Maternity Risk Assessment FAQs

A maternity risk assessment is a workplace risk assessment that identifies any risks to the health and safety of an employee who is pregnant, has given birth within the previous six months or is breastfeeding. It considers how their work, workplace and working conditions could affect them or their child, and identifies any reasonable adjustments needed to reduce or remove those risks.

Yes. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must assess workplace risks and, when notified in writing that an employee is pregnant, has given birth within the previous six months or is breastfeeding, review those risks and take appropriate action.

Employers also have duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Equality Act 2010 to protect employees’ health and safety and prevent pregnancy and maternity discrimination.

A maternity risk assessment should be carried out as soon as an employee notifies their employer in writing that they are pregnant, have given birth within the previous six months or are breastfeeding. The assessment should then be reviewed regularly throughout pregnancy and after birth, particularly if the employee’s work, health or working conditions change.

The employer is responsible for ensuring a suitable maternity risk assessment is completed, and appropriate action is taken where necessary.

The assessment is often carried out by the employee’s line manager, with input from the employee to identify any concerns, workplace risks and adjustments that may be required. In some organisations, health and safety or HR teams may also be involved.

Yes. Once an employee notifies their employer in writing that they are pregnant, have given birth within the previous six months or are breastfeeding, the employer should carry out an individual maternity risk assessment. While many workplace risks can be addressed through simple adjustments, every employee’s role, working environment and circumstances should be assessed individually.

A maternity risk assessment should consider any workplace hazards that could affect the health and safety of a pregnant employee, new mother or breastfeeding employee.

Hazards may include manual handling, hazardous substances, biological agents, prolonged standing or sitting, working hours, stress, lone working, noise, vibration, temperature, display screen equipment (DSE), work at height and workplace violence.

The assessment should also identify any reasonable adjustments needed to reduce or remove these risks.

A maternity risk assessment should be reviewed whenever there is a significant change that could affect the employee’s health or safety. This may include changes to their pregnancy, health, job role, working hours, workplace or working conditions.

Regular reviews throughout pregnancy and after birth help ensure any new or changing risks are identified and managed appropriately.

If a maternity risk assessment identifies a risk, the employer should take steps to remove or reduce it. This may involve changing working conditions or hours, providing suitable workplace adjustments or offering suitable alternative work.

If the risk cannot be avoided by other means, the employee may need to be suspended on full pay for as long as necessary to protect their health and safety or that of their child.

Reasonable adjustments depend on the employee’s role and the risks identified. They may include reducing manual handling, providing additional rest breaks, adjusting working hours, temporarily changing duties, providing suitable seating, avoiding exposure to hazardous substances or excessive heat, reducing prolonged standing, or allowing home or flexible working where appropriate.

Any adjustments should be tailored to the individual employee and reviewed as circumstances change.

Yes, provided the risks identified can be removed or reduced to an acceptable level. Employers should make appropriate workplace adjustments or, where necessary, offer suitable alternative work.

If the risks cannot be adequately controlled, the employee may need to be suspended on full pay for as long as necessary to protect their health and safety or that of their child.

Yes. Online maternity risk assessments provide a structured, consistent way to identify workplace risks while making the process easier to manage.

Our maternity risk assessment tool enables employees to complete tailored self-assessments online, with responses automatically shared with nominated managers, who receive clear recommendations to help determine appropriate workplace adjustments and maintain a complete audit trail.

Yes. Maternity risk assessments should be tailored to the employee’s specific role, working environment and individual circumstances.

Different job roles present different hazards, so the assessment should consider the tasks the employee carries out, the equipment they use, their working conditions and any risks that could affect them during pregnancy, after giving birth or while breastfeeding.

There is no specific legal retention period for maternity risk assessments. Employers should keep records for as long as they are needed to demonstrate compliance with health and safety legislation and to manage any potential legal claims.

Many organisations retain maternity risk assessment records in line with their wider health and safety and personnel record retention policies.

There is no legal requirement for a maternity risk assessment to be signed by the employee.

However, it is good practice to discuss the assessment with them, record any agreed actions or workplace adjustments, and keep evidence that the assessment has been communicated and reviewed. This helps demonstrate that the employer has consulted with the employee and met their legal duties.

