Nut allergies know no boundaries. For many people with the allergy, just touching traces of nuts can trigger skin irritations or swelling of the eyes, lips or throat and can set on a fatal anaphylactic shock. The allergy can be triggered by a mere 1/1000 of a peanut.
Nut allergy sufferers pre-plan as much as possible when it comes to dining out at restaurants, shopping or travelling, but the very nature of the allergy means that while the sufferers are careful not to touch or ingest nuts, they are still at risk by what other people do.
This is why this life threatening reaction to nuts needs everyone’s cooperation to be managed effectively in the work environment.
To alleviate this risk, it is critical that you:
At the expense of not eating a Snickers Bar at work, be conscious of the health of people with nut allergies and you could help eliminate the risk of causing a fatal anaphylactic shock. Remember, this allergy is potentially fatal, it isn't just a dietary preference. For more information, contact your site health and safety advisor.
We welcome your comments on this story. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Please provide your name. Read our have your say guidelines.