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Train Dispatcher & Pregnant

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Delusional

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Southport
Hello everyone. I hope everyone is well in these strange times.

I am a train dispatcher and I have been shielding due to covid. I am currently 21 weeks pregnant and due to return to work on the 1st August 2020. I am looking for some advice from anyone regarding being pregnant and being a train dispatcher? It’s something that hasn’t happened thatI am aware of at our company and would like to get some info off others where possible?

I’m due a risk assessment call in August and having an appointment via phone for an OH appointment.

Any advice would be truly grateful.

many thanks and keep safe.
 
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LowLevel

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You can work as long as you choose/feel comfortable - a friend who is a conductor carried on working until within a few weeks of her due date, I believe with the intention of having more maternity leave on the other side of the birth.

Obviously when it gets to the point you're struggling to move around easily you're probably going to have to stop.
 

221129

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It’s something that hasn’t happened thatI am aware of at our company and would like to get some info off others where possible?
Unless you are at a brand new TOC then it will have happened before. I am not really sure what you're expecting to find out.
 

Delusional

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You can work as long as you choose/feel comfortable - a friend who is a conductor carried on working until within a few weeks of her due date, I believe with the intention of having more maternity leave on the other side of the birth.

Obviously when it gets to the point you're struggling to move around easily you're probably going to have to stop.
You can work as long as you choose/feel comfortable - a friend who is a conductor carried on working until within a few weeks of her due date, I believe with the intention of having more maternity leave on the other side of the birth.

Obviously when it gets to the point you're struggling to move around easily you're probably going to have to stop.

Thank you for replying. I’m just unsure of how they risk assessed pregnant women and what to expect really. Thank you :)
 

JN114

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It’s probably a conversation that needs to happen with your line manager and/or your rep, rather than - and with no disrespect to others here - random people on the internet, especially where it comes to yours and your child’s welfare. I’d hesitantly guess that only a very tiny percentage of members here are qualified to give such advice, if any at all.
 

Delusional

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Unless you are at a brand new TOC then it will have happened before. I am not really sure what you're expecting to find out.

well we aren’t a new TOC but I am the only female as it stands to be pregnant and be a train dispatcher so I was coming here for advice from others regarding what experiences they may have had. Thanks for your reply.
 

Delusional

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It’s probably a conversation that needs to happen with your line manager and/or your rep, rather than - and with no disrespect to others here - random people on the internet, especially where it comes to yours and your child’s welfare. I’d hesitantly guess that only a very tiny percentage of members here are qualified to give such advice, if any at all.

Thank you For the advice :)
 

LowLevel

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That will all depend on the TOC and what their policies etc are. That will be why they are performing a risk assessment.

Ultimately every individual and location is different. I've known women be quite happy jumping on and off trains all day until quite late on, and I've also seen them go off quite early on to light duties if available or maternity leave. It is I suppose a very specific thing to consider, particularly if as in this case it follows a long period of absence anyway.
 

Islineclear3_1

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I have recently done Covid-19 risk assessments with staff. The main aim is to avoid unprotected coronavirus exposure in a public-facing role as far as is reasonably possible. You and your line manager will go through the risks involved and how vulnerable you/your foetus might be. At the end of the day, it is your call and any decision must be agreed with your manager.

Are you aware of the appropriate PPE and will you be confident in using it. Have you/will you be fit-tested? (does the railway do this?). Are you in a vulnerable risk group? Do you have any underlying health conditions? Do you stay on one platform or are you expected to dispatch from different platforms in a given day? (use of stairs/lifts) Can you be redeployed to a different role?
 
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Twotwo

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That will all depend on the TOC and what their policies etc are. That will be why they are performing a risk assessment.


I think they will either put you on light duties straight away or you may be able to continue with dispatch until you are unable to and then would be on light duties. This was the case for my colleague in my previous dispatch course but can't recall if she was put on light duties straight away or if she waited a while before it.
 

Delusional

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I have recently done Covid-19 risk assessments with staff. The main aim is to avoid unprotected coronavirus exposure in a public-facing role as far as is reasonably possible. You and your line manager will go through the risks involved and how vulnerable you/your foetus might be. At the end of the day, it is your call and any decision must be agreed with your manager.

Are you aware of the appropriate PPE and will you be confident in using it. Have you/will you be fit-tested? (does the railway do this?). Are you in a vulnerable risk group? Do you have any underlying health conditions? Do you stay on one platform or are you expected to dispatch from different platforms in a given day? (use of stairs/lifts) Can you be redeployed to a different role?

