Pregnancy and working at FOM

Your line manager is obliged to ensure that you incur as few risks as possible during your work with regard to your own health and that of your infant or unborn child. Together with your line manager you can investigate which tasks in your list of duties might pose a risk. You are also advised to discuss with your line manager which measures can be taken to minimise these risks. Do this well in advance. Then you can simply carry on doing your work without any feelings of guilt towards your line manager or concerns about your infant or unborn child.

It is important to know which activities could pose a risk for you and your infant or unborn child. A brief overview is given below. 

Wish to have children
Some hazardous substances can have a detrimental effect on the development or quality of egg cells in women and sperm in men. If you want to have children then you can agree with your line manager that you will take extra measures to minimise your exposure to these hazardous substances.

Pregnancy
Determine with your line manager which measures are needed to ensure that you work as healthily and safely as possible during your pregnancy. This applies to both you and your unborn child. If you work with hazardous substances then find out if these are dangerous for the unborn child (so-called reprotoxic substances). Radioactive, carcinogenic and mutagenic substances as well as some organic solvents can also pose a risk. Other risks for pregnant women are stress, vibrations, magnetic fields and ultrasound. 

Special employment conditions
If you are pregnant then you have a limited right to extra breaks, and you have the right to allow pregnancy examinations to be performed during working hours.

After the pregnancy
After your pregnancy leave, you have the right to breastfeed or to express your breast milk for up to 9 months after giving birth. Your line manager will make a private room and the necessary time available for this. Up until 6 months after giving birth you may request extra breaks. If you breastfeed then you must also be careful with certain chemicals.

Further information
If you would like to know more about pregnancy and work then please visit these websites. On these pages you will find various links with information about the hazards of various substances and other pregnancy risks. You can also approach your health & safety coordinator with any questions you may have.

In English
Brochure van FNV bondgenoten
http://www.fnvbondgenoten.nl/site/brochures_en_folders/ENG_-_Work___pregnancy_from_month_to_month.pdf



In Dutch
Handreiking arbomaatregelen zwangerschap en Arbeid, mei 2008
http://www.stvda.nl/~/media/Files/Stvda/Brochures/2000_2009/2008/200805_handreiking_zwangerschap_arbeid.ashx

SZW-lijst met kankerverwekkende stoffen
http://www.arboportaal.nl/types/tools-en-instrumenten/kankerverwekkende-stoffen-en-processen.html

SZW-lijst met mutagene stoffen
http://www.arboportaal.nl/types/wetgeving/Lijst-mutagene-stoffen.html

SZW-lijst met voor de voortplanting giftige stoffen
http://www.arboportaal.nl/types/wetgeving/Niet-limitatieve-lijst-van-voor-de-voortplanting.html?/onderwerpen/gevaarlijke-stoffen/gevaarlijke-stoffen/kankerverwekkende-en-mutagene-stoffen.html