byYourSafetyCouncil

SummerHazards:Heat,Wasps,andDogs

HEAT-RELATEDILLNESSANDINJURY

TypesofIllness/Injury:•  HeatStroke•  HeatExhaustion•  HeatCramps•  HeatRash•  Sunburn

AllHeatrelatedillnessispreventableEveryonecantakeactionstostaysafeworkingoutdoors

HeatExhaustion:Whenyourbodyoverheats,causingdizziness,nausea,cramping,etcHeatStroke:Anemergency,whenprolongedheatstartstoaffectyoumentalstateandthreatenyourlifeHeatExhaustioncanLeadtoHeatStroke

WHATCAUSESHEATILLNESSES?

1.Yourbodycannotcoolitself

Sweatingcoolsyouoffthroughevaporation.Increasedmoistureintheaironhumiddaysslowstheevaporationofyoursweat,makingithardertokeepcool.

2.Yourbodytemperaturegetstoohigh

3.Youbecomingdehydrated

SharingTime

Canyouthinkofatimewhenyouhaveexperiencedaheatrelatedemergency?

HeatCramps

•  Heatcrampsresultfromdehydrationandlowsaltlevels.

•  Ifyouhaveheatcramps:STOP&hydratewithplentyofwaterorasportsdrink.

Important:HeatCrampsmaybeasignofHeatExhaustion

Ifyouhaveheartproblemsyoumayneedtoseekmedicalattentionforheatcramps.

SUNBURN&HEATRASH

SunburnisskindamageduetoexcessiveUVlightexpose.•  Avoidrepeatedexposuretothe

sun

•  Useatopicaltreatmentsuchasaloe

HeatRashisskinirritationfromexcessivesweating.•  Reducelocalizedsweat

andhumiditybywearingloose,breathableclothing

•  Keepaffectedskindrywithpowders

IMPORTANTREMINDERSAROUNDHEATILLNESSES&INJURY•  Knowyourrisk-certainhealthconditions,specificmedications,andpriorheatinjurymaymakeyoumoresensitivetoheatorsunexposure.

•  Neverleaveapersonorpetinahotcar!•  Getacclimated.•  Keepaneyeonyourcoworkers–theymaynotbeawareoftheirowncondition.

Protectyourselfandclients•  ConsiderschedulingoutdoorappointmentsinAM

•  Dressappropriately(widebrimmedhat,sunglasses,longsleevedshirtandpants)

•  Ifdoingpesticideapplicationbeawareyouwillsweatmorewithgloves–hydrateandtakefrequentbreaks.

INSECTBITES&STINGS

ElevatedRiskFactors•  Exposedskin•  Loud,vibration-producingequipmentnear

bee/wasp/hornetnests•  Workingintallgrassordensevegetation

(ticks,mites&spiders)•  Workingnearstandingwater(mosquitoes)•  Beingstungorbittenbyaswarminginsect

(ants,bees,etc)mayprovokeacolonyattack

STINGINGINSECTSPollen-collectingbeesdieafter

stinging,leavingstingerimbedded•  Immediatelyremovestingerby

flickingitofforwipinggauzeoverit;donotsqueezeorusetweezers

•  Washsitew/soap&water•  Icetoreduceswelling•  Non-drowsyantihistaminesmay

helprelieveitchiness,painandswelling(i.e.Benadryl,Claritin,etc.)

•  Topicaltreatments(hydrocortisonecream,calaminelotion)canhelp

Waspsandhornetscanstingrepeatedly•  Stopwork/stoploudtoolsnear

nestsifhornetsorwaspsbecomeaggressive

•  Multiplestings,especiallynearthefaceorneck,mayrequiremedicalevaluationforswellingorallergicreaction.

BumbleBees

DiggerBees

HoneyBees

CicadaKillers

PaperWasps

YellowJackets

BaldFacedHornets

LessDangerous MoreDangerous

EMERGENCYRESPONSEMostbites&stingswillhealontheirown

•  Monitorvictimofstingsforsignsofasevereallergicreaction.�  Symptomssuchascoughing,troublebreathing,chestpain,severesweating,confusion,

nausea,vomitingandhivesrequireimmediateemergencymedicalattention

•  Abiteorstingvictimmaybecarefullymovedtoaprotectedorshadedarea.�  Beawareofsurroundingstoavoidmorebeesorwasps(stingingbeesreleasea

pheromonethatattractsmorebees)•  Ifavictimhasaknownallergy,youmayneedtoassistthemwiththeirEpiPen(theauto-

injector“pen”ispressedintotheouterthigh).AdministeringanEpiPentosomeonesufferingfromanaphylaxisisprotectedunderGoodSamaritanLaw.

