Pregnant or nursing

DTU operates with the objective of ensuring a sound and secure work environment to enable pregnant and breast-feeding employees / students to continue working /study safely throughout their pregnancy / breast-feeding period.

You must notify your manager / supervisor / course leader when you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and together you must assess your work tasks. Work tasks that entail a risk for you as pregnant / nursing, must be identified, and your work must be organised in a way, that there is no risk to you or your child.

It is your immediate manager /supervisor /course manager’s responsibility to initiate a risk assessment of your work. It can be done by yourself in conjunction with your manager, your safety representative or CAS AB. There are several types of risks for you as pregnant / nursing, and every aspects must be taken into account in the assessment. Below is an inspiration list of known risk factors, but in your particular work, other factors may be present. If the risk assessment identifies a risk, it must be handled – e.g. adjustment to the work place or work tasks, so as you only perform tasks that are completely safe for you and your child. In this regard, everyone is expected to show understanding and flexibility.

In very special situations, whereas it is not possible to modify the work to eliminate any risk, you must be excused from normal work. Being excused from normal work may entail reassignment to other work or, if this is not possible, medical leave – please contact HR. As a student, you must postpone your course – please contact AUS.

Risk factors for pregnant or breast-feeding persons:

Below is a selection of risk factors that may be of significance for pregnant and breast-feeding persons.

Ergonomics	Heavy lifting – max 10 kg max 10 times a day Powerful full-body vibrations Work on ladders Long standing or walking work
Biological work	Infectious agents (in samples or animals), that can cause harm to the pregnant or her featus/baby. Among these agents are: Rubella virus (rubella) Morbilli (rubeole) (measles) Toxoplasma gondii (toxoplasmose) Varicella zooster (chicken pox) Parvovirus B 19 (Erythema infectiosum,) Hepatitis A og B (Hepatitis) Chlamydophilia (Chlamydia) psittasi (Ornitosis) Coxiella burnetti (Q-feber) Listerier (listeriosis) Streptococcus gr. B (infection in newborn. Suspected to be related to pre-term birth) Please refer to the specific Pathogen Safety Data Sheet (PSDS or MSDS) for other agents e.g. at https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/laboratory-biosafety-biosecurity/pathogen-safety-data-sheets-risk-assessment.html or at CDC’s webside.
Chemical work*	Substances with potential risk of harming the unborn child, hazard phrases H360, H361, H362 Substances with carcinogenic effects, hazard phrases H350, H350i, H351. Substances with potential risk of harming the health of the pregnant, hazard phrases H370, H371, H372, H373 Substances with mutagenic effects, hazard phrases H340, H341 Substances with endocrine effects Volatile organic solvents in which the concentration is higher than 1/10 of the threshold value. Substances harmful by absorption through the skin, hazard phrases H310, H311, H312 – or labelled ”H” in Kemibrug.dk - the instructions for use. Pesticides Heavy metals Anesthetics and suffocating gases Cytostatica The substances above is mentioned in the chemical data sheet in Kemibrug.dk, section A, kemibrug.dk
Radiation	Radioactivity (ionizing radiation) - Exposure of the unborn child must not exceed 1 mSv Electromagnetic fields (Non-ionizing radiation) Optical radiation
Other	Direct contact with ultrasound Work at night Stress

* If you work with substances that can harm your child during breast-feeding, within the first year after birth, an assessment of your work must also be prepared.

For more detailed information, please refer to Danish legislation BEK no 1234 annex 2 or the Danish Working Environment Authority’s Guidelines, currently A.1.8-8, concerning working environment factors affecting pregnant's and nursing mothers or Branchefællesskab for Arbejdsmiljø.

Contact

Lise Brown Christiansen Campus Service Mobile: +45 93511415 lbrch@dtu.dk