Anaphylaxis Awareness Week (1–7 June 2025) is a vital opportunity for organisations to increase understanding of life-threatening allergies in the workplace.
With food and environmental allergies on the rise, creating a safe, supportive, and well-informed office environment is more important than ever.
In the UK alone, hospital admissions due to anaphylaxis have increased significantly over the last decade, affecting both adults and children. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can develop rapidly, requiring urgent medical attention—often within minutes. It can be triggered by foods such as peanuts, shellfish, and eggs, or by insect stings, latex, and even some medications.
For individuals at risk, the workplace must be a space where safety protocols and respect for allergies are treated with the same importance as fire safety or mental wellbeing.
Here are five top tips every office can adopt to improve allergy awareness, reduce risk, and build a workplace culture of compassion and preparedness.
Know the Risks and Recognise the Signs
The first step in building an allergy-aware workplace is education. Many people don’t understand the seriousness of anaphylaxis, or how quickly it can escalate. Training your team to spot early signs and know how to respond can save a life.
Typical symptoms of anaphylaxis include:
Swelling of the face, lips, or throat
Difficulty breathing or wheezing
Rapid heartbeat
Rash or hives
Feeling faint or dizzy
Collapse or unconsciousness
Employers should offer basic allergy awareness training for all staff. This doesn’t have to be complex—short sessions on recognising symptoms, using an adrenaline auto-injector (e.g., EpiPen), and calling emergency services can be enough. Online training, such as the AllergyWise® for Workplaces programme from Anaphylaxis UK, is an excellent resource.
Why it matters: If a colleague begins reacting at their desk or in the staff kitchen, those around them need to react quickly and correctly. Seconds can matter.
Create a Safe Eating Environment
Office kitchens, shared fridges, snack drawers, and birthday cakes—while great for morale—can be minefields for someone with a severe allergy.
Best practice includes:
Clear labelling: All shared food, whether homemade or brought in, should be labelled with full ingredients. Better still, include a note: “Contains nuts/eggs/dairy.”
Avoid assumptions: A food item may be free of a common allergen one week but not the next. Labelling helps remove risk.
Separate storage: Allocate a dedicated space in the fridge or cupboard for those with allergies to store their food safely.
Clean surfaces: Ensure wiping down counters, utensils, and shared appliances is part of daily cleaning routines.
For offices that order in lunch or provide catering, always consult employees in advance. Include allergy questions in event planning checklists, and use reputable caterers who can accommodate allergy-free options.
Why it matters: Cross-contamination is a leading cause of accidental exposure. A well-managed food area reduces this risk considerably.
Encourage a Culture of Openness and Respect
For employees with allergies, disclosing their condition can feel uncomfortable. They may fear being seen as “fussy,” or worry they’re creating an inconvenience. But secrecy can be dangerous.
Encourage staff to:
Voluntarily disclose allergies in a confidential, supportive setting—ideally through HR or line managers.
Provide written details of allergens, severity, and what to do in an emergency.
Inform trusted colleagues who they work closely with, especially if they carry an auto-injector.
Meanwhile, organisations must commit to:
Listening without judgement: Respect personal disclosures and follow up with practical adjustments.
Raising awareness: Company-wide communications or internal campaigns during Anaphylaxis Week can help educate staff and normalise discussions around allergies.
Respecting boundaries: If a colleague requests a “no nut zone” at their desk, take it seriously and support them.
Why it matters: A culture of openness removes stigma, improves planning, and ensures people don’t suffer in silence—or put themselves at unnecessary risk.
Make Emergency Preparedness Standard
Despite best intentions, emergencies do happen. Offices should be prepared in the same way they would be for fire drills or first aid.
Essential steps:
Emergency allergy action plans: Employees at risk should have one on file. It outlines symptoms, steps to take, and who to contact.
Auto-injector storage: Employees with prescribed adrenaline should keep it with them or in an agreed accessible location. Ideally, offices should have at least one team member trained in how to use an EpiPen.
Post emergency procedures: Know what to do after an incident—call 999, stay with the individual, and inform emergency contacts.
First aiders and HR: Ensure they are trained and confident in dealing with anaphylaxis, not just general first aid.
Display visual guides in staff rooms or communal areas to serve as reminders, and ensure emergency numbers are clearly posted.
Why it matters: A rapid response can be the difference between a full recovery and a tragic outcome. Confidence and preparation save lives.
Raise Awareness and Get Involved
Use Anaphylaxis Awareness Week 2025 to engage your staff and put allergy safety front and centre.
Try:
#WearItBright: Encourage everyone to wear bold colours to spark conversation about allergy awareness.
Internal bulletins: Share facts, stories, and statistics in newsletters or Teams messages to educate staff.
Allergy champions: Nominate a wellbeing rep to focus on allergy inclusion, alongside mental health and physical health.
Fundraising: Support organisations like Anaphylaxis UK through fundraising challenges, bake sales (with allergy-safe items!), or matched donations.
Review policies: Use the week as an annual check-in to update allergy-related policies and make improvements where needed.
Why it matters: Awareness weeks aren’t just symbolic. They’re a chance to embed long-lasting improvements and show commitment to employee wellbeing.
Allergies and anaphylaxis aren’t niche medical issues—they are real, increasing, and potentially fatal health conditions that affect thousands of working adults.
The workplace plays a powerful role in preventing serious incidents through a combination of awareness, preparation, and empathy.
A safe workplace isn’t just about checking compliance boxes—it’s about showing your employees that their health matters, and that they belong.
By implementing the tips above, your office can lead by example during Anaphylaxis Awareness Week 2025 and beyond.