Help - Anyone use Oxygen in the workplace or have found it an issue?
Help - Anyone use Oxygen in the workplace or have found it an issue?
Morning all,
Thanks in advance for reading what has turned out to be a rather long post.
I’m a 45yo male and have been a ECH sufferer for over 15 years. I’ve been in remission for 18 months but in a cluster since mid-November and in that time have been off work for 3.5 weeks. 1.5 weeks in November while the tablets kicked in and again for the last two weeks just gone.
Despite the shadows being there 90% of my day I returned to work on Monday armed with my sumitriptan injections and with the portable O2 in the car. My Dr would have signed me off again but I wanted to get back to work and see my "take an aspirin" colleagues and get on with my life.
I had to pop to the gents and use 1 injection in the morning with good results and in the afternoon I felt it returning. As I only had 1 injection left and I wanted to keep that for the night I was hopeful that the previous one would mean this would pass quickly (should learn!) so off I went to the gents. In my little cubical I rubbed my head, sat, rocked, paced, shouted, cried and generally felt annoyed that I didn’t head to the O2 in the car. There was just no way I was capable of leaving the cubical, crossing an open plan office, heading down stairs, out to the car so I sat in pain...again.
After the attack and back at my desk I sent an email to HR requesting access to one of our Disaster Recovery Suites, which are always empty, so I could at least suffer in better surroundings when it happens again, and it will. I also requested permission to bring the small o2 cylinder into the office for use during these attacks.
Tuesday at 1330 I was invited into the boardroom by HR where they informed me that my request to store a O2 cylinder in the office had been turned down as it was a Health and Safety issue to the office, colleagues and myself. They also informed me that as I was sick, fuzzy headed and not thinking straight I was a risk to clients, colleagues and myself and that I needed to leave the office until I was well enough to return. For someone who really loves my work I found this extremely upsetting. I went straight to my Dr who has signed me off again but does not think work have handled this at all well.
Now I have had time to think I am going to speak to HR and get them to put this in writing listing their objections and what criteria they feel I would pass their well test. I am going to speak to the O2 supplier tomorrow and ask them if they wouldn’t mind speaking to work/see if they have other sufferers in the area with O2 in the office. I’m also going to meet our Health and Social Services to discuss my options on returning to work. As I understand that CH is classed as a disability in the UK and therefore my employer should work with me to allow my keen return to work.
My bit question at the moment is if you any of you have managed to get o2 into your offices and if you had a battle to get it in there.
Thanks and best wishes to all
Phil
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What a ridiculous carry on! What line of work are you in?
These from the HSE website might be useful, also I imagine a COPD charity are likely to know quite a bit about oxygen at work.
http://www.hsl.gov.uk/media/220391/using%20oxygen%20at%20work.doc
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg459.pdf
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse8.pdf
Good luck with it.
Harriet.
Hi Phil
You can give me a ring. I sent my phone number by private message yesterday
Regards
Steve
Steve Walker
I have two b10 oxygen cylinders at work by my desk.
i got the doctors to order them with a hoof form and got them to add the work address. They still do a six months risk assessment but there is no problem with them bring in the office.
i carry paediatric oxygen cyclinder and have used this in the bus but got strange looks so got off and sat in mcdonalds. Phone the office and a car was with me in minutes and I arrived at work 2 minutes later to be treated with a larger cylinder.
my boss and staff know if I have an attack they know what to do if I become a head banger.
Adrian Abbott
Cluster Sufferer
It's worth remembering that CH is a disability and your employer is required to make reasonable adjustments for your continued employment.
Hiding you in a toilet isn't one.
You might also inquire which H&S guideline restricts medical-use O2:
Or was their decision based on ignorant rumour and heresay like 16th century witch hunts.
If you feel you're being treated unfairly, there is the Discrimination act.
All
Many thanks for taking the time to comment and post links etc to information for me.
My workplace have conducted a new Risk Assesment (slightly less google esque) and actually discussed the issue with the Oxygen Service, Fire Service and followed the HSE Oxygen in the workplace guidance they have very kindly said i can now
No keeping the O2 under my desk as it would need to be chained to the desk!
Far too generous and im really glad they have removed some of the hurdles so i can use the oxygen quickly when an attack hits! When this cluster settles and i return to work i will not be using any of the rooms and will let reception know that i have headed to my car to suffer in public. i like to get on the O2 asap.
As i am not 100% i have been signed off work for another by my Doc who has been fantastic.
Im going to call Steve in the morning to see if he can add anything but being in old fashioned Guernsey may raise other issues.
Again, many thanks to you all for the messages and links to some great info which has been read and passed on to work when applicable.
Phil
Hello Phil,
My hackles are right up on your behalf!
Have they also Risk Assessed what might be the result of you attempting to carry out their ridiculous notion of what a person who has just become unable to function safely physically, cognitively, and visually?!?!
And have they Risk Assessed how much it is likely cost them when you then sucessfully sue them for failing to make REASONABLE Adjustments in the work place for an employees disability?!?!
Grrrrrrrrrrrr
Since your doctor obviously gets it, would he be prepared to write a letter to your employer saying their conclusion is a tad unrealistic, not to mention often medically impossible, and he would be obliged if they could stir themselves to consider their responsibilities towards you......?
H
Well...have just been googling. I had no idea that Guernsey is in fact a Crown Dependency with all that means. So we have to be very aware that it has it's own rules and regulations in many situations and is not automatically going to be the same as the UK.
Did find this though, so it looks as if reasonable adjustment principles do apply:
https://lawatworkci.com/2014/03/14/what-does-guernsey-disability-discrim...
And it is clear on this page of the HSE website that they must assess the risks to you.......
http://www.hse.gg/FAQs.html#Office
And it seems you can call the HSE for advice, so it could be worth going straight to the horses mouth and see what it has to say about oxygen at work.
H.
Harriet
Many thanks for your posts. The first one really made me chuckle. Im due to have another discussion with them tomorrow and will try the assesment of the risk to sending me outside
Thanks again for taking the time to find other Guern related info. I have spoken to our Local Disability Alliance who mentioned our Goverment agreeing to review the discrimination law back in 2013 with a view to having the legislation done last month. Needless to say that our government is not the best at keeping to deadlines (island life gets in the way) and nothing has been done as yet!
So thanks very much for the help. I also spoke to Steve this evening so its been a very positive day.
Thanks again
Phil
Hi Phil,
It has occurred to me that you could explain to your work that if they continue to insist that their 'ridiculous adjustment' is to make you attempt to carry out their ludicrous list of tasks before you can start to treat your severe neurological attack (seriously, they didn't even offer to sort out the room and fetch your oxygen for you!) then your only option to keep yourself safe is to dial 999 at the first indication of an attack, so that you don't have to place yourself at risk to recieve essential prescribed emergency treatment.
By the time paramedics have attended a few times, they will be asking your work why they can't just allow you to have portable oxygen with you.
As if clusters were not hideous enough, those living in clusterworld have to deal with this level of idiocy! What part of 'a cluster attack is a severe medical event' is it that people do not want or are not able to understand?........
H.
Hi Phil
Any progress following your further meeting ?
Best wishes
Steve Walker