Documenting hazards in the lab for pregnant chemists
After failing to find the safety information they needed, two pregnant chemists began a project to review hazards in labs
Chemicals, radiation and noise are all hazards to anyone working in a chemistry lab, but even more so if pregnant. Surprisingly, little information is available regarding the specific workplace risks for pregnant chemists and their unborn children. This is partially due to limited research on toxicity or other hazards, and partially due to hesitancy from employers or institutions around liabilities. Institutions defer to medical professionals, but medical professionals don’t have expertise in chemical safety. In the end chemists are left to deal with both the assessment and mitigation of workplace risks to their pregnancy on their own. Those who are unable or not ready to disclose their pregnancy are even further isolated by the lack of available resources.