Diabetic Employee

[clairebrown]

I have just employed a man with type 1 Diabetes as a Scaffold labourer. I do not see why this should be a problem but my director is concerned about the man working at height and potentially being more vulnerable to the risk of a fall from height due to this being a high risk industry and in the future should he wish to become a Scaffold Operative.

Also none of his colleagues know how to help the man concerned and we would like to do a morning meeting to educate all staff members, as we do not have set teams, as to what to do if the man should have a Hypo episode. Do you have a guidance fact sheet so my employees and I can become familiar with diabetes.

I am just trying to be a considerate employer by not treating it as a Disability as such. All employees here are treated with dignity and respect regardless.

 

[Engineer88]

I would assume when you say at height you mean normal house height not skyscraper? in which case I would say thats fine but really its all down to him and how in control he is. Really you should pose your above questions to him directly as he will be able to answer them better than us.

Diabetes is very individual and one size doesn't generally fit.

 

[Lazybones]

Dear Clairebrown,
What a wonderful employer you are to take the care over one of you workers and his/her Type 1 diabetes. It is so unusual for someone to show such a caring attitude.
I would assume that your employee has had his/her Type 1 diabetes for many years and he/she will already be fully aware of the potential risks should their blood glucose levels fall too low (commonly known as a Hypo)
If you care to search this site you will find some very good information on the effects of a 'Hypo' , how they can be avoided, and more importantly, how to deal with someone who is diabetic if they are experiencing one.
It become important to ensure that this new employee's colleagues are made aware of their fellow worker's health issue, so that 'Should' it be necessary then they will know what action to take (hopefully it will never be needed)
I would also suggest that you as the employer contact the DWSS and explain the current situation as they can advise on the legal requirement that any employer has.
Please look through this web site for information relating to Type 1 diabetes and in particular Hypo's and I'm sure that someone will add to these postings with some really good first hand practical advice. Also if you need to, please feel free to ask any diabetic question however simple it might seem, and we'll try and answer you.

 

[azure]

How great that you're going to the trouble to help him and understand his condition

Firstly, he isn't necessarily more 'at risk' than any other scaffolder. All scaffolders have to take safety precautions prior to working at height, and this man will too, he will just have some extra precautions to take first eg to test his blood sugar, and make sure he has glucose tablets or something sweet up with him in case his blood sugar starts to fall.

The best way you can help him is by listening to what he needs and making sure he can deal with his diabetes. For example, it may be he needs to stop to have a snack at a certain time, or stop every so often to,test his blood sugar to make sure it's on track. The freedom to control his diabetes is what's most helpful, and what I've always appreciated from my good employers.

Look up the signs of a hypo (they're usually not as dramatic as you see on TV!!) and explain to your team that the man would need to stop and have something sweet to eat or drink, then rest for a few minutes until he has recovered. Better still, if he's willing, get him to tell them himself. That would probably be preferable.