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Problems that need special care with food and diet – e.g. diabetes or food allergies. You might want to avoid a lot of travelling and any jobs where mealtimes would be irregular or uncertain – e.g. travelling maintenance or repair mechanics, drivers, pilots, sailors, archaeologists or sales people - you may also want to avoid jobs where there is a risk of the air being contaminated in some way that could affect you – e.g. chemists and others working in chemical and biochemical laboratories.
Tendency to fits or fainting – e.g. severe epilepsy, diabetes, severe anaemia – any ailment that might reduce your alertness to risk or danger, or cause you to lose consciousness, whatever this is due to. You’ll probably want to avoid working with moving machinery or where a fainting fit might be a risk to other people’s lives or safety.
Sight defects - when your sight problem can’t be fully corrected by wearing glasses or contact lenses, or where these could interfere with your ability to do the work, or make it unsafe for you and others. This may include some kinds of colour blindness. Some occupations have specific sight requirements, e.g. airline pilots. In others visual impairment may affect others’ safety – crane operators, train dispatchers, some electricians. In others it may be your own health and safety that is at risk – e.g. working at heights, doing very detailed work.
Hearing defects - when your hearing can’t be corrected with some kind of hearing aid. You may want to avoid working with the telephone or where ability to distinguish sounds and acoustic signals is at a premium.
Problems with your heart and/or circulation – e.g heart disease and related illnesses. You’ll probably want to avoid jobs which are very physically demanding, which involve working alone, a lot of travelling, considerable stress, or where other people’s lives might be at risk if you collapsed – e.g. ship’s captain, airline pilot, nuclear power plant operator.
Problems with breathing - e.g asthma, chronic bronchitis, allergies that affect breathing. You’ll probably want to avoid working in a dusty, or polluted atmosphere, in very hot conditions, or outside in all weathers or where there is pollen to which you are allergic.
Speech disorders – anything that affects the voice and makes oral communication difficult. You’ll find teaching, acting, counselling or working as a lawyer in court, for example, may be more difficult.
Skin complaints - e.g. eczema, dermatitis, and similar allergic reactions that cause inflammation. You will want to avoid workplaces where there is dirt or substances that make your problems worse. You’ll also need to avoid food processing and preparation, some health care, and hairdressing, for example, especially if you cannot use protective gloves.
Back problems or any difficulties/pain in the lower limbs and spine – e.g. any illness that prevents you from sitting down for long,or being in one position for any length of time. You probably won’t want to work sitting at a machine or desk for long, or at heights.
Mobility problems – e.g. wheelchair users, and those who need to use crutches or other aids to walk about. You will find jobs that you can do sitting down and staying in one place easier than others.
Problems with using your hands and fingers – e.g. limited manual dexterity, especially reduced sensitivity or mobility of the fingers. You may wish to avoid work that requires precise and detailed movements of your fingers – such as a watchmaker or hairdresser or dental technician would use - and prefer those that demand less precision – e.g. machine operating, or jobs that require mental rather than manual skills, such as counselling, administration, customer services and academic or intellectual occupations.
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