Health and Safety in work

[aymes]

Apologies for the particularly dull sounding title.....

Just after any genius suggestions from you clever people. I currently work in a small office with just one other person, that person is about to go off on maternity leave meaning I will be lone working for the next 9 months or so.
In doing an updated risk assessment with my manager last week we came across a bit of an issue. My diabetes is obviously included on the risk assessment and at the moment the control measures are that I monitor my blood, have good control/hypo awareness and crucially that the other person in the office knows how to give emergency treatment as necessary. Now of course there will be no one there to do the latter. This doesn't unnerve me greatly as I'm confident in my control and have never had a situation I couldn't control myself. I'm also very independant and do a lot on my own anyway so to me it is now more risk than my day to day life. However, as a risk assessment is calculated by liklihood (low) by possibly severity (now potentially high as no one else there) we're left with a unsatisfactory risk. I should mention at this juncture that my work certainly aren't trying to catch me out or be difficult, there are of coruse concerned about me but trust my judgement in that I wouldn't put myself at risk, but we are all stumped as to where to go now and produce a risk assessment we can all sign off.

The work I do is with some potentially dangerous clients so security is an important issue so others accessing the office is rare and difficult.

I'm not concerned for myself as I feel confident in my abilities to look after myself but I do work for a very high profile organisation so I appreciate the importance of them needing to have something robust in place, so I guess really I'm looking for something to put down on paper as opposed to lessen any of my own concerns.

Anyone got any brain waves???

 

[Hazel]

I came across this in my last job - when I worked alone in the office at weekends.

What I did was to ring my Dad every hour, sure I know you could collapse but I felt it was the best I could do.

I look forward to reading what othere people suggest, as it is important and something which could be overlooked0.

I live alone, so have to be vigilent and recognise any symptons that may arise and act accordingly.

Good luck

 

[diagonall]

Personally I think the world has gone mad with risk assessments.
How do these people think diabetics get on when living on their own?

 

[Einstein]

Personally I think the world has gone mad with risk assessments.
How do these people think diabetics get on when living on their own?

During the week I live on my own and very often work on my own. Yes, I have worried about the risks at times, but my control is good, I know and react to the signs of a hypo.

Life is about risk and a major part of life for diabetics is managing the condition, recognising the signs of hypos, acting on those signs, making the time to do so. Eating and taking regular exercise - not skipping lunch because you're on your own and there is no-one else to answer the phone telephone answering machines are dirt cheap.

Make time for you and listen to your body and what it's telling you.

If you're permitted by DVLA to have a driving license, someone at DVLA has deemed you're fit enough to get behind the wheel of a propelled four wheeled missile, capable of causing severe damage to other proprty, injure and kill other humans and in addition it could have 18 or more gallons of fuel, just to make it into a four wheeled bomb on impact.

And you're allowed to drive it on your own. We're recommended to test before we start journey, then regularly during the journey, keep some glucose to treat a hypo in the car etc. The same can be easily applied to the work place. Although it may need adapting if you are physically active at work.

We've become too tied up in red tape, to see things sensibly and get on with life taking calculated risks without having to look at every single thing that might go wrong. Even with all this planning every base can't be covered and its likely to be something obscure and extreme that slips through.

With a little careful planning and getting into a routine you'll be fine. We've all worked through the same situation at one time or another.

Always worth spare insulin, glucose tabs and something such as microwave rice that is long term and can be kept in your desk just in case, biscuits are great except I've known too many idiots think its fine to help themselves to my biscuits out of my desk. Until I need them! Don't know too many of them now 😉

Good luck with it all!

 

[Copepod]

"The work I do is with some potentially dangerous clients so security is an important issue so others accessing the office is rare and difficult."
I'd be far more concerned about the potentially dangerous clients than diabetes!

When visiting clients in their homes for a research study, all members of our team had to use "Guardian 24" with mobile phones, whereby you dialled in your details and time you expected to be free before entering the house. If you didn't cancel in time, the system phoned you and if you couldn't respond, nominated people were contacted. However, the main problems were when we forgot to cancel the visit details etc.

 

[sofaraway]

Is your office in a building with other people near by? is their a receptionist?
Just wondering if you could check in with them a couple of times through the day.