Oh wow this is what I was looking for! Thank you so much for this amazing reply!!

I mean the things I have got together are below. this is all I have so far to get across the risks of dispatching trains whilst pregnant.
  • Lone working 0500-0600 // 2225-2315
  • Working hours
  • slip, trips and falls
  • Lifts out of service (stuck in lift)
  • Platform 3 toilets
  • Caught in doors of train
  • Pushed onto track
  • Pushed by customer (2018 back injury)
  • Assault/verbal assault
  • Mental health
  • Assistances
  • Pressure of assistances no help
  • Social distancing
  • BAME
  • pregnant
  • RCOG - 28 weeks pregnant
  • Asthmatic
  • Previous back injury
  • Sciatic nerve pregnancy
  • Standing for long periods of time
  • Uniform (won’t fit)
  • Information point no social distancing
  • Staff not social distancing
  • Unable to wear mask
  • Unable to deal with safety issues that may arise due to pregnancy
 

Delusional

Member
Joined
7 Jul 2020
Messages
9
Location
Southport
I think they will either put you on light duties straight away or you may be able to continue with dispatch until you are unable to and then would be on light duties. This was the case for my colleague in my previous dispatch course but can't recall if she was put on light duties straight away or if she waited a while before it.

hey! Thank you so much for the reply. In normal circumstances I don’t think I’d mind but the Covid situation frightens me a lot.
 

Bayum

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Regarding coronavirus, from what I recall, the final trimester is the biggie with pregnancy.
 

Delusional

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Regarding coronavirus, from what I recall, the final trimester is the biggie with pregnancy.
Hi! You are right! From 28 weeks is the biggie. I’ve been shielding due to the peak of it all and being BAME, severe asthmatic & pregnant.
 

Islineclear3_1

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Oh wow this is what I was looking for! Thank you so much for this amazing reply!!

I mean the things I have got together are below. this is all I have so far to get across the risks of dispatching trains whilst pregnant.
  • Lone working 0500-0600 // 2225-2315
  • Working hours
  • slip, trips and falls
  • Lifts out of service (stuck in lift)
  • Platform 3 toilets
  • Caught in doors of train
  • Pushed onto track
  • Pushed by customer (2018 back injury)
  • Assault/verbal assault
  • Mental health
  • Assistances
  • Pressure of assistances no help
  • Social distancing
  • BAME
  • pregnant
  • RCOG - 28 weeks pregnant
  • Asthmatic
  • Previous back injury
  • Sciatic nerve pregnancy
  • Standing for long periods of time
  • Uniform (won’t fit)
  • Information point no social distancing
  • Staff not social distancing
  • Unable to wear mask
  • Unable to deal with safety issues that may arise due to pregnancy

Lots of considerations: you should not be working alone; other staff should be on hand to provide assistance. Your working hours should be flexible. Your mask should fit; if you are unable to wear one, can your employer provide a face shield/visor? (as a guard against spitting/coughing). You're most likely to have a bad back as the baby gets bigger. You'll need regular comfort breaks. Do you have mental health issues? How many accidents at train/platform interface have been recorded at your station? How crowded is your platform/station, can you dispatch during less busy times? Do passengers bunch together, such as in wet weather with little shelter? What is signal visibility like? Is there an "OFF" indicator? Do you operate TRTS? Can you observe the entire length of the platform/train, or is it curved with obstructions/people? Do trains attach/detach? Do all trains stop or do some pass through at speed? Is your station a key location for terminating/starting trains? Is there a football stadium/event facility/large shopping centre nearby? (large passenger flows) Is there the potential for distractions? Can you do repetitive tasks? How much walking will you be expected to do? Will you be expected to redirect passengers in the event of disruption?
 

PupCuff

Member
Joined
27 Feb 2020
Messages
498
Location
Nottingham
I am a train dispatcher and I have been shielding due to covid. I am currently 21 weeks pregnant and due to return to work on the 1st August 2020. I am looking for some advice from anyone regarding being pregnant and being a train dispatcher? It’s something that hasn’t happened thatI am aware of at our company and would like to get some info off others where possible?

I’m due a risk assessment call in August and having an appointment via phone for an OH appointment.

Congratulations! It'll no doubt feel like a strange time to be bringing up a young'un with everything that's going on around coronavirus and suchlike, but the plus side of course is that he'll be too young to remember it all and will be able to enjoy growing up in the post-covid world.

