Question: Hello! I’m 11 weeks pregnant with my first baby, and I’m a project inspector on a construction site. I’m currently positioned in a casting yard, where they make giant concrete segments that will be taken to the building site to piece together into a new bridge.
I’m a little concerned about my work environment, and expressed that to my OBGYN, but she told me my job sounded fine and recommended wearing a mask if I feel worried about the concrete dust. The physical part seems fine, considering the only physical work I do is walk around to check rebar and walk up stairs, but no lifting or vigorous activity. I just am so worried about what I’m breathing it. I started wearing a mask to help with the dust, but I’m still very anxious about being exposed to silica. They do break and grind concrete on the site, but it’s only done early in the morning before I get there and not in the area I work in, but I have no idea if it could stay in the air or how far it could travel, or if there would even be enough to effect me and my baby. The mask makes me feel a little better, but I’m afraid there could be higher risks my OBGYN just isn’t aware of because there aren’t a lot of women in a fields like this so she may not be knowledgeable on it. I really need this job to support my baby, and maybe everything will be fine and wearing the mask is enough and I’m just paranoid. But I really want a second opinion on this before I just roll with what she says.