Duties and Responsibilities as a Direct Supervisor of a Pregnant Employee

[tekno9000]

One of my direct reports is pregnant. We use hazardous chemicals in our plant, which I don’t want her to inhale / touch. I was looking for some information on OSHA laws and national regulations and rights for pregnant employees. I also want to know what are my duties and responsibilities as a direct supervisor of a pregnant employee.

I don’t know if this is the right forum, but it would be a great help if someone can point me in the right direction.

Thanks.

[somashekar]

You are in the right sub-forum, however your curious question may not be from your OHSAS management system as I understand.

Occupational health care for employee and more in particular the women employee, who are the one who carry and give birth to the child are to be considered as a strategy in the employee health care management / assessment and not when an employee is pregnant. If any effects are possible from the touching / inhaling of chemicals this would have perhaps been happening already and MAY cause some effects on the child yet to be born.
Having said this, It still makes a lot of sense to keep such pregnant employee on work relocated to different jobs that are having clean air and good air change. Your regions factory act / rules may have details that you can refer for your better understanding.

On a humanitarian note, you can extend lighter work, resting time and place, proper supply of good drinking water nearby and keep contact numbers of next of kin for any emergency information, transport facility and, and above all extending a pleasant and courteous interaction with that employee.

[SteveK]

In Reply to Parent Post by tekno9000

One of my direct reports is pregnant. We use hazardous chemicals in our plant, which I don’t want her to inhale / touch. I was looking for some information on OSHA laws and national regulations and rights for pregnant employees. I also want to know what are my duties and responsibilities as a direct supervisor of a pregnant employee.

I don’t know if this is the right forum, but it would be a great help if someone can point me in the right direction.

Thanks.

Don't know where you are based but I found this from the Royal Society of Chemistry:

http://www.rsc.org/pdf/ehsc/pregnancy.pdf

The main worry would be Teratologenic agents.

Steve

[ScottK]

Give her copies of the MSDS's and what a typical days exposure is and have her take them to her doctor for review. let the Docor decide.

you responsibilities are to follow along with medical orders. She has to give you a doctors note that gives limitations if there are any... for example as time goes on the doctor may limit standing time or maximum weight to be lifted.
Based on the medical requirements it's then up to your company to make reasonable accomodation if possible.

This is more an HR issue than an OSHA issue. Consult with your HR person with any worries.

[mguilbert]

Scotts answer is right on. Leave this up to the professional (Doctors) to decide. As he stated be sure to give her copies of all the msds's for chemicals she is working or may come in contact with. It is also great to see a manager concerned with a fellow employees and their unborn childs health.

[somashekar]

In Reply to Parent Post by mguilbert

Scotts answer is right on. Leave this up to the professional (Doctors) to decide. As he stated be sure to give her copies of all the msds's for chemicals she is working or may come in contact with. It is also great to see a manager concerned with a fellow employees and their unborn childs health.

At a point as this, and if your employee has been working from long years, just sharing MSDS will make more harm than good per my opinion. A MSDS has many information and is made having further references to many national and international standards as reference. All possibilities and probabilities are stated based on specific and general studies conducted keeping in view safety under all conditions, normal and emergency, and this may raise many doubts and questions in the mind of employee which at this stage of pregnancy is not ideal.
Perhaps one may not be able to answer the questions asked and if one among the questions is .....
"Why did you not share this with me earlier ?"... you are in deep trouble and causing more harm than good.
If I were you, I would just leave it to HR, and on my part make a safe and distant relocation of work from the chemical area.

By the way, are you an OHSAS management system organization ?

[ScottK]

In Reply to Parent Post by somashekar

At a point as this, and if your employee has been working from long years, just sharing MSDS will make more harm than good per my opinion. A MSDS has many information and is made having further references to many national and international standards as reference. All possibilities and probabilities are stated based on specific and general studies conducted keeping in view safety under all conditions, normal and emergency, and this may raise many doubts and questions in the mind of employee which at this stage of pregnancy is not ideal.
Perhaps one may not be able to answer the questions asked and if one among the questions is .....
"Why did you not share this with me earlier ?"... you are in deep trouble and causing more harm than good.
If I were you, I would just leave it to HR, and on my part make a safe and distant relocation of work from the chemical area.

By the way, are you an OHSAS management system organization ?

In the US all employees are required by law to have access to MSDS sheets for their work area at any time. They are required to be trained in where to get them, what they mean, and how to read them.

[ssz102]

you should reduce the job tasks for her and then assign some paper work for her