By 2010, 70 percent of women worldwide will be employed during their childbearing years. The International Labor Organization’s Maternity Protection Convention of 2000 calls for all employers to conduct risk assessments for workers who are pregnant to ensure the health and safety of her or that of her unborn child. Employers in the European Union are now bound by regulations to conduct these risk assessments.
With few exceptions (such as ionizing radiation) there are no similar regulations in the U.S. Still, a growing number of U.S. employers are conducting risk assessments for pregnant workers for various reasons.