Posted By Dean Stevens
Henry

No risk assessment to hand i'm afraid but the risk assessment should contain the following at least:

1. All supervisors/team leaders/team members to be notified of employees diabetes and signs to look for(hypo etc)

2. Supply mini refrigerators so that they can keep their insulin in there. (Ensure these are only used for this medication, lockable fridge reccomended in food production areas)

3. Allow them extra breaks for sugar top ups. (Half a mars bar, sugar water etc)

4. Never allow lone working - acceptable if thorough RA conducted with strict control measures in place.

5. Employee told to make supervisor / team leader aware if he starts to feel that his sugar levels are getting to low.

Of course there will be alot more detail within your RA, these are just the few things i can remember from our RA.

Good luck.

Posted By Andy Brazier
Dean
I appreciate your concern for your diabetic colleagues, but feel your suggestions are a little misguided. Also, you could be in danger of discriminating, which is a definite no no under the new regulations.

Most diabetics can work perfectly safely without any additional controls. Most can control their diabetes well enough so that it will not affect their work. Many diabetics live alone without problem.

As said, much better to talk to the person and get advice from a health expert if necessary.

Posted By Darren J Fraser
It will also depend on the type of diabetes of course. Hypo... Hyper...

There are not types of diabetes, they are conditions

Hyper is too much sugar - not enough insulin

Hypo is too little sugar - too much insulin

There are 3 types of diabetes - insulin dependant (most difficult to control effectively), tablet controlled (not so bad to control) and diet (easiest to control).

A diabetic will now how to deal with their condition better than anyone else - TALK to them, they are not a risk.

The only person at risk is the person who is being discriminatory.

If you are willing to carry out an RA for a diabetic, you had best be prepared to carry out RA's for epilepsy, HIV, obesity and a hundred other medical conditions - good luck.

Rant over and apologies for any offence caused, as that is not intended, just think about your intentions before you rush into the decision, I must do an RA for that.

Posted By Bob Youel

describe the background - where they work, what work consists of, actual health condition etc - obviously no release of ID

I advise re many such people who are out with the public and miles from official and easy support i.e. where there is no factory / office facility to fall back on

you must get their full committment and support

we have even evaluated 'fall- over' / 'stillness' alarm kits [easy in a factory - v-hard in the outside environment

Posted By Arran Linton - Smith
Sorry, I also could not avoid the opportunity of trying to add some interest this thread.

Posted By Christopher
Just out of interest, what has prompted you to do a risk assessment for the management of diabetes? It might help if we knew the context in which this assessment is being required.

Posted By Zaphod
Sorry to pick up on one point in the last post. As a parent of a girl with diabetes, I can assure you that people with type diabetes can have an 'attack' - you might not call it that - you might call it a 'seizure' or 'fit'. It is very horrible and frightening when it happens and many other parents of diabetic children that I know have been through the same thing. It tends to happen more often in the night. It's the result of too much insulin (or too much exercise during the day - or not enough food)

Regarding types. There are 2 types - Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 is full on. The pancreas stops producing insulin so you have to have injections or be on an insulin pump - combined with careful monitoring of blood sugars, carb intake and exercise to keep blood sugars within the desired range. Having said that, the NHS is very poor at educating patients to manage their diabetes. Most do not know how to carb count or adjust insulin accordingly - which is essential for good control.

The other type - the most common one is type 2 which is often (not always) triggered by poor lifestyle and can often be controlled in the early stages by improvements to diet and exercise, failing that, they move onto tablets and failing that, move onto insulin. The pancreas in People with type 2 still makes insulin but it the insulin doesn't work very well.

you are walking a type rope regarding the duty of care to protect and at the same time discrimination. I would first write to the GP to get an independent view on how well the diabetes is under control (not that GPs tend to know much about diabetes - I'm afraid) - or get an independent occ health assessment - before you do the risk assessment with the person with diabetes.

Posted By steve jones
Henry,

If you want to contact me direct, as i am a type 1 insulin diabetic i might be able to help you.

Steve

Steve.Jones40@btopenworld.com

Posted By Christopher
ZAPHOD, unless you have the persons consent, and there is a very good reason for this information, to put it bluntly, it is none of the organisations business. Individuals are not required to divulge health conditions unless they choose to do so. The job should be risk assessed and any potential health conditions which may have an impact on the job be undertaken either to the organisation or the individual be identified. This should have been undertaken pre advertising of the post. If the individual has been diagnosed with the condition since employment, then they have to decide whether they advise their employer or not.

If they completed a health questionnaire, then the OH department should know if they have received the job description whether the condition is relevant or not.

There are human rights issues here. This is not as straight forward as just knowing the different types of diabetes and their management. Do you all know who has HIV or Hep B in your workforce? Why, could it be that the individual considered that it was none of the organisations business?

Sorry,its Friday.