Pregnancy WPA

AAU, as an employer, must ensure that the work performed by pregnant and breastfeeding employees can be carried out safely and does not pose any risks to the fetus or child. Therefore, a workplace assessment—called a Pregnancy WPA—must be conducted, focusing on the potential exposures the pregnant or breastfeeding employee may encounter at work.

The Pregnancy WPA is typically carried out as a discussion between the pregnant/breastfeeding employee and their supervisor, possibly with the participation of a workplace safety representative. The assessment should lead to decisions regarding additional safety measures or, if necessary, adjustments to work tasks.

Unlike other WPAs, this special, situation-specific assessment focuses on the working conditions of a single individual. However, the WPA should comprehensively evaluate all relevant physical, chemical, and biological exposures the pregnant or breastfeeding employee may experience throughout the entire pregnancy and breastfeeding period. If work conditions change during this time, the WPA must be updated accordingly. The Occupational Health and Safety Section has developed forms that can serve as tools for the WPA discussion.

As a student, it is important to inform your study program about a pregnancy, especially if your studies involve activities in AAU's laboratories, workshops, or fieldwork. If you are unsure about the potential effects of workplace exposures during your studies at AAU, you should consult your doctor.

Find more information and tools here:

• HR: Graviditet og arbejdsmiljø  (link in Danish)

Chemical WPA

A Chemical WPA is a process-oriented workplace assessment that must be conducted when hazardous chemical substances and materials are used or developed as part of a work process.

The purpose of the Chemical WPA—also known as Chemical Risk Assessment—is to identify and assess risks associated with the presence of hazardous chemicals so that the necessary protective measures can be implemented. Additionally, employees must be instructed on how to handle hazardous chemicals safely.

A Chemical WPA must also be conducted when students work with hazardous chemicals.

Specific requirements apply to the content and methodology of a Chemical WPA. Certain assessment parameters must be included in the workplace assessment, meaning there is less flexibility in the method compared to general WPA processes.

You can read more about Chemical WPA on the Safe Chemistry page:

• Safe Chemistry - Link in Danish

Health Hazards and Risk Groups

Work involving biological agents may, due to their nature or the conditions under which the work is performed, pose risks that can cause infectious diseases, allergies, or toxic effects in employees.

Biological agents include microorganisms, cell cultures, and endoparasites in humans. They also include genetically modified microorganisms.

Biological agents are classified into four risk groups, and all agents known to cause disease in humans are categorized in Group 2, 3, or 4, with Risk Group 4 containing the most hazardous agents. Lists of naturally occurring agents in each group have been compiled and are referenced in relevant legislation.

BIO WPA

Legislation requires that, based on factors such as the classification of the agents being handled (e.g., in microbiological laboratories), a workplace assessment—called a Biological WPA or simply BIO WPA—must be conducted.

The purpose of this WPA is to ensure that work with biological agents takes place in appropriate facilities. For example, work involving biological agents classified in Risk Group 3 must be conducted in designated Biosafety Level 3 laboratories.

For work involving genetically modified organisms (GMO), it is usually not possible to determine the risk group from pre-existing lists. Therefore, as part of the workplace assessment, an evaluation must be conducted to classify the organisms into the appropriate risk group. This classification follows specific procedures outlined in legislation.

Just as with work involving chemicals, special requirements apply to workplace assessments for work with biological agents.

Notification Requirements

Work involving biological agents in Risk Groups 2, 3, and 4 must be reported to the Danish Working Environment Authority at least 30 days before the work begins. The notification must include the results of the risk assessment.

Research projects and other laboratory tasks involving GMOs must be reported and approved by the Danish Working Environment Authority before they are initiated. Note that approval may take up to 45 days before work can commence.

Biosafety Regulations

According to biosafety legislation, the use, storage, and handling of certain biological substances, vectors, and related materials are only permitted with approval from the Center for Biosafety and Preparedness (CBB).

Institutes subject to these regulations must appoint a designated biosafety officer, who must be approved by CBB and responsible for ensuring compliance with legal requirements.

At AAU, Barbara Samuelsen from the Occupational Health and Safety Section serves as an internal biosafety advisor.

Need Assistance?

If you are uncertain about your responsibilities or obligations when planning work with biological agents, including GMOs, please contact the Occupational Health and Safety Section.