Home Forums Chat Forum Work place banning nuts?

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  • Work place banning nuts?
  • andypandy85
    Free Member

    An email went round work to all users from the fun police today announcing a blanket ban on nuts/traces of nuts anywhere on the work site, with a blurb about allergies, anaphylactic shock etc.

    It’s a reasonable size place, open plan offices on 2 floors, warehouse, production line, etc etc, but can they enforce a ban on what people eat?

    And yes, there were many, many childish “nuts” jokes, of course 😎

    everyone
    Free Member

    Have you considered there might be someone with a severe nut allergy on site?

    jimdubleyou
    Full Member

    Have you considered there might be someone with a severe nut allergy on site?

    It’ll be the guy wearing this to the canteen

    maccruiskeen
    Full Member

    The irony is the OP works for KP

    tomhoward
    Full Member

    traces of nuts anywhere on the work site

    Best of luck to the poor bugger who gets the job of enforcing that!

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    What do you happen to be producing? Not food is it?

    onehundredthidiot
    Full Member

    What trees are on site? Have they been warned?

    kelron
    Free Member

    Not sure on the legal technicalities but it’s quite possible that they have to do this, if a new employee has a severe nut allergy.

    It probably falls under a reasonable accommodation to make for a health condition, and I bet you’d feel like an ass if someone ends up hospitalised because you ignored it.

    leffeboy
    Full Member

    This place just didn’t feel right without that image.
    As you were

    andypandy85
    Free Member

    Yes, I had considered someone may have an allergy; thank you captain obvious.

    For the record I’m not planning on hospitalising someone with a Snickers, just wondered if they can technically ban certain foods in a workplace.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    For the record I’m not planning on hospitalising someone with a Snickers, just wondered if they can technically ban certain foods in a workplace.

    Mostly their site their rules….

    I know places that have a complete ban on anything aluminium for very good reasons, Anywhere making food could quite easily go for that, it’s much easier than banning from a certain location or area.

    If you do have people with a severe allergy then it could also be seen as a resonable step over insisting that nut waste is bagged out and all areas where nuts are consumed have been cleaned, hands washed before using shared computers etc.

    Houns
    Full Member

    Microwaving of fish should also be banned

    (not being flippant about nut ban, totally acceptable if someone with allergy works there)

    maccruiskeen
    Full Member

    The irony is Houns works in an aquarium

    andytherocketeer
    Full Member

    fortunately peanuts are legumes

    and almonds are from the stone of a fruit of the peach family

    PMK2060
    Full Member

    As a food manufacturer we do not allow employees to bring nuts to work.

    Common practice in the food industry.

    I also think its reasonable if an employee has a nut allergy.

    bensales
    Free Member

    andypandy85

    Yes, I had considered someone may have an allergy; thank you captain obvious.

    For the record I’m not planning on hospitalising someone with a Snickers, just wondered if they can technically ban certain foods in a workplace.

    If you knew anything about what you’re talking about then it would show that you had considered it. As it is, you don’t, and you haven’t.

    That Snickers bar would actually kill my son. One bite would send him into full anaphylaxis that would require immediate medical attention.

    Banning nuts anywhere isn’t because the “fun police” hate you, it’s because nuts are a major allergen that kills people. 

    ebygomm
    Free Member

     it’s because nuts are a major allergen that kills people. 

    So is milk

    andypandy85
    Free Member

    Bensales; I know exactly what I’m talking about, I’m simply asking out of curiosity if a work place can ban certain foods. Also, I’d made an educated guess that it was in reference to a severe allergy that someone suffers from, but thanks for your input. Ironically, if the TV advert is anything to go by, you should eat a Snickers.

    sc-xc
    Full Member

    My daughter’s school has banned all nuts as one of our pupils has an allergy.

    no hardship…much better than something going wrong…

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Bensales; I know exactly what I’m talking about, I’m simply asking out of curiosity if a work place can ban certain foods.

    By giving very little context… I know places that ban eating and drinking….

    Sandwich
    Full Member

    That Snickers bar would actually kill my son.

    I have a nephew whose face tingles if someone eats nuts in the same room. So yes a complete ban on nuts can be imposed, their gaff, their rules. Failing to enforce the ban will get someone jail time and a huge fine for the company if an employee dies as a result of someone sticking it to the ‘fun police’.

    Poopscoop
    Full Member

    Work place banning nuts?

    Does that include Brexiteers?

    Harsh but fair. They bring me out in a bad rash too.

    tails
    Free Member

    Considering some of the biggest companies in the UK can sell food with nuts or traces of nuts, without listing it. I’d be surprised if I company could ban nuts, even tiger bread baked in house didn’t have to list it contained sesame.

    If it were me I’d ask the boss why, if he said Steve from accounts will die if he looks at a walnut I’d follow the rule. If on the other hand Steve from accounts has a mild sesame allergy I’d just not eat my snickers near Steve. Obviously if I was called up on it I’d stop.

    rene59
    Free Member

    They can ban what they want as long as there is a good reason for it. I’ve banned smelly food at my place of work, got sick of people eating at their desks with stinking food. Either they eat in the kitchen which has ample facilities and seating or go away out for lunch.

    maccruiskeen
    Full Member

    if he said Steve from accounts will die if he looks at a walnut I’d follow the rule. If on the other hand Steve from accounts has a mild sesame allergy I’d just not eat my snickers near Steve.

    Does Steve not have a right to privacy? I know he’s only an accountant but even they have feelings.

