Solutions for long hours standing at work?

[Dimblebimble]

I'm almost 6 months pregnant and still have yet to have a risk assessment at work. I'm a university lecturer so this is completed by my line manager - a professor - who has limited understanding of these assessments and hasn't managed a pregnant member of staff before. When I mentioned doing a risk assessment he laughed and asked why I would need one (he is generally supportive, just has little/no training in this).

The main risk I can see is standing for long periods. This semester I'm lecturing for 5 hours once per week (3 hour lecture, 1 hour break, 2 hour lecture) (+ some smaller classes where I can sit down, so not a problem). I'm a bit worried - what if I develop bad back pain as the pregnancy progresses and struggle to stand for this long? FYI I'm due in April and teaching until early March, so I will be heavily pregnant but not 'ready to pop'!

I'm considering arranging a risk assessment meeting with my line manager and raising this as an issue, but what do I present as a solution? I'm not sure I can raise a risk that we can't solve. I can't not teach the classes if this does become a problem, as there is no one to cover me, and I can't really sit down in a normal chair during class as it's not a tiered lecture theatre.

Is this likely to be a problem? And if so do you have ideas for suggestions I could make for managing this risk? Or do I just leave it for now and just perch on the desk if my back starts to hurt?

I had mine and was told that my 9 hour shifts stood up, no where to sit except 2x 15min breaks was fine.. Unless I had a medical reason to Need to sit with a gp letter.
There was also lots of lifting. As was hospitality. Think crates full of Spuds etc. I was the only one in on an early so it had to be me.
I left at the earliest possible date for mat leave and never went back.

That sucks @ChocolateCoins19, surely they should have made some adjustments (e.g. more frequent breaks, avoiding lone working)?

I guess I sound like a wimp in comparison. I guess I'm just scared of what will happen if I develop any serious back pain. You can't really stop a lecture mid way with a class full of students...

Your university will definitely have an HR department, and they will definitely have experience of herding vague professors, and of figuring out accommodations at different stages of pregnancy. Give them a shout and get their advice.

Maybe look into whether the session can be shifted to a room where you can sit down and be seen at the same time?

Could you ask for the duration of your pregnancy to have your lectures move to a tiered hall?

Otherwise I think you just have to warn them and the students that you will deliver sitting for half the time. It sounds like it is only your drive to do a really good lecture that is preventing this. The students will have to listen harder and it will be slightly less engaging but it will probably get to a point when it’s not possible to stand for 3 hours. When I was in university I had a lecturer in a wheel chair and it wasn’t an issue. If you want to be higher could you ask for a secure stool and a lecturn stand.

Can you not sit and lecture at the same time? I’m possibly being a bit thick here?? I teach PE and have taken to having a chair when students are on task in a game etc. Can you move a chair to kiddie off stage?? I suppose a lecture theatre is somewhat different to a sports hall though!!