Companies employing drivers should create a supportive work environment that recognises the growing issue of type 2 diabetes, to keep people safe and in work for longer, experts say.
After consultation with a panel of experts and industry leaders in the road transport and safety sectors, Diabetes Safety Organisation (DSO) says that this would avoid the current stigma associated with living with and managing the condition, as well as having a positive effect on the company’s bottom line and employee retention.
People who drive for a living have double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. More than five million people in the UK have diabetes and one in four are unaware they have the condition.
Diabetes is described as a major threat to the performance, growth and sustainability of the road transport sector. The risks occur when employees are unable to manage diabetes effectively while at work.
These include diabetic hypos and hypers, which the DSO says can cause ‘significant safety accidents’. For every 1,000 employees, there will be an estimated 1-3 severe hypos happening in the workplace per month.
Meanwhile, half of all people with diabetes experience some form of nerve damage in their feet which affects driving accuracy and safety. People with severe damage have three times as many driving incidents, the DSO says.
The consultation was jointly led by DSO, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), and Driving for Better Business (DfBB).
Among its findings:
- The presence or contribution of diabetes, or whether people were driving for work, is not recorded in collision data.
- Current requirements for medical fitness-to-drive assessments do not mitigate several key diabetes risks: tests are not required until age 45 years; they do not cover grey (personally owned and non-liveried) fleet; and focus mainly on the hypo risk.
- Acknowledgement that, where medical assessments are provided, those most at risk may avoid screening because of known medical conditions and fear of job loss.
The consultation has led to the publication of an action plan for diabetes safe driving.
Kate Walker, managing director of DSO, said: “Diabetes safe driving is achieved when people with diabetes who drive for a living are supported by their employer to manage their condition effectively.
“This improves road safety for all road users and helps people with diabetes avoid health complications that may cause their licence to be revoked and be forced into early exit from the workforce.”
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