Talking Allergies

Hi,
Well my hubby struggles with his co-workers more than I do. But a note from the allergist did help some. He still has to remind them of their scents they feel they just must wear. He has a shop below him so when they run the trucks out there...(inside the shop) he has to alway remind them that there is a law about such things...but as said "a law is just a law" so needless to say he cannot avoid the triggers always and relies heavily on his meds.
As for me my co-workers are moody...they know I can not be around strong scents. But their excuses are many some days. After a year contract I have just started to get them to understand more...now that it's over I hate to think what my next job holds.
Sue

Someone I know with a severe peanut allergy who has asked her coworkers to read ingredient labels and *not* eat nut-containing foods in the office had trouble recently with one particular woman. She was having a reaction (mild reaction...but still a reaction) and figured that someone with whom she has been in conflict over other matters was probably eating something containing nuts. So she asked this woman about the ingredients of the cookies she was munching on. The woman clearly didn't know. She sighed and said "haven't you caused enough trouble already without this too?" Well, her response was infuriating, rude, and nonprofessional but because it was all of these things, my friend could deal with the problem. If one needs to call in a mediator, it is much *more* helpful in the long run for one's coworkers to be downright ignorant because they only make themselves look bad and signal that there is a real problem that needs to be dealt with. If she had been more *passive* aggressive and had said...sorry...I forgot to check the ingredients....but continued to 'forget' then the problem wouldn't be as evident and wouldn't seem like one that required immediate intervention. It is unfortunate that relationship problems--whether in families or with coworkers--tend to get acted out through the way in which people deal with food allergies.

Most companies have Workplace Safety Officers as part of their Joint Occupational Safey Committee. I woud encourage employees to contact these people. Workers havd the right to a safe work environment. If someone is purposely causing an injury as retaliation for sme percieved slight, that is a bullying tactic. Most work places have policies against this.
Yes, it's easier when the offender is obvious. Log everything that happens, communication to supervisors/managers and the response or lack of.

As a teacher in a large secondary school - students have been known to threaten me with deodrants - no matter how much inservicing I provide, there are people who do not realise the implications or would take responsibility for their actions. I have spoken to my employer representatives and union officials and solicitors - I have done all I can to make my workplace safe - but if someone brings in a banned item (aerosol spray) I have instructed that my estate ensure take matters further = Does this sound too harsh?

For having had people voluntarely put fish in my food to voluntarely see if I could actually die from eating fish, I would say you are not too harsh. I actually have a line in my will that states that unless it is provent that it was an accident, that the person responsible for the reaction would be banned from the will. My parents and sister have also been instructed to take matters further if they see it fit. I am being called a pessimist, but I'm unfortunately a realistic person...

I don't think that having such a clause in one's will is that harsh. Someone might use allergies as a bullying tactic and might not be fully aware of the consequences of his or her actions, but that isn't a reason why he/she shouldn't be prosecuted. People who cause an accident because of reckless driving still have to face the consequences of breaking the law even if they didn't 'intend' any harm--this isn't all that much different from prosecuting someone who has caused death by an allergic reaction.

imgemini, I hope your school principal has laid down a 'zero tolerance' policy on allergy-related bullying.

There is a zero tolerance - however they still come into the school. We take each day as it arrives and as long as I have medication on me 24/7 I have the ability to reduce some of the effects. This is an age of "me" and many do not think of anyone else. Margaret

Mylène, you are my hero.

I really agree with your line of thinking and what you did. I had an uncle who was an huh about my allergy. he's my mother's brother. He's been banned from the family home. My parents no longer invite him and don't want anything to do with him. Neither do I.

Not a hero by choice ... I know that people even close to you can just turn one day and test your allergies for some stupid reason (hey, my ex-allergist did it too ...). With the life insurance I have on my head, I don't want someone to make profit off of me by buying a can of tuna!

You bought life insurance? I don't have enough money to spend on that or do I have a beneficiary (kids or wife). But I definately see your point of view.

Mylene, I remember that story about your ex-allergist. Sounds like he needed to go in for some serious psychoanalysis or something.... after all, what was really the point of testing you for fish in the first place?

