Pregnant employees must refrain from working with certain biological factors.
Many biological factors in infection risk groups 2, 3, and 4 (in Norwegian) can affect the unborn child if the mother becomes infected during pregnancy. Examples of viruses and bacteria that can infect the foetus and the child after birth include:
- Hepatitis B and C
- Tuberculosis
- Herpes
- Chickenpox
- Typhoid
- HIV
- Syphilis
If a risk assessment indicates a high risk of exposure to a highly infectious factor, the pregnant employee should completely avoid exposure.
A risk assessment should consider:
- Which biological factors may be present.
- Which toxic (toxicological), allergenic, or other harmful substances the biological factors may give rise to.
- Which infection risk groups the biological factors belong to.
- Information about diseases caused by biological factors that the pregnant employee may contract in connection with their work, whether infectious (infectious), allergenic, or toxic in nature.
- Whether special protective and safety measures should be implemented to protect pregnant employees when they are exposed to or may be exposed to biological factors in their working environment.
- The likelihood that pregnant employees could suffer health damage from biological factors.
- Knowledge of whether a disease detected in the pregnant employee may have a direct connection to their work.
Pregnant employees at UiA must not work with biological factors in infection risk groups 2, 3, or 4 that can cause miscarriage or physical and neurological harm.
Assessment of biological factors may also be relevant for travel to countries where the employee may be exposed to bacteria, viruses, and parasites not commonly found in Norway. This also includes assessing the need for vaccination.