative employment conditions to ensure the government guidelines are met.
