Environmental Pests

Bi-Weekly Safety MeetingJune 11, 2015

Purpose• Environmental pests can be found at all job sites in all of

the industries in which we work. • The purpose of this training is to help you recognize

common pests and consider ways to avoid contact.

Any area where insects can nestle under an eave, where birds can roost, where stray animals can find a home, or when you enter into an outdoor area that is an animal’s or insect’s normal habitat, there is potential danger.

• The following slides provide SMART card entries and a few pictures of the pests we can come in contact with during our work activities.

• Continue to communicate your observations through the SMART program.

• Use caution and stay safe!

5/20/2015, West Coast Refinery: Bee swarm south of shelter. Give bees their space.

5/14/2015, West Coast BioPharm: Be aware of wild life while driving and expect them to do strange things. Baby fawn that wasn't even two feet tall was walking along side of road while driving back to water plant. Fortunately it stayed there.

(Awww…..)

5/12/2015, Atlanta Engineering: Watch out for livestock.

4/29/2015, Atlanta Engineering: Water Moccasin spotted in the retention pond. Stay clear.

Watch for problematic insects such as spiders, bees, wasps, etc. when working in remote or seldom-visited areas.

Some older ones…

Food and drinks attract rodents and insects into the manufacturing area and this will cause issues for the client.

For the past 2 days we have been killing roaches.

There is a nesting set of magpies in the parking lot. They have been dive-bombing people as they walk into the building. Care must be taken as to not disturb their nest which is close to where I normally park. The client is warning others about the nesting birds.

Feral cats at the refinery.

Current Project• Mangan Renewables construction site – Lumberton, NC:

– Ticks– Snakes– Fire ants– Sighting of the “resident alligator”

Bees and WaspsPreventative Steps– Wear light-colored clothing, covering as much of the body

as possible.– Avoid perfumed soaps, shampoos, and deodorants.– Wear clean clothing and bathe daily (sweat may anger

bees).– Avoid flowering plants– Keep work areas clean. Social wasps thrive in places

where humans discard food. – Remain calm and still if a single stinging insect is flying

around. (Swatting at an insect may cause it to sting)

Bees and WaspsPreventative Steps (continued)– If you are attacked by several stinging insects at once,

move to get away from them. (Bees release a chemical when they sting, which may attract other bees)

– If there is a bee inside your vehicle, stop the car slowly, and open all the windows.

– Employees with a history of severe allergic reactions to insect bites or stings should consider carrying an epinephrine auto injector (EpiPen) and should wear a medical identification bracelet or necklace stating their allergy.

First Aid – Have someone stay with the worker to be sure that they

do not have an allergic reaction. – Wash the site with soap and water. – Remove the stinger using gauze wiped over the area or

by scraping a fingernail over the area. Never squeeze the stinger or use tweezers.

– Apply ice to reduce swelling. – Do not scratch the sting as this may increase swelling,

itching, and risk of infection.

Bees and Wasps

Preventative Steps– Insect repellent helps reduce your exposure to mosquito

bites that may carry West Nile virus or other diseases.– Wear protective clothing (long sleeves, long pants, socks,

light colors)– Avoid standing water.

• Mosquitoes need standing water to breed

Mosquitoes

First Aid– Apply a topical hydrocortisone cream to help relieve

inflammation and itching– Severe itching can be treated with an antihistamine such

as Benadryl.

Mosquitoes

Preventative Steps– Inspect or shake out any clothing, shoes, towels, or

equipment before use. – Wear protective clothing such as a long-sleeved shirt and

long pants, hat, gloves, and boots when handling stacked or undisturbed piles of materials.

– Minimize the empty spaces between stacked materials. – Remove and reduce debris and rubble from around the

outdoor work areas. – Store apparel and outdoor equipment in tightly closed

plastic bags. – Keep your tetanus boosters up-to-date (every 10 years).

Spider bites can become infected with tetanus spores.

