Select Committee on Health Written Evidence


APPENDIX 24

Memorandum by the Health and Safety Executive (MS 30)

ABOUT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMISSION AND THE HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE (HSC/HSE)

  HSC's purpose is to protect everyone in Great Britain against risks to health or safety arising out of work activities; to conduct and sponsor research; promote training; provide an information and advisory service; and submit proposals for new or revised regulations and approved codes of practice.

  HSE is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions and it is responsible for the regulation of almost all the risks to health and safety arising from work activity in Britain.

  HSE's job is to help HSC ensure that risks to people's health and safety from work activities are properly controlled. This includes the protection of mothers' health and safety while they continue to work during their pregnancy and when they return to work after the baby is born.

  HSE is submitting evidence for the sub-committee's consideration on what training/advice it provides to health professionals who advise pregnant women and new mothers.

HSE evidence on the provision of training for health professionals who advise pregnant women and new mothers

  Each year approximately 350,000 women continue to work whilst they are pregnant. 69% of these women will return to work soon after giving birth. In the last five years HSE has received nearly 400 complaints relating to the health and safety of new and expectant mothers.

  Some hazards in the workplace may affect the health and safety of new and expectant mothers and of their children, therefore working conditions normally considered acceptable may no longer be so during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. HSE has recently revised its guidance to employers—"New and Expectant Mothers at Work—a guide for employers"—on protecting the health and safety of new and expectant mothers. This was published in December 2002. In reviewing the guidance, concerns were raised that there was no guidance aimed directly at women to clarify and explain what their employers were required to do to protect their health and safety. In addition, stakeholders supported the idea that by giving advice to health professionals they would better be able to help and advise their patients.

  As a consequence, HSE is publishing on 24 March 2003 two free leaflets; "New and Expectant Mothers Who Work—a guide for employees" and "New and expectant mothers at work—A guide for health professionals". Both leaflets provide advice about employers' responsibilities for the health and safety of new and expectant mothers and their children. They will be available on HSE's website.

The health professionals guidance outlines some of the issues of concern and how to recognise them (if a pregnant or new mother is experiencing problems which may be caused by her work) and what the health professional can do to help resolve any health problems—ie looking to the cause of the problem.

  HSE also jointly sponsored, with the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions, a distance learning programme for GPs and health professionals. The programme was launched in October 2000 and is run by Staffordshire University.

  The programme, Occupational Health Matters in General Practice, is designed to help primary care practitioners develop a better understanding of both the occupational health problems of their patients and their occupational health responsibilities as employers for their own staff. Included as part of the programme is information on protecting the health and safety of new and expectant mothers.

  For HSE, encouraging the take up of this programme among primary care professionals, and publishing the free leaflet, contributes to recommendation 19 of the HSC's Occupational Health Advisory Committee's report and recommendations on Improving Access to Occupational Health Support. The report is a joint initiative between HSC/E and Department of Health, and was published in July 2000 alongside Securing Health Together—A 10 year occupational health strategy for Great Britain.

Angela Wearne


 
previous page contents next page

House of Commons home page Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries index

© Parliamentary copyright 2003
Prepared 18 June 2003