Excuse needed for avoiding radiation at work

RyanAsh

Hi all, hoping that someone can help me out here. I work in the healthcare industry, not in a hospital. As part of my job there is a requirement sometimes to work with a source of radiation, basically using a x-ray to replicate what would be done in a hospital. I've found out im pregnant and now am not allowed do this. However i dont want to tell my co-workers why (my manager and the health and safety officer know) as its so early (6wks). Does anyone know what is done if you are working with radiation in a hospital and find out your pregnant as i know they are also removed from working with the radiation....but what do they tell people? Any excuse i can use?!? Surely if a radiographer or a doctor/nurse in a cath lab doesn't tell people the minute they find out....? Im quite stressed about it as i know if i just make up vague excuses my co-workers will think im not pulling my weight and i dont want to be the subject of people feeling negative towards me for that. I know it will all come out in the end but im in a senior position and want to create a good impression all the time and there is quite a lot of work coming up in that area before i can tell people

indigo twist

Will you be getting an early scan? Once they pick up a heartbeat on a scan, the chances of anything going wrong are way down, so perhaps you might feel comfortable telling your colleagues sooner than the twelve weeks are up. Even if you just told one or two trusted colleagues, maybe they could help cover for you and avoid questions from the rest of your colleagues?

Bear in mind it may well end up that they'll find out before the twelve weeks are up anyways - e.g. if you have morning sickness.

If you are really opposed to telling them until after the twelve weeks, would a week or so of annual leave be an option? (Then, when you come back, you could use the "excuse" of being snowed under while you try to catch up from your time off.)

I really wouldn't go making up elaborate excuses, if I were you ... as the truth will be out anyways in a few short weeks (and trust me, they will fly by!)

As your manager knows, maybe you could ask them to reallocate you to different jobs whenever the time arises that you're asked to work with the radiation equipment? And ask them to do so in front of your colleagues, to avoid suspicion. Chances are they'll be quite understanding about your reasons behind it.

angeldelight

I can empathise with you - I had to tell a few people already that I work with and I'm only 9 weeks, as I couldn't touch something so had to get them to do it for me. Given that your manager knows surely they'll have to do something about it? Have you tried speaking to them to see what suggestions they have?

endacl

Is there a maximum annual dose you can be exposed to? If so, I'd just say you've had to go for repeated dental treatments or something, and had to have repeated X-rays. Pushed you over the limit for the year.

Congratulations, by the way!

lonestargirl

endacl wrote: »

Is there a maximum annual dose you can be exposed to? If so, I'd just say you've had to go for repeated dental treatments or something, and had to have repeated X-rays. Pushed you over the limit for the year.

Congratulations, by the way!

Maximum annual occupational dose only, anything else isn't counted towards it. A couple of dental x-rays wouldn't come anywhere near it anyway.

@ OP this is an issue for your manager, the company must have an RPA (radiation protection advisor) and it's up to your manager to implement whatever precautions recommended for pregnant workers.

Plek Trum

Definitely ask the advice of your manager or RPA officer - I can appreciate your predicament. I work in the dental field and interaction with x-ray equipment was a concern for me at the start, especially when it is early days (I confided in my employer as we are a small practice and she discreetly took it upon herself to do all required x-rays with no fuss at all).

Ask your managers opinion - they may just decide to 'temporarily remove you from duties involving radiation' or similar. This might be done for any number of reasons and is all that other staff will have to be told.

Congratulations to by the way!

pwurple

I just had to tell a few people when I was avoiding certain materials at work. There were ways around it, but they all involved me looking like I was skivving off.

dustie1

First of all congrats!! I was in similar position myself last year.. there's no easy way to plan around it.. Every trip I planned I had other team members scheduled to attend also and I was out "sick" for those days.. to be honest, in the early days your never feeling 100% so dont feel guilty. Other times I orchestrated meetings to clash. I know the official line is that as long as your wearing leads and have a dosimeter then your ok.. but you dont want to take any chances in the early days. However saying that I spent a full day in a cath lab before I knew I was pregnant and all was fine.

RyanAsh

Ya my manager is fine with me not going in, its more the questioning looks from others that im worried about. Im not allowed in according to the health and safety officer, its per the policy they're being ultra cautious. I think what i'll just do it play it by ear and if i feel like people are questioning i'll just say that for medical reasons i cant go in. People hopefully wont ask any more questions then. They'll probably guess but sure what can i do, i'll have to tell everyone at 12wks now so its all out in the open as soon as possible, would like to get a scan first but going public so not sure i will. might just pay for an early one.

dustie1

You could just say that at a previous visit your dosimeter gave a high reading and Health & safety has said to avoid more exposure for a few months as a precaution??? You can explain to team at a later date but will avoid any speculating now anyways.