June 9, 2026
As Diabetes Week takes place from 8-14 June 2026, the focus will rightly be on blood sugar levels, diet, medication, lifestyle and physical health. These are all essential areas of awareness, but for the drilling and ground engineering sector there is another important dimension that also needs to be recognised, mental health.
For those working in operational, site-based and safety-critical environments, managing a long-term condition such as diabetes can bring additional pressures. Early starts, long shifts, travel, changing schedules, physically demanding work and the need to stay alert all create a working environment where physical wellbeing, mental resilience and safety are closely connected.
In this personal blog, Paul Breslin, Chair of the British Drilling Association (BDA) Health & Safety Sub-Committee, reflects on his own experience of living with Type 2 diabetes while working in the industry. He considers the practical challenges faced by those managing diabetes on site, the hidden mental load that can come with a long-term health condition, and why open conversations, supervisor awareness and practical support must form part of a modern approach to health, safety and wellbeing.
The Reality of Diabetes on Site
Our industry isn’t a 9–5 office environment. It’s early starts, long shifts, travel, unpredictable schedules, and often physically demanding work. For those of us managing diabetes, that can present real challenges:
Even with the best planning, things don’t always go smoothly. Blood sugar levels can fluctuate, and when they do, it’s not just your body that feels it, your physical and mental health takes a hit too.
The Hidden Impact: Mental Health
What’s less talked about is the mental load of living with diabetes, especially in a safety-critical industry. There’s a constant layer of awareness running in the background:
Over time, this can lead to:
In an environment where resilience and reliability are expected, it’s easy to internalise the pressure and carry on silently.
Safety and Wellbeing Are Linked
From a QHSE perspective, this matters. If someone is experiencing:
Then it’s not just a personal health issue, it’s a safety risk.
Whilst the industry has made significant progress in physical safety, we need to recognise that chronic conditions like diabetes sit right at the intersection of health, safety, and wellbeing.
What Needs to Change
We don’t need complex solutions, just practical, human ones.
All these can make a meaningful difference.
My Perspective
Managing Type 2 diabetes while working in this sector has taught me one thing above all: You can’t separate physical health from mental health.
There are days when everything is under control and others where it’s not. The key is having a culture where that’s understood, not judged.
I’ve also learned the importance of:
That’s not just good for me, it’s good for the people around me and the operations we’re responsible for.
A Call to Action for Our Industry
As we recognise Diabetes Week, this is an opportunity not just to raise awareness, but to drive meaningful change across the drilling and wider geotechnical sector.
We are an industry built on resilience, problem-solving, and looking after our people in challenging environments. Supporting those living with long-term conditions like diabetes should be part of that commitment.
So, what should we do next?
Ensure site setups, schedules, and welfare provisions genuinely support people managing health conditions.
Treat conditions like diabetes as part of day-to-day operational risk management, not something separate or hidden.
Give supervisors the awareness and confidence to support individuals without stigma or hesitation.
Where speaking up about health is seen as a strength, not a risk.
A Role for the BDA and Its Members
The BDA has an important role to play in helping the industry continue to improve the way it approaches health, safety and wellbeing. As an Association, and through the work of its members, sub-committees and wider industry network, the BDA can help encourage more open conversations around long-term health conditions, mental health and practical support in site-based environments.
This is not about creating complex systems or placing additional burdens on employers, supervisors or operatives. It is about recognising that conditions such as diabetes are part of real working life and should be considered within sensible, practical and proportionate approaches to occupational health, welfare and safety planning.
By sharing good practice, promoting awareness, and encouraging dialogue between contractors, clients, supervisors and the workforce, the BDA and its members can help ensure that support is not left to chance or dependent on individual circumstances.
Final Thought
Looking after diabetes is not just about managing blood sugar. It is also about managing people, pressure, fatigue, confidence and performance in demanding environments.
For the drilling and wider geotechnical sector, this matters. When people feel able to speak up, take appropriate breaks, manage their health and ask for support when needed, the benefits reach far beyond the individual. They contribute to safer sites, stronger teams, better decision-making and a healthier, more resilient industry.
As Diabetes Week reminds us, awareness is important, but action is what makes the difference.
Author: Paul Breslin, Chair of the BDA Health & Safety Sub-Committee
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