Ten years of protection of the maternity leave of women working in Pistoia

We have analyzed 1175 interventions about pregnant women who came, from 1997 to 2006, to our public occupational health service, asked for the advance the abstention of work during pregnancy. Requests for advance the abstention of work during pregnancy came from service sector (welfare, school and cleaning--29%), shoe industry (14.4%), textile and clothing industry (11.4%), commerce (characterized by prolonged standing straight 13%), health service (8.7%), tourism (8%). The first seven years (1997-2003) the prevailing risks have been the muscular effort and the postures, while the last three years (2004-2006) have increased biological and chemical risks. The most important principles of labour protection for pregnant women is the agreement with every subject, and the information of the social parties, but above all the direct information of the women.