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Type 1 Is this discrimination or am I over reacting.

Jonlennon

Member
Hi, I may be over reacting, I've been at my job for six months and found it a little bit strange that they haven't trained me on a forklift as I've spoke to other members of staff who were all trained within the first month. It turns out that the regional trainer has said they will not be training me because I have type 1 diabetes, and it's their discretion, and they are not risking putting me behind the wheel, even though the dvla are OK for me to drive as long as my sugar is above 5. The manager said maybe if I can go a year without having a hypo they may reconsider, it has really made me angry, please let me know what you think, I've only had 1 hypo at work, but treated it myself with glucose tablets.
 
Hi @Jonlennon ,

Sorry you feel held back with discrimination.

Humm, I've done warehouse work in the past. Including the driving of light comercial. But never bothered looking into a fork "ticket."
Oddly I was aproached by my old Operations manger years back for the chance of HGV training, which I had to respectfully decline.
He knew I was T1 & looked "nonplussed" when I reminded the reason? Lol, I've never felt discrimination in the sense of the opportunities within job structure regarding my T1. (Depends on what yer boss "thinks" they "know." about diabetes.)

I found this which may clarify the situation a little. https://www.tuc.org.uk/research-analysis/reports/driving-lift-trucks
 
JonLennon - do you see not using a forklift as you not being able to your job?
 
Here is my unhelpful two pennorth. You and your boss do not have any common ground on which to negotiate. He may think he knows about diabetes and doesn't want to take the risk. In truth he may not be as knowledgeable as he thinks he is and so is even less likely to take the risk when he can't predict the result.

You have only had one hypo at work. As a sympathetic poster I might say that's not a lot and you are forgiven. You might claim that it will never happen again but the evidence is against you. In short one hypo is one hypo too many in the eyes of your boss.

I guess it boils down to a safety issue not only for you but for anyone you might run over. I suppose that if everyone else has been trained and you haven't then it is discrimination but with good reason and you can imagine what the Health and Safety might say.
 
This is a hard one to answer but it would annoy me intensely if it was simply down to an individual person who knew nothing about diabetes in any depth whatsoever making an off the cuff decision about my ability to do something. This person is normally the Manager or Supervisor or someone in HR. I don't know your works set up but this is what I would do. I would arrange a meeting with HR and formalise the situation. Included in this discussion would be the 'Line Manager' for you, an HR representative and access to PROPER medical advice on type 1 diabetes.

It is easy for any firm to get professional medical advice and to then include it in any written assessment about you. This formal record should then explain what the specific concerns are from all sides, how they might be minimised or managed (ie, a reasonable adjustment to allow you to do the same as your colleagues might be to do a prick test just before driving a fork lift), how easy is that? It seems like your Manager has just said 'Oh it's easier this way, I won't have to think too hard' but that IS discrimination if they haven't even looked at the issue properly or considered what would be a reasonable adjustment.

Don't get me wrong, if at the end of it all there are genuine concerns about safety (there are in my job) and a reasonable person would agree that it is too dangerous to do certain tasks, then so be it. BUT make them go though the process and not jump to a conclusion based on ignorance. Hope this helps.
 
Yeah, just annoys me, maybe it's me making too much out of it, he did say don't worry your jobs safe, I just thought yeah great thanks.
 
Jonlennon said:
Yeah, just annoys me, maybe it's me making too much out of it, he did say don't worry your jobs safe, I just thought yeah great thanks.
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Jon, I don't think you are making too much of it, it's important both for you and anyone coming up behind you. It's not about being all bolshy and making demands, it is about standing up for what's right (not to mention it's the law!). Next time he speaks to you about it, take out a notebook (I know I'm old) and say hang on, I'm just writing down what you say just to make sure it's all recorded. x
 
Jonlennon said:
Yeah, just annoys me, maybe it's me making too much out of it, he did say don't worry your jobs safe, I just thought yeah great thanks.
Click to expand...

Hi Jon and nice to meet you. Discrimination does seem to rear it's ugly head. Have you had a word with the HR department or the Safety Officer/representative as communication and understanding about type 1 diabetes is essential., especially in the work place I can understand how you feel to be left out and feel discriminated against, most probably It's probably down to health and safety issues. Finger's crossed for you x
 
Hi. Why don't you agree with your boss that you will follow the same DVLA rules as for driving and sign a bit of paper for that. That should cover the company and their insurer and put the onus on you to test. That would mean testing 2 hrs or less before driving the forklift and every two hours during driving the forklift. Perhaps even entering your test results for the boss to see on a chart on the office wall?
 

Well said. @KK123.
Just to add, I have to reduce my insulin when I am on my feet, whether that is being constantly on the go or just moving very short distances. But if I am static, sitting, I do need a little more Insulin. So in a fork lift I would think there would be less activity/movement, also to test BG before hand and whilst sitting there for a longer period. This is only what I have seen and I don't drive.
 
Ask your employer for a "Occupational Health Assessment" from a qualified doctor.

However you may find that there is no pay or promotion benifit for driving a forklift and that being on your feet all day is better for your health then sitting in a forklift.
 
Err fork lift trucks are equipped with a dead mans switch so that if someone becomes incapacitated for what ever reason, such as say a hypo or a heart attack or a feint, the truck will automatically come to a halt.
 
JohnEGreen said:
Err fork lift trucks are equipped with a dead mans switch so that if someone becomes incapacitated for what ever reason, such as say a hypo or a heart attack or a feint, the truck will automatically come to a halt.
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Though hypos don't always incapacitate, I've been told that during some hypos I've continued to do stuff - though even right after I had absolutely no memory of what I'd done - this includes telling people I was perfectly fine, fighting them off when they were trying to help, walking (well stumbling more than likely) away from them and refusing help, there have been some where they didn't know I was hypo'ing because I was just acting like normal.
 

I am still able to continue working normally, I do feel something 'is not right', feeling very tired, low in mood and I test and yes I am on the low side.
 

Daibell, I agree with your post mostly but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be posting my numbers on anyone's office wall, especially when they would mean nothing to a non diabetic and would probably be massively misinterpreted. This would need to be available for perusal in an official capacity but it is still private and personal information. I wouldn't put my blood pressure readings up there either, nobody else is required to so why should us diabetics.
 
JohnEGreen said:
Err fork lift trucks are equipped with a dead mans switch so that if someone becomes incapacitated for what ever reason, such as say a hypo or a heart attack or a feint, the truck will automatically come to a halt.
Click to expand...

He could fall off the fork truck when he had a hypo.
 
Hi guys,

Quick show of hands of anyone who's ever been a warehouse operative or held down a management capacity in the profession regarding logistics, dispatch & storage..?
Possibly a HR role capacity in relation to the aforementioned?

There are other physical duties in this noble profession, other than just trundling round like a Dalek all day... Regardless of ones status with a "ticket."
 
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