To complain about heavy lifting?

[ChristmasLights05]

So I work in retail and I'm almost 17 weeks pregnant
Almost everyone expects me to do heavy lifting like working on bulky pop or heavy top-stock. I'm only 5 ft 4 so stretching to high shelves is a struggle as it is on stools. Constantly getting backache also.

If I refuse or get someone else to grab the heavy things I get comments like "wouldn't it just be better if you quit?", "you never do any work", "what do you actually do when you come into work?"

(Topstock is the higher shelves that carry stock that won't go on lower shelves due to capacity)

My manager always assigns me to these tasks!
I am sick to death of having to explain to them over and over that I'm pregnant!!!! They are all men nobody understands, it frustrates me!

Sorry it's mainly more than a rant than anything, I can't wait to finally go on maternity leave!!!!

You can still lift while pregnant...

They should have done arise assessment of your job/workplace. Ask your line manager to do one on your next shift.

Risk assessment.

No you can't. You can't lift heavy things while pregnant, at least not safely. You can't hold the load properly due to the bump, it's impossible to get the heaviest part of the load close to your body, your centre of gravity is off and what happens if you fall? You're on a stool with heavy boxes in your arm, lose your balance, can't grab anything to save yourself because the box is in the way and it's not just you who will get hurt, it's the baby too. I can only assume you've never had a job that required a lot of manual handling of stock often weighing in excess of 30kg.

Risk assessment?

Part of my job involves lifting from top stock, (a rep for soft drinks)

Categorically wouldn't want to do that pregnant with a bump. I'm fit, healthy and not pregnant and still struggle with centre of balance

@thesnapandfartisinfallible at 17 weeks i had no bump so lifting was fine. Once bump starts appearing, then lifting should be reduced.

I would have thought if OP has had this attitude for 17 weeks then i can understand why her colleagues are getting annoyed.

And yes i have had that kind of job

Unless you have directive from your gp to not lift weights due to pregnancy complications, you are being totally unreasonable. Exercise and lifting moderate weight is good for you. Buck up.

I completely miscalculated 17 weeks. For some reason I had about 7 months in my head. As you were...

I'm not saying I can't lift at all, I mean when it's a 12 pack of 750ml of bleach above my head or a 9 pack of 1.16L fabric conditioners, I thought they'd be a bit understanding!

I was fine until the backache or side pains kicked in about 12 weeks!

Have you had aria assessment?

No idea what happened - a risk assessment?

I think if you’re getting back pain then you clearly aren’t lifting correctly and should be able to ask for a refresher training (probably online) on how to lift properly.

I worked a job at a high street store in my teens that regularly saw me lifting 25-30kg above my head and it would have been killer were we not supported by management in learning to lift properly.

1. you need a pregnancy based risk assesment of your job
2. items of that weight should not be stored about head height
3. items of that weight Stored above head height should not be lifted manually
4. you need manual handling refresher training
5. a stool is not adequate beans of working at height.

This is my job

means

@babysharkah no I haven't!

@ClaudiaWankleman thank you I will check that out! It definitely is a pain being short. Having to tip toe all the time on stools to reach the top shelf and then the strain on my shoulders definitely doesn't help! Especially when products are stacked on top of each other

I will definitely check the online training!

That is not a reasonable weight to be lifting. Your muscles lose elasticity ( wrong word, can’t thing of the right one) while pregnant and make your more susceptible to torn muscles, ligaments etc. I was moving a bed box spring with help, which has very little weight to it, and tore my stomache muscles. It was agony.

Every gallon of liquid is 10 lbds... That is to much weight for a stool on a good day, while pregnant and centre of balance is off and body is off, not acceptable. Do you have a health and safety who can intervene? Could this be seen as constructive dismissal as your manager keeps giving you work you are unable to undertake??