Protecting pregnant workers and new mothers: employers

4. Rest and breastfeeding at work

You must provide a suitable area where pregnant workers and breastfeeding mothers can rest. It should:

  • include somewhere to lie down if necessary
  • be hygienic and private so they can express milk if they choose to – toilets are not a suitable place for this
  • include somewhere to store their milk, for example a fridge

There is advice from Acas on accommodating breastfeeding employees in the workplace[7].

Some work presents an extra risk for breastfeeding mothers and their children. This includes working conditions[8] that could expose them to organic mercury, radioactive material or lead.

You need to consider these risks in your worker’s individual risk assessment[9] for as long as they wish to continue breastfeeding.

View a printable version of the whole guide[12]

Link URLs in this page

  1. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/employer/index.htm
  2. Risk assessment for pregnant workers and new mothershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/employer/risk-assessment.htm
  3. Common riskshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/employer/common-risks.htm
  4. Night workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/employer/welfare-rights.htm
  5. Workplace safety lawhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/employer/workplace-safety-law.htm
  6. More advice on pregnant workers and new mothershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/employer/resources.htm
  7. accommodating breastfeeding employees in the workplacehttps://www.acas.org.uk/accommodating-breastfeeding-employees-in-the-workplace
  8. working conditionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/employer/common-risks.htm
  9. individual risk assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/employer/risk-assessment.htm
  10. Previous page Common risks https://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/employer/common-risks.htm
  11. Next page Night work https://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/employer/welfare-rights.htm
  12. View a printable version of the whole guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/employer/print.htm
  13. Pregnant workers and new mothers: your health and safetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/worker/index.htm
  14. Managing risks and risk assessment at work https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/index.htm
  15. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)https://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/index.htm
  16. Working safely with leadhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/lead/index.htm
  17. Infections at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/infection.htm
  18. Radiationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/radiation/index.htm
  19. Work-related stresshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/index.htm

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