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Keep Employees’ Reproductive Health in Mind

  • Published
  • 22 January 2025
  • Category
  • General

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists marks Maternal Health Awareness Day annually on January 23. Research shows that efforts to reduce the risk of exposure to certain workplace reproductive health hazards help improve outcomes for employees and their offspring.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), reproductive health risks may be chemical, physical, or biological in nature. Potential routes of exposure include inhalation, ingestion, and/or skin absorption. In some cases, exposure to certain substances or agents may impair fetal development or cause a miscarriage.

Some exposure risks are more apparent than others. For example, in a study of 144 women working in industrial settings who were or had been pregnant, workload intensity, high temperatures, strong odors, and shift work were found to be contributing factors in pregnancy and menstrual cycle disorders. A study of 733 women in healthcare occupations found that:

  • Exposure to solvents was a risk factor for stillbirth
  • Prolonged work shifts were associated with spontaneous abortion and disrupted breastfeeding
  • Job rank and socioeconomic status affected fertility

Pregnant women experience exposure risks differently from their non-pregnant co-workers because of the changes that are occurring in their bodies. In a paper on the effects of work during pregnancy, researchers reported:

  • Prolonged standing or repetitious lifting may reduce blood flow to an expectant mother’s placenta, which can affect fetal growth and cause preterm delivery.
  • Women whose jobs involve medical care, childcare, or teaching have a higher-than-average risk for miscarriage and preterm birth because they are more likely to get a contagious illness like the flu while pregnant.
  • Pregnant women are susceptible to injuries from slips and falls as their balance shifts and ligaments and tendons relax in preparation for childbirth.
What Can You Do?

Here are some suggestions for employers:

  1. Comply with applicable OSHA injury and illness prevention standards and provisions of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and other federal laws that are intended to help protect employee health and support families.
  2. Provide well-fitted, personal protective equipment for all employees when reproductive health and other exposure hazards are or may be present. This includes making PPE adjustments during pregnancy.
  3. Facilitate the use of reasonable job accommodations (e.g., flexible work hours, more frequent breaks, less physically demanding tasks), as needed, for women during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
  4. When supervising women, bear in mind that their healthcare needs differ from men for complex reasons. There is not a one-size-first-all approach to injury prevention and wellness.
  5. Employees often cite job-related stress as a health concern. Take steps to address stress-inducing conditions by keeping lines of communication open, supporting personal autonomy, and setting reasonable expectations.
  6. When evaluating employees’ performance, follow your employer’s human resources policies and procedures and look for opportunities to avoid gender bias.

Questions? Consult with WorkCare’s occupational health subject matter experts on maternal health exposure risks in your workplace and ways to help mitigate them. We’re here to help.