Barriers for the prevention of chemical exposures in pregnant and breast-feeding workers?

Implementation of the Swiss ordinance on maternity protection at work in companies in French-speaking Switzerland

BACKGROUND

Switzerland's Ordinance on Maternity Protection at Work (OProMa) requires that companies take the necessary measures to ensure that pregnant employees can continue working without danger.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the extent of compliance with OProMa within companies in French-speaking Switzerland as well as factors which facilitate and obstruct the ordinance's implementation.

METHODS

A stratified random telephone survey of 202 companies from the healthcare and food industry was conducted. Descriptive and correlational statistics were calculated. Responses to open questions were analysed thematically.

RESULTS

Only a minority of companies performed risk analyses or adapted employees' workstations, as per the legislation. OProMa was implemented more effectively in larger companies than smaller ones, in public rather than private ones, in the healthcare sector rather than the food industry, and when the person responsible for the wellbeing of pregnant employees within the company had undergone specific training on the subject. Data extrapolation suggested that only 2% of pregnant employees in French-speaking Switzerland's food industry and 12% in its healthcare sector are properly protected according to OProMa's provisions.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternity protection in French-speaking Switzerland's companies urgently requires improvement. In addition to the apparent need for stronger incentives and for monitoring of companies, our findings indicate a need to provide them with resources to meet OProMa's provisions.

Perception of Environmental Risks and Behavioral Changes during Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Study of French Postpartum Women

Limiting exposure to environmental hazards during preconception and pregnancy is essential for preventing adverse pregnancy outcomes or developmental defects in offspring. However, the perception of environmental risk and the behavioral changes of women planning or having a pregnancy have rarely been investigated, except for a few risk factors. We thus performed a cross-sectional study of French postpartum women hospitalized in the Bordeaux University Hospital in 2017 by proposing a self-administrated survey. The main objective was to assess their level of awareness concerning a large panel of environmental hazards and modifications in their behavior during pregnancy in occupational and household environments. Among the 121 respondents, most identified the environment as a major factor for a healthy pregnancy but recognized a lack of knowledge regarding environmental risk factors. The internet, television, and magazines were their main sources of information. Most women modified some of their practices at work or home. These measures were rarely implemented in consultation with a health practitioner, which raises concerns about the relevance of the adjustments made. Our findings highlight the need to improve the quality of information available to women and to help them implement preventive measures in consultation with physicians.