Fork lift truck

[IJP66]

Hi
After some opions here please.

Been a diabetic 26 years in October
And been in same job doing warehouse work including driving a fork lift.

Recently got stopped from driving the fork lift because my blood sugar was too high.
Probably averaging about 9.5

Gave me a kick up the backside as probably took my eye off the ball

Got down to average of 8.1 and was told still need to improve

Today my average down to 7.3 and still not allowed to drive.

Find it odd that I am OK to drive a car at 70mph as long as I'm not too low but can't drive a Flt limited to 5mph

Worry now is if I keep trying to drop my levels I will become too low and have to keep stopping work to treat hypos

And the stress and worry also won't help my levels

Not had any incidents or accidents when driving the flt or car

 

[GrantGam]

Hi
After some opions here please.

Been a diabetic 26 years in October
And been in same job doing warehouse work including driving a fork lift.

Recently got stopped from driving the fork lift because my blood sugar was too high.
Probably averaging about 9.5

Gave me a kick up the backside as probably took my eye off the ball

Got down to average of 8.1 and was told still need to improve

Today my average down to 7.3 and still not allowed to drive.

Find it odd that I am OK to drive a car at 70mph as long as I'm not too low but can't drive a Flt limited to 5mph

Worry now is if I keep trying to drop my levels I will become too low and have to keep stopping work to treat hypos

And the stress and worry also won't help my levels

Not had any incidents or accidents when driving the flt or car

Can I just ask the following:

-Who stopped you from driving the forklift?
-What guidance/mandatory requirements are they working from when stopping you driving?
-Are your values mmol/l finger prick readings or HbA1c % ones?

 

[IJP66]

Hi
Had a routine works medical and sugar was detected in my urine
Works occy health stopped me
Been told need blood sugar overall average to be between 5 and 7
Think they are classing me the same as an Hgv class 2 driver

The average I used here are average from blood sugar meter over 30 days

 

[GrantGam]

Hi
Had a routine works medical and sugar was detected in my urine
Works occy health stopped me
Been told need blood sugar overall average to be between 5 and 7
Think they are classing me the same as an Hgv class 2 driver

The average I used here are average from blood sugar meter over 30 days

To have a BG between 5-7 at all times is a very demanding task and a standard that only a complete idiot would dictate to a diabetic...

I'm afraid I'm in no position to comment on HGV licensing criteria, but there are people here driving lorries, buses and taxis with T2 so I hope they offer first hand advice soon.

Your work are wrong in what they're doing, I know that much.

 

[IJP66]

Yes think if they want me to go lower there are more chances of hypos
Will be looking to escalate as a grievance if it is not sorted next week

 

[IJP66]

Have this on my fridge
Issued by own doctors
Will be showing this to the occy health on Wednesday

 

[wardywilbury]

Hi
After some opions here please.

Been a diabetic 26 years in October
And been in same job doing warehouse work including driving a fork lift.

Recently got stopped from driving the fork lift because my blood sugar was too high.
Probably averaging about 9.5

Gave me a kick up the backside as probably took my eye off the ball

Got down to average of 8.1 and was told still need to improve

Today my average down to 7.3 and still not allowed to drive.

Find it odd that I am OK to drive a car at 70mph as long as I'm not too low but can't drive a Flt limited to 5mph

Worry now is if I keep trying to drop my levels I will become too low and have to keep stopping work to treat hypos

And the stress and worry also won't help my levels

Not had any incidents or accidents when driving the flt or car

@IJP66 as a safety practitioner, and diabetic, my approach to this would be risk based. The UK guidance can be a bit wooly when it comes to diabetes and machinery including FLT. Generally eyesight requirements are the same as car licenses and the higher requirements for vocational (hgv etc) drivers only applies to those in high risk environments.

When I conduct a person based risk assessment for a diabetic employee I would take in to account their working environment as well as their health related risks.
Working in logistics/warehousing /parcels sector the last 15+ years I have not yet taken someone off the tools based on what you describe. Ask for a person based risk assessment and justification as it sounds like someone is being risk averse rather than managing the risk.

 

[IJP66]

Thanks for that

Had another meeting on Wednesday and now allowed to drive the Flt again with a review on how its going at the end of October

 

[ringi]

Do you lose pay by not driving the fort lift?
Do you do more walking (and lifting) when you are not driving it?

I am thinking that occy health may be doing what is best for your health.......

 

[IJP66]

Don't lose pay
Bit more walking but not lifting
But it was inconvenient when I'm next to the fork lift and my work colleague was at the opposite end of the factory.
So had to ring him to say unload 1 pallet that would take me a minute while he had to leave what he was doing and take 5 minutes to get there then probably return back