According to the information of the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund, every 11th adult Pole is ill with diabetes. In addition, these data apply only to patients with a diagnosed disease, undiagnosed diabetics or people in prediabetes may be much more. The global statistics from the WHO are even more alarming. The World Health Organization estimates that the number of patients is 415 million people and is forecast to rise to 642 million in 2040. Diabetes is undoubtedly a silent pandemic of the twenty-first century – every 10 seconds someone in the world dies from its complications. That is why not only prevention, but also early diagnosis of the disease is so important. You can simply live with diabetes, including developing a professional career.

Diabetes is a disease (it is also said about a group of diseases) caused by disorders of the secretion and action of insulin – a hormone produced by the pancreas and necessary to metabolize sugars in the human body. As a result, there is an increase in the level of glucose in the blood. If this condition persists for a long time, there is damage or even failure of various internal organs, e.g. kidneys, heart, eyes, as well as the nervous system or blood vessels.

Detailed explanations regarding this disease and its impact on professional activities were prepared by the Central Institute for Labor Protection – National Research Institute. We can find them in the Diabetic at Work tab on the institute’s website. CIOP emphasizes that thepatients treated with seriouscomplications and as employees are as effective as healthy people and apart from a few, strictly defined situations, there is no reason for people with diabetes not to work.

Specialists from CIOP note, however, that the course of professional career should not interfere with effective therapy. Also, complications that occur with the development of diabetes do not necessarily mean the end of professional activity – it all depends on the results of treatment.

CIOP cites a list of jobs and occupations not recommended for diabetics, published in the article Diabetes as a jurisprudence problem for an occupational medicine doctor („Occupational Medicine”, 2005;56 (4): 329). The list includes:

• work in a non-standard shift system (irregular meals disturb the normal level of glycemia),
• driver, pilot, firefighter, diver or driver (they require full psychomotor efficiency, are not recommended due to the tendency to hypoglycemia, and thus – disorders of consciousness),
• work in increased stress (higher risk of hyperglycemia in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes as a result of the action of stress hormones, which act antagonistically to insulin and increase blood glucose levels),
• work with an increased risk of accidents (e.g. in steel mills, at heights, at machines in motion or on an oil platform),
• work requiring a lot of physical effort,
• work in isolation.

The Central Institute for Labor Protection recommends that the work of diabetics:

• took place at fixed hours, for the morning shift – because shift mode and non-standard working time may be too burdensome for patients;
• was not too physically exhausting (maximum moderate load, distributed evenly over the working time). In addition, if a diabetic performs work related to physical exertion, he should often control blood sugar levels and adjust the diet to the results of the test and to the level of exercise;
• allowed for taking breaks for additional meals and possible glycemic testing to minimize the risk of hypoglycemia.

Employers should be aware that properly treated diabetes in many cases is not the slightest contraindication to the employment of a person suffering from it. In the case of medical contraindications, it is also unacceptable to discriminate against job candidates or employees due to diabetes. The Institute emphasizes that diabetics must be free to practice their profession in accordance with their qualifications, and any occupational restrictions should be imposed on diabetics after a thorough analysis of their individual situation and state of health.

Employers must therefore have at least basic knowledge about this civilization disease, as well as enable diabetics to perform activities in the place of employment such as:

• glycemic measurement,
• taking medications,
• eating meals in accordance with the diet at strictly set times.

What’s more, the employee should have a place at work to store devices and accessories necessary to control blood sugar levels (such as a glucometer along with test strips, a supply of needles, insulin, medicines, as well as snacks consumed between meals, etc.).

Source: https://www.praca.pl/poradniki/rynek-pracy/diabetyk-w-miejscu-pracy_pr-5537.html

Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.