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    If you ban foods in a work place because someone might have an allergy to something, you’d be banning almost all food.

    Unless there’s a risk due to being a food production place, it would surely be specific to an individual with an allergy working there.

    As for kids and schools, that’s another matter as kids do stupid things or don’t think. Risk is greater.

    Drac
    Full Member

    For the record I’m not planning on hospitalising someone with a Snickers, just wondered if they can technically ban certain foods in a workplace.

    Yes.

    garage-dweller
    Full Member

    Perfectly reasonable imo.

    Nuts and a couple of other things banned at my kids’ school.

    Given the amount of peanut butter spread on eldest ones toast this morning he was probably a peanut hazard at about 20feet.

    (Edit hands, face and teeth cleaned before dispatch to school obviously)

    CountZero
    Full Member

    I have a nephew whose face tingles if someone eats nuts in the same room.

    Really? Since when have nuts of any type given off fumes or vapour under normal atmospheric conditions?

    Coming into direct contact I can understand, but just being in the same room? I say that’s psychosomatic. How does said person react when near a tree that produces nuts? Or goes into a shop where there are nuts on sale, or there are products containing nuts? The atmosphere itself must therefore carry those allergens, so how does that person manage to live a reasonable life if the general environment carries tiny traces of something that might kill him?

    hols2
    Free Member

    I know places that have a complete ban on anything aluminium

    So no mobile phones, laptops, printers, or other office equipment that contains aluminium?

    Drac
    Full Member

    Really? Since when have nuts of any type given off fumes or vapour under normal atmospheric conditions

    IIRC it’s in part an enzyme that is one the nuts as opposed nut themselves. This allows it to be airborne which those who are extremely sensitive are vulnerable to.

    As for those near a tree with nuts on. Well that’s simple, it’s not all nuts the most common being peanuts. Not only do peanuts not grow in the uk they don’t grow on trees.

    Those with a hypersensitivity will avoid areas such as shops to not expose themselves. I know someone who had a latex allergy sensitive that if a balloon had been in a room a day or two before they’d have an attack. They had that many attacks that the adrenaline for treat damaged their heart, basically told an attack or the treatment would be the final one sooner than later.

    HTH.

    Sandwich
    Full Member

    Really? Since when have nuts of any type given off fumes or vapour under normal atmospheric conditions?

    Yes, really. Everything emits something, just because you and I can’t smell it or react to it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. He is full anaphylaxis allergic to them and has at least one epi-pen ready when he goes out.

    aphex_2k
    Free Member

    You can’t ban everything that has traces of nuts in. How ridiculous. Turn up to work smothered in peanut butter and wearing a t-shirt that says “no, I didn’t get the email”

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    You can’t ban everything that has traces of nuts in. How ridiculous. Turn up to work smothered in peanut butter and wearing a t-shirt that says “no, I didn’t get the email”

    And get a hauled in for a disciplinary.


    @Hols2
    sorry was just being as vague as the OP, mobile exposed Alu Metal so foil, cans etc. if it’s part of something it’s fine but simply banning stuff like kit kats and coke cans is a much simpler process than saying you can have it in x but not y and make sure it’s not in your pocket.

    martinhutch
    Full Member

    Are the severity of these kind of allergies getting worse? I never recall hearing of cases of ‘airborne anaphylaxis’ in previous decades (in which era no-one would countenance banning nuts from schools/workplaces etc).

    Could just be a lack of reporting, obviously.

    convert
    Full Member

    We are a nut free school. It’s a bloomin nightmare to police. Read an article the other day that suggested that schools with nut free policies are doing those with allergies no favours as the kids that suffer are learning complacency when they should be learning self reliance in a world full of nuts. Would be a brave head that took this up however. Also, with the significant rise in teenagers and young adults taking on vegan diets you are treading somewhat of a delicate balancing act between the nut eating nutritional benefits for a small minority vs significant harm to a tiny minority. If it wasn’t for those with allergies it could be argued that kids in general should be being educated to increased their consumption of nuts (and reduce meat consumption) for both health and environmental reasons.

    Beyond schools and outside of food manufacturers I think I’d be in favour of temporary bans which are enforced when a nut allergy sufferer is employed and lifted when they leave and not just a blanket permanent thing in a H&S gone made kind of way.

    Semi serious question – have the number of people born with allergies gone up or did we just kill a lot of them off early back in the day? Seems a significantly larger issue now than in the past.

    gobuchul
    Free Member

    I was in a Canadian government building recently, the wearing of any scents was banned. No perfume, after shave, deodorant etc.

    I have never seen or heard of that before.

    Sandwich
    Full Member

    @gobuchul A complete nonsense (did you see what I did there?).

    charlielightamatch
    Free Member

    Banning nuts anywhere isn’t because the “fun police” hate you, it’s because nuts are a major allergen that kills people. 

    But for the vast majority of people they are a harmless food stuff.

    I can’t see how this ban would be practical. Someone could go out on their dinner time and eat something nutty, not wash their hands (I don’t after I eat everything) and unknowingly shake hands with someone they hadn’t met in the company yet and inadvertently kill them.

    Would it not be better that the person who has the problem be identified so that people who work around them can take appropriate measures? It could be used to promote some learning of allergies and everyone would benefit and the person affected would probably be safer than banning all nuts and not knowing why or for whom.

    Could that person also work from home? In reality you aren’t going to make a huge workplace safe no matter how hard you try unless you ban all food from the building and people have to shower and wear matching protective suits.

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