Evaluation of a pilot consultation for maternity protection at work in Switzerland.

Details

Ressource 1Download: smw_152_w30160.pdf (3867.83 [Ko])
State: Public
Version: Final published version
License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Serval ID
serval:BIB_C64A4B4EBC41
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Evaluation of a pilot consultation for maternity protection at work in Switzerland.
Journal
Swiss medical weekly
Author(s)
Krief P., Mediouni Z., Abderhalden-Zellweger A., Kerr D., Nesi S., Renteria S.C., Vonlanthen J., Danuser B.
ISSN
1424-3997 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0036-7672
Publication state
Published
Issued date
06/06/2022
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
152
Number
23-24
Pages
w30160
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article
Publication Status: epublish
Abstract
Switzerland's Labour Law and its Ordonnance on Maternity Protection aim to protect the health of pregnant employees and their unborn children while enabling them to continue to pursue their professional activities. Some companies encounter difficulties implementing the law's provisions. The Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, part of the Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), has provided specialist occupational medicine consultations for pregnant employees since 2015. This study aimed to evaluate how well Swiss' maternity protection legislation is implemented by examining a list of relevant indicators measured during the occupational health consultation. The study also sought to investigate the consultation support provided to the relevant stakeholders and the adjustments made to pregnant employees' working conditions.
Descriptive variables and indicators relative to the application of the Swiss maternity protection legislation for 83 pregnant employees were collected during the consultation's pilot phase (between 2015 and 2016). Descriptive statistics and cross-analyses of these indicators were made.
Most pregnant employees faced multiple exposures to occupational risks. Preventive risk analyses were rare. Few adjustments to workstations were proposed. We found a tendency for employees to leave their workstations early on in their pregnancies due to sick leave certificate prescriptions. Specialist consultation and collaboration with occupational health physicians to recommend interventions for pregnant employees can provide significant benefits and help some pregnant women to continue at their workstations with appropriate adjustments.
A specialised occupational health consultation is a useful instrument for identifying occupational hazards for both the pregnant woman and her unborn child. It is also an opportunity to explain employers' legal responsibilities and obligations to safeguard the health of their pregnant employees and to give specific advice for their company's situation. This consultation also enables employers to maintain their employees' valuable professional competencies in the workplace for as long as possible. Finally, occupational health consultation helps and supports healthcare providers who must, according to the law, make decisions about whether pregnant employees can continue working safely or not.
Keywords
Female, Humans, Occupational Health, Occupational Medicine, Pregnancy, Referral and Consultation, Switzerland, Workplace
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
22/06/2022 13:43
Last modification date
16/09/2022 6:13
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