Your earlier post pretty much covered all the areas which the risk assessment will take into account. The likelihood is your company will have a standard template which is adapted on a per-role and individual basis as required, this will support your manager in boxing off the main areas of risk, and you can always add any extra risks for your manager to consider as you see fit.

I must raise though, presumably you have already notified your employer that you are pregnant and have provided the certificate from your midwife to them? Therefore I am a little concerned by the fact you are due back on 1st August and yet you infer the risk assessment is not scheduled, other than for some time in August. I'm surprised that considering it's only 7th July now that there is not time to do this before you return to work. Have you asked your line manager whether you can do this earlier, before resuming on full duty?

I concur with previous posters that generally so long as the risk can be adequately be controlled then you'll be free to continue for as long as you want; you've identified some of your individual circumstances here which suggest that perhaps continuing on full duties may not be an appropriate course of action however, so I would encourage you to have a good open dialogue with your manager about what course of action you would feel best taking and the reasons behind this, and make mutually acceptable decisions from there. At the end of the day, as someone who is pregnant you are protected from discrimination on the grounds of your pregnancy by your employer under the Equality Act so there need be no worry through this process about being unfairly treated.
 

Stigy

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Joined
6 Nov 2009
Messages
4,879
Oh wow this is what I was looking for! Thank you so much for this amazing reply!!

I mean the things I have got together are below. this is all I have so far to get across the risks of dispatching trains whilst pregnant.
  • Lone working 0500-0600 // 2225-2315
  • Working hours
  • slip, trips and falls
  • Lifts out of service (stuck in lift)
  • Platform 3 toilets
  • Caught in doors of train
  • Pushed onto track
  • Pushed by customer (2018 back injury)
  • Assault/verbal assault
  • Mental health
  • Assistances
  • Pressure of assistances no help
  • Social distancing
  • BAME
  • pregnant
  • RCOG - 28 weeks pregnant
  • Asthmatic
  • Previous back injury
  • Sciatic nerve pregnancy
  • Standing for long periods of time
  • Uniform (won’t fit)
  • Information point no social distancing
  • Staff not social distancing
  • Unable to wear mask
  • Unable to deal with safety issues that may arise due to pregnancy
Regarding the uniform specifically, my previous TOC (and I think my current one?) had maternity wear as part of their uniform standard. Not sure whether they issued it though...
 

LCC106

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16 Nov 2011
Messages
1,301
The risk assessment (RA) should happen on the first day back. If she is currently shielding then she does not necessarily have to go in for the RA beforehand. The RA measures likelihood of something happening multiplied by severity. The larger the bump, the greater the likelihood of it getting caught in closing doors but it would be a low risk earlier in the pregnancy. The MATB1 (maternity certificate) is generally issued at 25 weeks.
 

Cherry_Picker

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18 Apr 2011
Messages
2,796
Location
Birmingham
If you want to come back you may be able to request for light duties for the time being. Are there any office based roles (delay attributions, rostering etc) available at your location?
 

PupCuff

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27 Feb 2020
Messages
498
Location
Nottingham
The risk assessment (RA) should happen on the first day back. If she is currently shielding then she does not necessarily have to go in for the RA beforehand. The RA measures likelihood of something happening multiplied by severity. The larger the bump, the greater the likelihood of it getting caught in closing doors but it would be a low risk earlier in the pregnancy. The MATB1 (maternity certificate) is generally issued at 25 weeks.

Indeed.

In my opinion a lot will rest on what Delusional wishes to do. I personally wouldn't be comfortable with a pregnant worker coming back on full duties, particularly considering the length of time they have been away from work, before a risk assessment had been carried out. Whether that is on the first day back, whether that is prior to the pregnant worker returning to work, or whether that is following a short period of being stood down until such time as a manager is available to do the assessment, is really a matter for the pregnant worker and their manager.

That, of course, is my opinion, and Delusional's employer's view may vary.

However, it is important to remember that staff members are legally protected from discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy, as well as against detriment or dismissal as a result of refusal to perform a task which is reasonably believed to pose a serious and imminent danger. Therefore if concerned about returning to full duties prior to risk assessment, Delusional is well within their rights to highlight these concerns and insist on the Risk Assessment taking place prior to performing work which may be hazardous to themselves and their child.
 

DB0161

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Joined
14 Jan 2020
Messages
51
Location
Manchester
Can't offer any advice on what will is likely to be decided but firstly.....congratulations. Secobdly, try and put you and your baby first especially in these unprecedented times because sadly no one can guarantee your safety right now. I'm sure your TOC will make the most sensible and safest decision for you both
 
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