Hi! I was out to lunch today.... I was lunching with my cousins and they made a huge fuss about my placing my insulin pen and meter in its case ON the table Stating that it was against UK Health & Safety Laws and many restaurants did not approve of placing such things on their tables...now I have been diabetic for 25 years and lived on 3 different continents....I dine out about once a week..and have NEVER heard of such a thing before!! Now my family knows that I am diabetic and when in their homes I place my insulin in its case on their tables They also said that some people dont like to see injecting in public...my reply I would prefer not to have to inject at all but I dont see why I should have got to a public ( unsanitary ) loo just to inject..I'm discreet and it takes a moment and I find some people's table manners disgusting but I dont object to that...Is it really a Health & Safety Issue???? Input please..thank You
-
Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
Health & Safety?
- Thread starter Piggymoi
- Start date
- Status
Steff
Little Miss Chatterbox
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Get them to show you and us this law and maybe we can see if its true or not,fancy such ignorance from your own family,they are right thought about some people not liking to see other inject in public, but then im sure they would not like to see me sit naked as they eat but hay ce la vi
P.s welcome to the forum
P.s welcome to the forum
MeanMom
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent of person with diabetes
The only place anyone has made a fuss is at my daughters school and not for Health and Safety but because she has a girl in her class with an (alleged) needle phobia.
Before this they had no problems with her carrying and using needles wherever she felt necessary. If it acceptable in a school I would have thought anywhere else OK
We make a point of getting K to inject and test in public to help her come to terms with diabetes. This includes eating in various public places, but she injected yesterday in the reception area of the leisure centre (she had a kit Kat after swimming😱)
If your cousins made a fuss they are not very kind cousins IMHO.
Before this they had no problems with her carrying and using needles wherever she felt necessary. If it acceptable in a school I would have thought anywhere else OK
We make a point of getting K to inject and test in public to help her come to terms with diabetes. This includes eating in various public places, but she injected yesterday in the reception area of the leisure centre (she had a kit Kat after swimming😱)
If your cousins made a fuss they are not very kind cousins IMHO.
your family were unhappy? Or the restaurant was unhappy?
If your family, then......well, i don't know what to say. I would expect a little more compassion.
If its the restaurant, Its always worth quoting the disability discrimination law to them. I don't like to pull any card like this, but in essence, If a restaurant doesn't want you to inject at its tables, it must provide you with adequate (sanitary) facilities to do so. That does not include using a lavatory cubicle.
I would also write an email/letter to their managing company.
There is no part of health and safety law prohibiting injection of insulin in public.
Hope thats a help at least
Sorry to hear about the bother caused to you.
If your family, then......well, i don't know what to say. I would expect a little more compassion.
If its the restaurant, Its always worth quoting the disability discrimination law to them. I don't like to pull any card like this, but in essence, If a restaurant doesn't want you to inject at its tables, it must provide you with adequate (sanitary) facilities to do so. That does not include using a lavatory cubicle.
I would also write an email/letter to their managing company.
There is no part of health and safety law prohibiting injection of insulin in public.
Hope thats a help at least
Sorry to hear about the bother caused to you.
macabee
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Absolute and total rubbish, there is nothing in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, either implicit nor explicit regarding the use of insulin pens/injecting devices [I was a safety professional in my working life]
As DrVoles states, threatened with the Disability Discrimination Act, usually shuts them up.
As DrVoles states, threatened with the Disability Discrimination Act, usually shuts them up.
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Why would there be a H&S issue with insulin pens and needles? Do restaurant staff not put sharp knives and pointy forks on tables? Sounds like your cousins were trying to make a drama out of nothing to me.
Welcome to the forum by the way! 🙂
Welcome to the forum by the way! 🙂
Copepod
Much missed Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Welcome Piggymoi.
The Disability Discrimination Act (2 DDAs, 1995 & 2005) has been (mostly) superseded by the Equality Act 2010.
I can't see how a closed case on a table can be a health & safety issue, nor for the very short period that the items are being used.
The Disability Discrimination Act (2 DDAs, 1995 & 2005) has been (mostly) superseded by the Equality Act 2010.
