Health and safety at work: pregnant women, recently given birth or breastfeeding women (direct. 92/85/EEC). Report

On 19 October 1992 the Council adopted a Directive (92/85/EEC) on the implementation of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of pregnant workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding. Article 3(1) of this Directive provides that in consultation with the Member States and assisted by the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work, the Commission shall draw up guidelines on the assessment of the chemical, physical and biological agents and industrial processes considered to be hazardous for the safety or health of workers. The Commission has prepared the Guidelines and these are set out in the communication. The Commission attaches great importance to all measures designed to protect the health and safety of workers, and notably certain groups of particularly vulnerable workers such as is the case of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding - all the more so because the risks to which they may be exposed are liable to damage not only their own health but also that of their unborn children, given that there is a very close physiological and indeed emotional link between mother and child. Hence, the Commission considers that this communication constitutes an effective and eminently practical tool which can serve as guidance in assessing the risk to the health and safety of this category of women. On the basis of this assessment it will be possible to take more effective measures. �