Risk assessment for newly pregnant vet/nurse

Re: Risk assessment for newly pregnant vet/nurse

Malcolm Ness — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:32:32 GMT

[quote user="Camilla Edwards"]Also work should in theory be safe as employers don't know when one of their employees might be pregnant, and especially when there are so many women of childbearing age in our industry[/quote]

It has long been our understanding that in SA practice at least, the working environment should be safe for all including the secretly or unknowingly pregnant and that is our aim. It makes the pregnancy risk assesment relatively easy and also means that a staff pregnancy has minimal impact on the practice. At present, approx 75% of our staff are women of child bearing age so it makes all kinds of practical and organisational sense to manage for that majority.

As a male employer, I can note that there is considerable variation in pregnancies. At one end of the scale there is the individual whose life changes instantly and completely the moment that pregnancy is confirmed and they can be a challenge to know, let alone work with. The other extreme is exemplified by a currently very heavily pregnant nurse of ours who insists on taking her full duties (including night shifts) and her favourite phrase at the moment is "I am pregnant, I'm not an invalid".

Re: Risk assessment for newly pregnant vet/nurse

Dagmar Steele — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 09:09:30 GMT

chiming in very late here and not being very useful either. If you were based in Germany it would be very likely that you would not work at all any more once you are pregnant. You are not allowed to have contact with any body fluid at all and not to work any risky animals like bigger dogs or farm animals. No chance to operate if there is gas involved, too. So in reality usually every pregnant vet has to stop working asap. It's another cup of tea if you're self-employed though, I have worked to a week before due date with both kids... but I was my own boss then.

Re: Risk assessment for newly pregnant vet/nurse

Camilla Edwards — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 22:13:54 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

Always confuses me this. I also had a -ve toxo result with my first pregnancy - which confirmed what I already suspected - that as vets we are probably low risk as it is fresh faeces we handle and our hygiene is A1. I bet if they screened builders and gardeners their levels would be massively higher! I wouldn't worry too much about this one. Unless you are in the habit of already handling cat poo without gloves...????

[/quote]

I think also there is a much lower prevalence of Toxo in this country too, so we are not very likely to come into contact with it. I haven't been tested in either of my pregnancies, (I'm 7 months pregnant at the moment) because the outcome is not actually going to change my behaviour, and as with any test there are false positives and false negatives, which could lull you into a false sense of security/worry. I think better to treat it as though you are negative and make sure hygiene is A1 as you said Gillian - I do handle cat poo with gloves normally!!! and I wash my hands all the time.

WRT the OP's original question - here are some useful links/articles

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Moneyandworkentitlements/WorkAndFamilies/Pregnancyandmaternityrights/DG_10026556

Wiggins P., Schenker M.B., Green R., & Samuels S. (2007) Prevalence of hazardous exposures in veterinary practice. American Journal of Industrial Medicine 16 (1) 55-66

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg373.pdf

Moore R.M., Davis Y.M., & Kaczmarek R.G. (1993) An Overview of Occupational Hazards Among Veterinarians, with Particular Reference to Pregnant Women American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal 54(3) 113-120

Also work should in theory be safe as employers don't know when one of their employees might be pregnant, and especially when there are so many women of childbearing age in our industry! So although I do still go to the other end of the building when x-rays are being taken, I think that this is probably over the top as nobody should be recieving any exposure to x-rays anyway.

HTH

Camilla

Re: Risk assessment for newly pregnant vet/nurse

Gillian Mostyn — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 21:36:22 GMT

[quote user="salome2001"]oh, and request a Toxoplasma titre from your GP. Mine didn't blink when I told them I "I handle cat s**t all day". I had a negative titre so had an additional risk assessment that I didn't handle cat poo without gloves (which TBH I would have complied with anyway. But it made a good excuse for my DH to clean our cat litter trays at home ;)[/quote]

(Incidentally, my GP had told me not to do allsorts, including not to handle cats at all!! She was shocked when I told her I was a vet and would be handling them all day. If I had taken my GPs advice to heart and let them dictate my risk assessment then I think my boss at the time would have had a breakdown!)