I can't see how a closed case on a table can be a health & safety issue, nor for the very short period that the items are being used.
Ellie Jones
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Love to know where you cousin got that snippet of Health and Safety rules from, as it doesn't exist...
Actually there only regulations concerning our kit, is the bio-hazard disposal of our lancets and needles... In fact our test strips don't come under the bio-hazard regulations, as they are considered A) Not to contain enough blood on them to pose has a cross contamination issue B) They aren't sharp to pose a stick injury issue.. So these can be disposed off in normal waste bins even an ash try..
Actually when it comes to injecting in public, the only illegality surrounding this, is the substance being inject and not the actions... So if you'll want to inject some heroine in public theoretically you'll be breaking the law but there is a but here though, it would only be illegal while the heroine is in the syringe waiting to be injected you face a prosecution for procession, but once injected you can't be done for procession (procession on deals with what's outside of the body) ...
I use a pump now, so live for me is a bit different as no need to inject in public... But when I did it wasn't my problem if other people had a needle phobia it there problem, I will inject discretely if they want to nose that's there problem not mine.. After all a insulin pen is pen shaped and it's not a syringe...
Actually there only regulations concerning our kit, is the bio-hazard disposal of our lancets and needles... In fact our test strips don't come under the bio-hazard regulations, as they are considered A) Not to contain enough blood on them to pose has a cross contamination issue B) They aren't sharp to pose a stick injury issue.. So these can be disposed off in normal waste bins even an ash try..
Actually when it comes to injecting in public, the only illegality surrounding this, is the substance being inject and not the actions... So if you'll want to inject some heroine in public theoretically you'll be breaking the law but there is a but here though, it would only be illegal while the heroine is in the syringe waiting to be injected you face a prosecution for procession, but once injected you can't be done for procession (procession on deals with what's outside of the body) ...
I use a pump now, so live for me is a bit different as no need to inject in public... But when I did it wasn't my problem if other people had a needle phobia it there problem, I will inject discretely if they want to nose that's there problem not mine.. After all a insulin pen is pen shaped and it's not a syringe...
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Sorry to hear you had to listen to such claptrap Piggymoi. As the saying goes, "You can choose your friends..."
A closed case on a table is not a threat. I have worked in a couple of offices where people have put their puncture kits in their carrying cases on desks.
We also have random bag checks because there are many valuable items where I work. I am asked if I have anything sharp in my bag and I show them my testing kit which I am then told is not a threat because it is in a carrying case.
So I can't see whathe problem is and as has already been raised knives and forks are sharp and they are placed on resteraunt tables.
We also have random bag checks because there are many valuable items where I work. I am asked if I have anything sharp in my bag and I show them my testing kit which I am then told is not a threat because it is in a carrying case.
So I can't see whathe problem is and as has already been raised knives and forks are sharp and they are placed on resteraunt tables.
rhall92380
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
As already identified above no health and safety law has been violated. It appears to be another misrepresentation of health and safety.
Banning people from using needles seems a little over protective - or it it an excuse to cover the restaraunt's inadequate of sanitary facilities?
Richhard
Banning people from using needles seems a little over protective - or it it an excuse to cover the restaraunt's inadequate of sanitary facilities?
Richhard
There are more things that are placed on restaurant tables that we should be worried about if we really want to go overboard on 'Elf and Safety. Not sure if the OP meant relatives or restaurant staff.
How many mobile phones are placed on tables, bunches of keys, door handles not regularly cleaned within the premises, the waiter/waitresses hands etc......
This survey on mobiles makes you wonder if we should all don forensic type boiler suits and be issued with antibacterial wipes as we enter restaurants. Bureaucracy gone mad IMHO.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/lsoh-cou101211.php
How many mobile phones are placed on tables, bunches of keys, door handles not regularly cleaned within the premises, the waiter/waitresses hands etc......
This survey on mobiles makes you wonder if we should all don forensic type boiler suits and be issued with antibacterial wipes as we enter restaurants. Bureaucracy gone mad IMHO.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/lsoh-cou101211.php
- Status