Will having diabetes affect my ability to do my job?

Will having diabetes affect my ability to do my job?

The extent to which your diabetes will impact upon your job will depend on the nature of the job, the severity and complications of your diabetes, and the treatment you are taking for it. Many types of work will be affected only in a minor way, if at all, by the fact that you have diabetes. However, work that has implications for public safety, such as commercial operation of a vehicle (such as a bus, taxicab, train, or airplane), heavy machinery (such as a crane or a wrecker), or weapons (such as military weaponry) will be significantly impacted if you experience severe or unpredictable low blood sugar episodes. These are a significant risk if you take insulin or the type of pills known as sulfonylureas or meglitinides. Therefore, licensing authorities or your employer may be empowered (or even obliged) to limit your ability to perform these types of jobs, or set a strict set of criteria that must be satisfied (such as frequent verifiable glucose testing with a low frequency of low blood sugars) for you to do so.

Types of work where you are likely to place yourself, but not others, at higher risk are generally unregulated. Most involve a risk of falling from a height or selfinjury with machinery. You should discuss with your doctor and/or diabetes educator the extent to which you are increasing your risk of injury and make an
informed decision as to whether to pursue or continue this line of work. Examples of this type of job include roofing, commercial saw operation, and highrise construction work.