•  Forspiderorscorpionbites,treatmentisoftenfasterifapositiveIDcanbemadebycapturingit(ifsafetodoso)ornotingdistinctivemarking.

TICKS&MITES

Ticksaregenerallyfoundinwooded,brushyorunmanicuredgrassyareas.•  Atine-tippedtweezeristhepreferred

removaltool.Toremoveatick,pullupwardwithsteady,evenpressure

•  SeveralspeciesoftickarefoundinMNand

cancarryanumberofdiseases

Mitesarealargegroupofinsect-likeorganisms.•  Commonmitesthatirritate

humansincludeclover,dust&itchmites,chiggersandscabies.

•  Thoroughlywashaffectedareas

•  Specificinsectrepellentsmaybeeffectiveinpreventingmiteattack

INSECT-BORNEILLNESS

Ticks&mosquitoescantransmitanumberofinsect-bornediseases.�  Examplesoftick-borne

diseases:Lymedisease,babesiosis,ehrlichiosis,RockyMountainSpottedFever,anaplasmosis

�  Examplesofmosquito-bornediseases:WestNileVirus,Zika

INSECT-BORNEILLNESS(CONT.)

Tick-bornediseasesareontheriseintheUS•  Seekmedicaladviceifyouhavebeen

bittenbyatickrecentlyandfeelunwell,particularlyifyoudevelopafever,jointstiffnessandswellingorrash

•  A“bulls-eye”rashisahallmarkofLymedisease,butnoteverypersonwilldeveloparash

PREVENTION:✔  Cover-upexposedskin

whenpossiblewhenworkingindensebrush/vegetation.

✔  Userepellents.✔  Thoroughlywash&

disinfectbugbites/stingsassoonaspossible.

DOGS

� Dog-relatedincidentsareverycommon,mosthappenafterownersclaimtheirpetsdonotbite.

� Ifadogisonsiteandnotrestrained,contacttheownerforthedogtobeputinside.Iftheownerisunreachable,reschedulethejobforanotherdayandlettheclientknowofthecircumstances.

STEPSTOAVOIDADOGRELATEDINCIDENT

� 1)Inquireaboutpetswhenclientsarepresent.� 2)Whenapproachingafencedyard,taponthegate

ormakealoudsoundtomakeyourpresenceknown.� 3)Keeptrackofnearestexits.� 4)Maintaindemeanorifadogappearsduringserviceandleavepromptly.Donotreenterunsecuredareas.

IFADOGATTACKSYOU!

�  Donotpullagainstadogbite,asitwillcausefurtherharm.

�  Turnyourbodysidewaystowardsthedogtoreduceprofile.

�  Trytomaintaincomposureandleaveareaimmediately.

�  UseadeterrentsuchasaDazerorHalt,oranimplementtodefendyourselfmomentarily.

DOGDETTERENTS

� “Dazers”areavailablesituationally,basicallydogTasersthatusesoundratherthanashock.

� “Halt”isalsoavailable,andisadogratedMace.

POISONIVY

Leavesof3:poisonivyhas3leaflets•  Maybespreading,climbing

(oftenfoundclimbingtrees),orevenshrub-form

•  Leafshape/colorcanvary-mayberedtogreenincolor,usuallywithunevenserrationsonedges

•  Alternatebranchingpattern

Rash:canoccurfromdirectorindirectcontact�  Urushiol(irritatingoilinpoisonivysap)

cancauseablistering,intensely-itchyrash�  Contact=touchingtheplantORclothing/

tools/etcthathavetouchedpoisonivy�  Urushiolcanremainactiveformonthsto

yearsonsurfaces

POISONIVY(CONT.)

Whattodoifyoucontactpoisonivy:�  IMMEDIATELY&thoroughlywashareawithsoapandLOTSofwater�  DONOTtouchfaceorothersensitiveareasifyourhandshavecontactedpoisonivy

oraffectedskin�  Rashmaytake8-24hrtoappear&progressivelyworsen;lasts1-3weeks�  Usetopicaltreatments(i.e.calaminelotion),over-the-counterantihistamines(i.e.

Benadryl)torelieveitching,burningsymptoms.�  Seekmedicalattentionifsignsofsevereallergicreaction(suchasdifficulty

breathing,difficultyswallowing,facialswelling),averylargerashorinfectionoccur�  Note:Don’tassumeyouare‘immune’–sensitivitymaydevelopasyouage!!