Hi again,
I mentioned in one of my posts that I work as an ER Nurse, and here is a perfect example of what my colleagues are like!
Last night we had a post Christmas Pot Luck at work.
One of the staff memebrs brought in some toffee peanut brittle.
We also had bags of chips, dips, and other food stuff around this peanut brittle.
I asked everyone who was gathered around to please be mindful of not touching with their hands other finger foods that were there after eating the peanut brittle, simply because I was trying to avoid any possibility of cross contamination.
The Nurse in Charge wrote a note asking other staff members to keep this in mind on the table beside all the food.
One of the staff, our night Doc, read the note and sort of snickered....
Others made comments such as, "well, we don't want to resuscitate you, and we'll be more mindful of your needs"....
I went off to see a new patient, and 20 mins later when I returned, I had no idea of anyone had actually paid any attention to the note. Not wanting to take any unnecessary chances, I opted to not eat. Many hands had dipped into the various bags, and food stuff. It wasn't worth it.
Its very interesting that the same hospital has prohibited their staff from wearing scents. And there are signs for the public reminding them of the Scent Free Environment.
However, knowing very well, that front line staff work with patients who have allergies to Nuts, and may unintentionally cause a rtn, even if its superficial...hospitals have not taken it upon themselves to apply the policies to nuts.
It is one of the most common allergies out there.
But then where does it stop?
People could agrue that seed products should also be eliminated....then seafood products......the list can go on, and on.
Its interesting, there is a thread on this forum that also discusses that as an employee, and if you belong to a union, should be able to provide you with a "safe" work place.
That not quite the case here.
I don't think that my peanut allergy is severe enough( yet) to cause a full blown rtn by being airborne. Hazel Nuts will.
Christmas was a tough time for me to get through. The amount of candies, adn treats hanging around our Nursing station was phenomenal.
I was peeved off that I could not indulge, but, the fact that people would eat a piece of chocolate with nuts, then do some paper work, without washing their hands, adn along I would come, and handle the same piece of document.
I never put my fingers in my mouth while at work anyway, but, may accidentally touch my face, lips, mouth area.....And its not just me I was concerned about. Again what about the patients we work with.
I was tempted to speak with the Manager about this, then thought, its Christmas, and I have only been at the hospital for three months, and I don't know whether I ought to approach her on this matter.
I'm thrilled that there are now laws in most provinces banning nut products from schools.
I'm glad for the asthmatics that most work places are making their surroundings scent free.
However, i think that it should be mandatory, just like at the schools, that all work places be more cognizant to the needs of their employee as well as the general public re banning Nut products across the board!
Shairose
I'm always now extra vigilant about my surroundings.

I read your post and though I agree with you on some points, when working with the public, you can't expect the whole world to go peanut and nut free! You talk about paper being touched by people having eaten nuts... but what about elevator buttons, bathroom doors, and paper you handle and all of that outside of work? Peanuts and nuts are here to stay (sorry, but I really do enjoy eating nuts and peanuts!) and so is fish, which can kill me from just smelling it. We have to learn to live around it... you can't ban peanuts and nuts from a hospital without banning a long list of other ones that are as deadly to others as nuts are for you!

(sorry for this today, but I just don't except that my world is moving towards nut and peanut free while I still risk my life everytime I leave my house!)

I am surprised to see food allowed to be consumed my anyone working in healthcare while on the job. Doctors offices, hospitals and emergency rooms should be made a little safer for the allergic. Medical staff deaing with the public should probably have their food intake limited to coffee and lunch breaks in the designated areas that food is consumed, and wash prior to going back on the job. Nuts ( or any food for that matter )at the nursing station, to be consumed by the doctors and nurses while working and treating patients, seems a little inappropriate to me.

While I don't expect the world to change its ways, my point in my last post was simply to point out the lack of knowledge, even by medical staff.
Yes, in certain areas of the hospitals, like the ER, there should not be the presence of nuts, and its by-products. Such items may be in the staff room.
I was out shopping at Urban Fair in downtown Vancouver and ws delighted to find Pea butter....I think the flavour is pretty good....just need to get used to it.
The other thing I was impressed with, was the fact that there was a container of anti-bacterial wet wiped beside all the shopping carts!