Guidelines on the assessment of the chemical, physical and biological agents and industrial processes considered hazardous for the safety or health of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding (92/85/EEC)

This Communication from the Commission is a brief guideline drafted in 2000 aiming to help the implementation of Council Directive 92/85/EEC (on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding). The purpose of the guidelines is to serve as a basis for the assessments referred to in the above Directive because conditions which may be considered acceptable in normal situations may no longer be so during pregnancy.

The introduction deals with the approach to risk assessment, legal background and specific points to be stressed.

The following chapters enlist duties for employers concerning risk assessment and ways of avoiding risks - taking them one by one (in categories: generic hazards, physical, chemical, biological agents and working conditions). All they are in a tabular format with headings:

• List of agents/working conditions

• What is the risk?
• How to deal with the risk, Examples of preventive measures
• Other European legislation.

The Annex lists the aspects of pregnancy which may require adjustments to work organisation.