Spiders

First Aid– Try and identify the type of spider that bit you.– Clean the site of the spider bite well with soap and water. – Apply a cool compress over the bite location. – If the bite is on an extremity, elevate it. – Aspirin or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and

antihistamines may be used to relieve minor signs and symptoms in adults.

– If bitten by a brown recluse or black widow spider:• Cleanse the wound, slow the venom’s spread by tying a snug

bandage above the bite and elevate limb, use a cold cloth at bite location, and seek immediate medical attention.

Spiders

Preventative Steps– Do not try to handle any snake. – Stay away from tall grass and piles of leaves.– Avoid climbing on rocks or piles of wood where a snake

may be hiding. – Be aware that snakes tend to be active at night and in

warm weather. – Wear boots and long pants when working outdoors. – Wear leather gloves when handling brush and debris

Snakes

First Aid– Seek medical attention as soon as possible (dial 911 or

call local Emergency Medical Services.) – Try to remember the color and shape of the snake, which

can help with treatment of the snake bite. – Keep still and calm. This can slow down the spread of

venom. – Inform your supervisor. – Apply first aid if you cannot get to the hospital right away.

• Lay or sit down with the bite below the level of the heart. • Wash the bite with soap and water. • Cover the bite with a clean, dry dressing.

Snakes

Hantavirus• Deer mice shed this virus in their urine, droppings, and saliva.

Humans catch it when they breathe in air contaminated with the virus.

• Any activity that puts workers in contact with rodent droppings, urine, saliva, or nesting materials can place them at risk for infection.

• Anyone can be exposed when working in crawl spaces, under houses, or in vacant buildings that may have a rodent population.

• Exposed individuals can develop "hantavirus pulmonary syndrome," a lung infection that is fatal in almost 40 percent of cases. Early symptoms of infection resemble the flu. After 4 to 10 days, sufferers will develop coughing, shortness of breath, and a suffocating sensation as the lungs fill with fluid.

Protection against Hantavirus• Control dust exposures. Avoid actions that raise dust, such as

sweeping or vacuuming, wherever rodents have been or rodent droppings are present.

• Wear personal protective equipment. If you will be working in an area where rodents, their nests, or their droppings could be present, you should wear a tight-fitting respirator with N-100 or P-100 filters and rubber, latex, vinyl, or nitrile gloves. – Before removing gloves, wash your gloved hands in a

disinfectant or chlorine solution; – afterward, wash your bare hands in soap and water.

Lyme Disease• Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by tick bites.

Carrier ticks are found throughout the eastern United States, predominantly in the Northeast and in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, as well as along the west coast. They are active year-round.

• Symptoms may take 30 days to appear. Initial symptoms are flu-like; victims may also develop a red, expanding skin rash that resembles a bull's eye. If the disease is not treated, it can return later and cause nerve damage or arthritis.

Protection against Lyme Disease

• Dress appropriately. If you work in areas with long grasses, shrubs, or leaf litter, wear light-colored clothing. Tuck long pants into boots or socks, and wear long sleeves. You can also wear clothing made of insect netting (available through sporting goods stores or outdoor equipment catalogs).

• Apply repellent or insecticide. Lightly apply insect repellents that contain DEET or picaridin to exposed skin, avoiding broken skin. You can also apply the insecticide permethrin to clothing; clothes should be allowed to dry for 2 hours before wearing. Wash treated skin and clothing when you come indoors.

If you have an allergy that could be aggravated or is life threatening through exposure to certain environments or pests, let your Project Manager know prior to work in the field where

the potential hazards for these exist.

The best way to avoid an incident with a wild animal or dangerous insect is to keep your distance. Be sure to report any potential hazards such as hives, snakes, stray cats and dogs, etc., so that the proper measures can be taken to ensure the safety of all employees.

• Visit the CDC website for additional NIOSH workplace safety information on wildlife and insects :

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/outdoor/