A general workplace risk assessment identifies hazards that could affect all employees carrying out a particular activity or role.

A maternity risk assessment focuses on the additional risks that pregnancy, recent childbirth or breastfeeding may present to an individual employee. It considers their specific circumstances and identifies any workplace adjustments needed to protect their health and safety and that of their child.

Yes. Maternity risk assessments can be completed remotely, provided the assessment is suitable and sufficient for the employee’s role and working environment.

Employers should still consult with the employee, consider any risks associated with home working where applicable, and ensure any necessary workplace adjustments are identified and implemented.

If an employee’s role changes during pregnancy, the maternity risk assessment should be reviewed to identify any new or different risks. Employers should assess the new duties, working environment and working conditions, and make any necessary adjustments to ensure the employee can continue working safely.

If an employee’s pregnancy-related health needs change, the maternity risk assessment should be reviewed as soon as possible.

Employers should discuss the changes with the employee, consider any new or increased risks, and make any necessary adjustments to their duties, working conditions or working hours to help protect their health and safety.

Yes. Employers have the same legal duty to assess risks for employees who work from home as they do for those working on-site.

A maternity risk assessment should consider any additional risks associated with home working, such as the workstation setup, lone working, manual handling, stress, fatigue and working hours.

Any necessary adjustments should be made to ensure the employee can work safely throughout their pregnancy and while breastfeeding, where applicable.

Yes. Once an employee notifies their employer in writing that they are breastfeeding, the employer should review any workplace risks that could affect their health or that of their child.

A maternity risk assessment should consider the employee’s role, working environment and any hazards that may require workplace adjustments or other control measures.

The maternity risk assessment should be reviewed before the employee returns to work if possible, or as soon as practicable after their return. This is particularly important if they are breastfeeding, their role or working conditions have changed, or there are any new workplace risks. The review should identify any adjustments needed to support their health and safety.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 is the primary legislation governing maternity risk assessments. Employers must assess and manage workplace risks for employees who are pregnant, have given birth within the previous six months, or are breastfeeding.

• Tailored assessments: Configure assessments around your workplace hazards, policies and procedures, while personalising questions and recommendations to each employee’s role and circumstances.
• Consistent approach: Ensure every maternity risk assessment follows the same structured process, helping managers make fair, consistent decisions across departments and locations.
• Easier administration: Employees complete assessments online, with responses automatically shared with nominated managers, reducing paperwork and simplifying record management.
• Supports ongoing reviews: Update and review assessments throughout pregnancy and on return to work, ensuring any changes in role, health or working conditions are reflected.
• Complete audit trail: Maintain secure, centralised records of assessments, recommendations and actions taken, supporting legal compliance and demonstrating that maternity risks have been properly managed.

An online maternity risk assessment tool provides a more consistent and efficient way to manage maternity risk assessments than a paper or document template.

Unlike static templates, online tools can be tailored to your organisation and individual employees, securely store assessment records, support ongoing reviews as circumstances change, and provide managers with clear recommendations. This helps reduce administration, maintain consistency across your organisation and demonstrate compliance with legal duties.

Employers should follow a clear, consistent process for completing and reviewing maternity risk assessments. An online tool helps standardise assessments while tailoring recommendations to each employee.

• Standardised assessments: Use consistent questions and workflows to ensure all relevant workplace hazards are considered.
• Tailored recommendations: Configure assessments around your organisation’s hazards and policies while adapting recommendations to each employee’s role and circumstances.
• Ongoing reviews: Schedule regular reviews throughout pregnancy and after returning to work, ensuring assessments remain up to date if circumstances change.
• Centralised oversight: Give managers and HR visibility of assessment progress, completed actions and outstanding reviews, helping maintain compliance across the organisation.

An online maternity risk assessment tool makes it easier to demonstrate legal compliance by maintaining a complete audit trail of assessments, reviews and actions taken.

Centralised records help show that risks have been assessed consistently, workplace adjustments have been considered where required, and assessments have been reviewed as circumstances change, providing evidence that you have fulfilled your legal responsibilities.