Safety and Motherhood in the Chemistry Research Lab

Abstract

As more and more women enter the workforce, issues regarding childbearing and caretaking have become more prominent. Challenges women face with the timing of pregnancy, finding affordable childcare, and meeting the multitude of demands inherent with raising children are starting to be addressed by many employers. In the university setting, structural and cultural factors pose barriers, yet also provide almost unheard-of flexibility. While some of these challenges are being addressed by employers, funding agencies, and communities, one area of particular concern is safety for women chemists. The hazards of working with chemicals during pregnancy and breast-feeding are unique to chemistry, and there is no easy fix. This chapter will review the safety concerns for women chemists, strategies women faculty have used to address safety challenges, current policies and strategies for dealing with safety challenges, and recommendations for departments and administrators.