Epilepsy is a neurological condition affecting around 600,000 people in the UK — so it’s essential that every employer knows how to help those with the condition. Health, safety and ergonomics consultants System Concepts lay out the 10 key actions to take.
What every employer needs to know
The majority of people diagnosed with epilepsy are likely to be classified as disabled by the Equality Act 2010. This means that employers must make reasonable adjustments for people with epilepsy, and complete appropriate risk assessments.
There are many different types of epilepsy, but people who have it have a tendency to have epileptic seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of electrical activity in the brain, which causes a temporary disruption to the way the brain normally works. Seizures can range from the person remaining alert and aware of their surroundings, through to the person losing awareness and becoming stiff, falling to the floor and/or experiencing uncontrollable, jerky bodily movements.
If your organisation has an employee with epilepsy, these are the 10 key actions you should take.
- Understand the nature of the condition. Have a private talk with the affected employee to discuss how the condition affects them. Ask about:
- medication requirements (particularly at work)
- how well their epilepsy is managed
- type, duration and frequency of seizures
- any associated musculoskeletal issues
- any medication side effects
- any warning signs that they are about to have a seizure.
- Identify any triggers for seizures. This will help you work out how these can be eliminated or reduced to minimise the risk as much as possible. Consider:
- temperature
- light
- stress
- tiredness
- flicker
- season
- whether the work is indoors/outdoors
- computer screens, etc.
- Understand the individual’s requirements during and after a seizure. Once you know these, you can ensure that appropriate provision is made, eg a suitable place for rest/recovery, such as a first-aid room with appropriate facilities. Questions to ask would include:
- the likely recovery time
- the individual’s preferences for recovery (location, need for sleep or rest, desire to be accompanied, ability to continue working, practicalities of recovering at work or home)
- when paramedics are required or when first aiders should be able to manage the situation.
- Develop a care plan. This should be an individual care plan that sets out the details of the above three points.
- Consider allocating the person a dedicated locker. This would allow them to store items needed during/after they have a seizure (if not fully controlled by the medication). This could be used for:
- their care plan
- a breathable pillow
- a blanket
- any required medications
- a spare change of clothes.
Ideally, their line manager and first aiders would have a key to the locker for use when the individual is unable to access the contents themselves.
- Organise the individual’s work. Working hours, tasks and the pace of work should all be evaluated to ensure:
- targets and workload are manageable
- lone working is avoided
- driving is not required
- shifts that might influence seizures or medication times are avoided
- adequate breaks are given
- there will be at least one first aider on site with the individual at all times.
- Complete a DSE workstation assessment. This may indicate that certain equipment may be useful. Someone who has epileptic seizures is likely to require a:
- LCD screen
- fully padded chair with armrests, high backrest, headrest and braking system
- padding around any hard surfaces or sharp corners (such as the desk)
- wireless headset
- large space around the workstation, free of any hazards (such as loose cables).
- Ensure their safety in the workplace. Things to consider would include:
- implementing a buddy system or asking the individual to wear a fall-activated or pendant alarm
- reducing the need for them to use stairs, wherever possible (the importance of enforcing this is dependent on the nature and frequency of their seizures)
- (with the individual’s permission) inform everyone who regularly comes into close contact with them about the nature of their condition and how to react in an emergency situation — this includes site first aiders, close colleagues, reception staff, canteen staff and security staff.
- Provide easy access to an accessible toilet. If they are at risk of seizures, an accessible toilet offers more space and:
- the risk of injury is reduced
- they can use the alarm pull cord to request assistance, if needed
- the door can be opened from the outside in the event of an emergency
- how they will make their way to their nearest fire escape route
- what assistance they will need to get to the nearest fire escape route
- how they will travel down stairs to the final fire exit, including use of an evacuation chair and who is trained to use it
- what assistance they will need outside of the office at the assembly point. Complete a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) for the individual.Epilepsy at work is a more common issue than you may have realised, and employers need to be aware of their responsibilities to help employees with this neurological condition.
Contact us should you require advice.
PPE is designed to protect workers from workplace hazards and risk but PPE doesn’t last as long as you’d think. Once you have the equipment, your job isn’t over! It all depends on how often your PPE is used and in which conditions. PPE is provided by employers and needs to be inspected regularly to measure and test safety, but who should be in charge of carrying out those checks and determining when replacement is necessary? Is it the employer? The department manager? Or should there be employee PPE responsibilities? The easiest answer is that there should be a dedicated employee or team of employees who are responsible for each type of equipment.
Assigning an important task to your employees helps them take ownership of their well-being and safety. Of course, ultimately, it’s the employer’s responsibility to provide a safe work space through correct health and safety procedures and measures but having someone responsible for routine checks is a good idea with a more overarching view taken on, say, a quarterly basis.
Consider having a monthly check on all PPE that is given to employees. Inform employees that any damaged items are reported immediately, and all damaged equipment is replaced before the employee returns to work.
A Good PPE Program:
- Conducts a Workplace Survey
- Assesses Safety Measures
- Selects Appropriate Controls
- Selects the Right Equipment
- Conducts Fit Tests
- Trains Employees on Equipment Use
- Offers Management Support
- Maintains and Stores Equipment Correctly
- Audits the Programme RegularlyAlways keep a stock of equipment on your premises. That way if equipment needs replacing, you can replace it quickly and safely. But keep in mind that some types of equipment can break down over time even if they’re unused (like hard hats and dust masks), but that’s only for equipment that has a date stamp on it.
- It’s important to create a culture of responsible PPE use in the workplace. Having well stocked supplies and employees seeing the regular deliveries of new equipment will generate a sense of responsibility. When employees see a lack of commitment to PPE on the employers part (i.e. not regularly restocked and not up to regulation standards) they are much less likely to have that same motivation to implement a safe environment for themselves or others. Lead by example – you want to set a great example for your employees and demand that safety is taken seriously. If you do not adhere to safety standards it costs both you and your employee money – perhaps in sick days, compensation, or lost time at work.
- If your employee reports faulty equipment and you do not replace it, then you are responsible. Make sure your employee knows that reporting damaged equipment is key for their safety.
A brief guide can be found here http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg174.pdf
Contact us for further information.
With British temperatures rising each summer, most people are aware of the dangers of skin cancer and sunburn; however, when your employees work outside, how can they protect themselves from summer heat waves? Sun cream is one of the easiest and most logical answers – outside of protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses – but do employers have to provide sun cream for employees?
The simple answer is no, they don’t. There is no legal obligation for employers to provide sun cream. The PPE at Work Regulation of 1992 notes that employees must be provided with suitable PPE for work conditions, and that means work conditions and weather should be taken into account.
It is advisable that employers provide sun protection advice and training as part of any health and safety training.
To protect workers provide appropriate clothing, hats and eyewear. Consider limiting sun exposure by scheduling work when the sun is not at its hottest, if that is possible! Allow workers to take frequent breaks in shady areas, and provide adequate drinking water.
This guidance leaflet provides further information which could be pasted onto employees.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg337.pdf
Contact us if you require further information.
Networked mobile devices, cloud-based data management and 4G networks mean we can now work almost anywhere. Flexible working can save costs and improve the work-life balance of employees, resulting in more staff working while travelling and away from the office. This means an increasing use of mobile devices (laptops, tablets and smartphones).
Adrenaline Alert! 
