How to Support Pregnant Workers
Risk Assessment Compliance & Best Practices
iProtectU offers a software module specifically for pregnancy, new mother and breastfeeding risk assessments: enabling organisations to comply with health & safety requirements, log controls, monitor reviews, and manage evidence.
Ensuring Safety for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Employees
Guidance for HR and Safety Teams
As organisations strive to balance productivity with duty of care, ensuring the safety and well-being of expecting and new mothers in the workplace is paramount.
A robust pregnancy and new mother risk assessment process not only helps employers meet legal obligations but also supports retention, trust, and a safer, more inclusive environment.
In this article, we explore what a pregnancy risk assessment involves, common hazards to consider, and how iProtectU’s module can streamline and strengthen your compliance and oversight.
Why Pregnancy & Postnatal Risk Assessments Matter
- Legal obligations (HSE guidance, employment law)
- Health, safety, and well-being implications
- Reputational benefits and employee confidence
Key Hazards to Consider
- Manual handling, repetitive tasks, lifting
- Display screen equipment (ergonomics)
- Chemical or biological exposures
- Slips, trips, falls
- Temperature extremes, prolonged standing
- Night work, shift patterns
- Stress, fatigue, lone working
- Travel, travel risk, remote work settings
What a Comprehensive Risk Assessment Should Include
- A guided questionnaire covering all relevant domains
- Evidence capture: photos, medical advice, task descriptions
- Logging of controls: task changes, equipment, rest breaks, exposure limits
- Workflow & approval process (manager, H&S, occupational health)
- Scheduled reassessments (e.g. per trimester, postnatal, return to work)
- Audit-ready documentation, version history, role-based access
Best Practices for Employers & Managers
- Encourage early disclosure and open dialogue
- Train line managers on sensitivity and confidentiality (IIRSM Approved eLearning)
- Use technology to automate reminders & tracking
- Ensure privacy & data protection (GDPR, secure systems)
- Periodically review effectiveness of cont
Turn complex regulatory requirements
into a simple, seamless and secure digital process
Every expectant or new mother deserves a safe and supportive working environment. iProtectU’s Pregnancy and New Mother Risk Assessment Software empowers organisations to fulfil their legal obligations while promoting wellbeing and inclusion across the workforce.
This intuitive module provides structured, HSE-aligned assessments designed specifically for pregnancy, postnatal and breastfeeding considerations. Managers can easily identify risks such as manual handling, workstation ergonomics, chemical exposure, fatigue, or night work and record appropriate control measures quickly and consistently. They can also use our other modules such as DSE, Manual handling to form a comprehensive assessment for new and expetant mothers working in more challenging environments.
Automated reminders ensure assessments are reviewed throughout each stage of pregnancy and after return to work. Version-controlled reports, audit trails and digital sign-offs provide complete traceability, reducing administrative burden and improving compliance confidence.
Role-based access safeguards privacy and ensures sensitive information is shared only with authorised personnel. Integration with other iProtectU modules, such as Display Screen Equipment (DSE), Manual Handling, Chemical Safety and Incident Management – creates a unified approach to occupational health and safety.
From small businesses to large, multi-site organisations, this software ensures every stage of the maternity journey is supported, compliant and well-managed.
Benefits and ROI
With iProtectU, you can demonstrate care, compliance and responsibility, creating a workplace culture where every employee feels protected and valued.
- Fully aligned with HSE and ISO 45001 standards
- Guided templates for consistent, compliant assessments
- Automated reminders for trimester and post-return reviews
- Complete audit trails and version-controlled records
- Secure, role-based access for confidentiality
- Integration with wider safety and HR systems
- Accessible on desktop and mobile devices
Build a Sustainable Safety Culture
Protect What Matters Most - Your People and Their Future
Because Every Mother Deserves a Safe Workplace.
Request a demo today, and see how iProtectU’s Pregnancy and New Mothers Risk Assessment Software can support you in building a culture of care for every stage of motherhood.
