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GlucaGen hypo kit

homer190376

Well-Known Member
Messages
69
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi All,

just need to know some general experience from other on the subject of the GlucaGen kit. I have type 1 with unfortunately many additional conditions, I have had a GlucaGen kit in my draw at work for many years now, I've had 30 Hypo's in the last 90 days, luckily these have not been at work, however today HR have informed me that they have instructed all firstaiders not to administer this should i need it? I'm quite a bit in shock and do not know how to approach this subject with them, has anyone got any advice or have experienced the same problem?

thank you for reading.
 
I'm not sure if you're in the UK, but if you are, then that instruction seems to contradict advice from the Health and Safety Executive:
As you see, generally, the instruction is in line with HSE's advice but not for certain medicines on Schedule 19 in an emergency.

Do you have union representation at your workplace? If you do, I would suggest contacting them.

Information from:
 
Yes in the UK, thank you very much for this most informative response, very appreciated, just need to tackle now with my employers. unfortunately no union.
 
Hi @homer190376, do you have any devices that will give you warnings when your blood sugars start to descend? That way an early heads up, plus a lot of sugary drinks and jelly babies in your drawer might go some way towards making life easier for you.
I know the libre2 has alerts but not having used it myself, I’m not sure how useful they are, or whether the libre2 can be calibrated.
I‘ve stuck with Libre 1, plus a miaomiao and a watlaa watch that I can calibrate, and on which I can set the levels at which alerts should sound and vibrate.
I think @Jaylee and @Antje77 both use Libre2 with good fixes to get alerts that they can control. I’ve tagged them to see if they have any insights they can pass on to you.
Frequent hypos are the pits, so I hope a solution can be found asap!
 
I think @Jaylee and @Antje77 both use Libre2 with good fixes to get alerts that they can control. I’ve tagged them to see if they have any insights they can pass on to you.
Frequent hypos are the pits, so I hope a solution can be found asap!
Looking at the topic. My experience with company “first aiders” is they supply a band aid & that’s it…

I’ve told first aiders where I work with regards to my T1. “Should the roof cave in & I’m trapped? Tell any emergency responders I have T1.” (That’s it.)
I’ve never needed (so far.) a glucegen. Kit.
You could sign a disclaimer to any would be administrator suggesting they are doing in your best interests whilst pro help arrives?
If established hypo & disabilitated?
The responder would also need access to the kit.. and feel comfortably trained? A tricky one….
 
True. Looking at the HSE advice, it would seem that based on an assessment of the needs of that workplace, the company would be negligent if Homer had a hypo, became unconscious, which caused either he or someone else to get injured, and they had failed to provide sufficient training for first aiders to identify and treat hypos including the use of the hypo kit in an emergency. It sounds like HR is trying to get out of their legal duty to provide adequate first aid provision. Type 1 diabetes is often treated as a disability for the purposes of the Disability Act and the Equality Act, so they may be failing to make reasonable adjustments required by those as well.
 
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Generally the GlucaGen kit is administered when you’re not able to not able to administer anything yourself. As previously mentioned curing a hypo before it gets to the Glucagen kit stage is probably the main is the main issue , keeping sweets sweet drinks ( mini cans of cola) work really quickly at hand will definitely help, also informing work colleagues of symptoms of hypos etc , I use the Libre 2 system alarms with my phone and i have set the low alarms at 4 , this gives me more than enough warning that my bs is dropping prior to me actually going into hypo, as I find the libre reads constantly lower than my actual bs ,
i know rules on medication administration has changed over the years ! I remember getting tetanus shots in work from the first aid department back in the early 80”s but the time the early 90’s came u couldn’t get a paracetamol ,
 
Pretty much put ‘em in the recovery position & call an ambulance.?

I had an accident at work a few years back. To be fair it was my own doing. Gashed my wrist & asked for a bandaid.
The “first aider” jumped all over me proclaiming “let me do that.” He must have felt he was the “keeper of the first aid box.”
Patched up, I carried on. Then a few minutes later I was approached by the boss & the first aider & told to get it looked at by a HCP. And sent off.
However, this was a dodgy cut with an angle grinder. Not hypoglycaemia.

Oddly, this same firstaider berated me for not mentioning when I was low? My response was, "I've already sorted it. Why waste time looking for you."

With regards to work & hypos? I sort of take the approach I did whilst at school.
Deal with them myself on the quiet..
 
It's not straightforward to be sure. It's why I suggested contacting a union if one was available - it's the sort of issue that is their raison d'etre.
 
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