Re: Risk assessment for newly pregnant vet/nurse

Gillian Mostyn — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 21:26:49 GMT

Re: gas fumes - You should be using key-fill really.

If it is pour-fill then best done last thing after surgery so that fumes can go before the room is likely to be used again.

[quote user="salome2001"]Also smells... I found that Trigene (correct strength) of any fragrance made me retch. I had to have to unscented stuff only used in all the practice.[/quote]

OK....but was it only disinfectant that bothered you then? I also got nauseous at smells a lot more easily - but it was far more likely to be anal glands etc! (The head nurse guessed I was pregnant when I constantly retched when scanning a dead cat that a member of the public brought in!) The smell of disinfectants was the least of my worries!

[quote user="salome2001"]Things you may not have considered: getting a break during long consulting sessions: I had sessions of 3 hours. I needed a 10-15 minute break after 90-120 minutes, if not for a rest then for a loo break :) [/quote]

I don't think anyone, pregnant or not, cab be expected to consult continuously (or effectively) for 3 hours!!! Phew!

Re: Risk assessment for newly pregnant vet/nurse

salome2001 — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:40:45 GMT

oh, and request a Toxoplasma titre from your GP. Mine didn't blink when I told them I "I handle cat s**t all day". I had a negative titre so had an additional risk assessment that I didn't handle cat poo without gloves (which TBH I would have complied with anyway. But it made a good excuse for my DH to clean our cat litter trays at home ;)

Re: Risk assessment for newly pregnant vet/nurse

salome2001 — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:36:46 GMT

all of what you mention is reasonable. Among other things we considered was that the iso was filled in theatre first thing in the morning so not fuming in the room when I was in, mask inductions done by nurses, lifting dogs by nurses or clients.

Things you may not have considered: getting a break during long consulting sessions: I had sessions of 3 hours. I needed a 10-15 minute break after 90-120 minutes, if not for a rest then for a loo break :) Note that this should not be "made up" as extra time at the end (as my slimeball boss tried) - reasonable adjustments to working patterns are not allowed to be of financial detriment to the employee

Also smells... I found that Trigene (correct strength) of any fragrance made me retch. I had to have to unscented stuff only used in all the practice.

Surgery is a bit more taxing, especially on the upper back, if you have to reach over a pregnant belly. Move your patient as close to you as possible, my spays ended up on the edge of the table. You will save a lot of arm strain

A lot will depend on your own pregnancy (back pain? tiredness? nausea? pregnancy complications?) and your employer (mine was a slimeball who made things as difficult as he could) Acquaint yourself with websites like direct.gov and working families so you know your rights.

Re: Risk assessment for newly pregnant vet/nurse

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 23:45:32 GMT

Fish out an In Practice article from 2008

In Practice 2008;30:573-575

Re: Risk assessment for newly pregnant vet/nurse

Gillian Mostyn — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 22:38:34 GMT

[quote user="An On MRCVS"]I would be interested to know what Vetsurgeon users would consider to be relevant on risk assessment. Obviously I have myself in mind, and as a predominantly small animal vet with a pregnancy planned in the v near future I am wondering what I can reasonably be expected to do/ not to do.[/quote]

Are you looking for a risk assessment, or evidence? It sounds like you already have a pretty clear idea of what you are and are not willing to do when pregnant.

The risk assessment should cover things like heavy lifting, use and handling of certain drugs and anaesthesia protocols, which you have already mentioned. However, at the end of the day you really cannot be forced to carry out any tasks that you do not wish to do - your employer would be putting themselves at a very high risk if any problems did then occur. The risk assessment system is designed to allow you and your employer to sit down and discuss your situation, and make changes where necessary. It is a two-way street. There is no 'right and wrong' - every practice is different. However, if you do not feel you can carry out your work safely then your employer has to find you alternative jobs or suspend you (on full pay.) If you do not want to operate then be prepared for many hours behind a consulting table, licking envelopes or answering phones!!!!