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Reproductive hazards in the workplace: A case study of women firefighters
Author(s) -
Evanoff Bradley A.,
Rosenstock Linda
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.4700090602
Subject(s) - medicine , occupational exposure , environmental health , occupational safety and health , occupational medicine , occupational accident , gerontology , pathology
Recent attention has focused on the difficulties of providing equal employment opportunities for women while ensuring reproductive health in the workplace. This paper examines the potential hazards faced by pregnant firefighters and recommends a policy that seeks a reasonable accommodation between employment and fetal and maternal health. The potential hazards faced by firefighters include physical exertion, hyperthermia, and exposure to carbon monoxide and other toxic gases. The ideal policy option for improving reproductive health is to make the workplace safe for all employees. Where this cannot be accomplished and a unique reproductive hazard exists to women during pregnancy, temporary positions should be found that remove the pregnant woman from the hazard while allowing her to continue work.