I have a severe peanut allergy- I have had hospital visits due to anaphylaxis after ingesting something contaminated with peanuts, and from a severe anxiety attack because of my fear of them (sounds silly, but after going into anaphylaxis it’s quite frightening!) While it makes me uncomfortable, I can be around peanuts (if it’s not in ridiculously large amounts) and have gotten better about managing my anxiety.
Now, I know the smell of peanuts and even touching them won’t cause anaphylaxis, but it puts you at risk for cross contamination. I just recently got hired at a restaurant as a server and we serve desserts containing peanuts which doesn’t concern me as much. However, I just discovered we serve peanuts at the bar. I don’t clean the dishes or the bar, but knowing there’s peanuts being broken and consumed in somewhat large amounts makes me nervous. Again, I’m not handling them but I’m worried they’ll be on the tables, other equipment, etc.
So my question is, in your opinion, is it safe to work in this environment? It’s not like a Texas Roadhouse where the peanut shells cover the floor, I would be handling tables in the bar area. I know I can be paranoid, and I don’t want to leave this job, but at the same time I don’t want to put myself at risk!