Risk assessment.

[Mammac85]

Hi ladies just after some advice please.
I'm currently 17 weeks with DC 3 I was told by the midwife at my booking appointment and 16 week appointment that once iv told my employer I would need them to do a risk assessment every 4 weeks. I work in a school and told my boss a few weeks ago about the pregnancy, today my boss has told the head about it and was told I dont need one for a few months yet 🤔 I'm really confused and now have no idea whether I do or don't need one. Is the head teacher right?

From reading up on this when I got pregnant, all employers have to do risk assessments for all employees as part of H&S law.

What kind of work do you do in the school?

They only have to do one if you / they think it is needed.

for example if you work with chemicals or outside or your job is particularly laborious

They should do a risk assessment as soon as you've told them, but I'm not sure if the every 4 weeks thing is right? 🤔
I'm a nurse and my employer did a risk assessment after I told them, because I shouldn't be around equipment that gives off ionising radiation or be around certain chemicals we use. But it hasn't been updated or reviewed every 4 weeks.

Your employer needs to have a risk assessment in place but it does not legally need to be specific to you. However, if you are struggling with anything or require any reasonable adjustments, then ask for a meeting. I’d also ask for the generic risk assessment they are working from. It doesn’t need to be updated every four weeks but it like be that there are changes made to the standard risk assessment your school uses that has various changes to it as a pregnancy progresses. All pregnancies are different though and it’s perfectly acceptable for you to want or need additional support.

I had a risk assessment once I told work/HR I was pregnant, this was around 16 weeks, since then I have had one every 2 months, but this was part of the previous risk assessment, which said "to be reviewed again on (named date) ". The reason behind additional risk assessments is to consider your changing needs as you get more pregnant and may start feeling things are more difficult later in the pregnancy. i.e. Safely getting up and down stairs . Your employer needs to show they have considered your needs and that they are making reasonable adjustments where required.

Thank you ladies I will ask at my 20 week consultant appointment when I should have one done. I'm only a midday assistant but myself and another lady put up all the tables and get everything else needed ready then put it all down at the end. I have stopped lifting the tables and started dragging them and my boss wont let me do the heavy lifting I used to do, maybe the headteacher thinks I'm already being more cautious so dont need one doing. I'm just being a little paranoid after having a mc in march.