Ticks, plants and wildlife present hazards to outdoor workers
With summer on its last legs, employers can cross extreme heat off the list of dangers facing outdoor workers.
But the turning of the leaves doesn’t mean employees working outside should let their guards down to other hazards out there.
Lyme disease
There are areas of the country that have increased populations of ticks, which can mean higher levels of Lyme disease, including areas of Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario.
Lyme disease is an infection caused by the corkscrew-shaped bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is spread by blacklegged ticks, or deer ticks as they used to be known, according to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
The disease can cause fevers, temporary face paralysis and flu-like symptoms in the short term. If the initial infection is not treated, symptoms involving the heart, nervous system or joints can occur.
Applying insect repellent with DEET and covering up as much skin as possible are two of the ways to decrease risk of a tick bite when working outdoors, said Richard Gould, medical officer of health based in Wolfdale, N.S.
Once a worker has returned home she should be told to do a “tick check” to look for any ticks that might be on her body and to see if any ticks have attached. Ticks can be removed easily with a pair of tweezers if they are attached, he said.
“It takes at least 24 hours or so for a tick to be attached and potentially transmit Lyme disease, so if you remove them earlier you’re not at risk of infection,” he said.
The worker should also take a shower or bath after changing out of work clothes.
“If there’s an unattached tick they’ll just wash off in the bath water or shower,” he said.
Nova Scotia gets about 10 cases of Lyme disease reported to public health every year, he said.
“It’s sort of increased over the years since we started seeing Lyme disease in the early 2000s...but it’s kind of in that range now,” he said.
Late summer and early fall are when public health in the province tends to get the most reports about Lyme disease, which is probably related to the stages of life of the black legged tick, he said.
Giant hogweed
The plant, which has been present in Ontario and some other provinces for awhile, has just popped up in New Brunswick.
“It is quite an invasive species, so we expect we are going to see more and more of it,” Roland Roy, an engineer with WorkSafe New Brunswick.
“So that’s why we’ve put out the hazard alert.”
The plant can grow quite large, with mature plants reaching up to six metres high.
“Giant hogweed is a new species in New Brunswick, so workers don’t have a lot of exposure to it, they’ve never seen it before,” said Roy.
The major concern with giant hogweed is the sap, which can react with UV rays and can cause third degree burns. If it gets in a worker’s eyes it can also cause blindness, he said.
If there is hogweed on a worksite, Roy suggests hiring professionals to remove it.
“If you have to work near the plants, wear protective clothing,” he said, adding if there is skin contact the area should be washed immediately with soap and water and the worker should avoid sun exposure.
Wildlife
While bears may not be an issue at most worksites, rural workers and employees sent to remote sites should be aware the dangers of a bear are very real.
“I would say we probably run into it a couple times a year,” said Bruce Clarke, regional prevention manager for north central, central and northwestern British Columbia at WorkSafeBC.
And in B.C., bears are an ever-present hazard, not a seasonal one, said Clarke.
If employers have employees working in rural settings, for industries including tree planting, logging and even the flaggers on roads and highways in rural areas, WorkSafe expects companies to do a risk assessment with relation to wildlife and take the appropriate measures to either eliminate or minimize the risks, he said.
“What we expect is proper training and education of the workers with regard to bears and the proper tools to deal with the situations,” he said. Tools could include firearms, bear spray or air horns depending on what the risks are in the area of work.
Training should include ensuring workers know the difference between a black bear and a grizzly bear, the ability to identify bear signs like scat, knowing what areas attract a bear and the difference between a bear that is investigating a noise and predatory bear that is stalking.
The training can be taken through WorkSafe or by showing workers a comprehensive DVD, he said.
“There are a number of very good training tapes out,” he said.
There are ways to deal with problems before they start, said Clarke.
Some employers put salt blocks down around their work camps to attract buffalos to their camps because they know bears are afraid of them.
“People get pretty ingenious with how to handle certain situations,” he said.
But the turning of the leaves doesn’t mean employees working outside should let their guards down to other hazards out there.
Lyme disease
There are areas of the country that have increased populations of ticks, which can mean higher levels of Lyme disease, including areas of Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario.
Lyme disease is an infection caused by the corkscrew-shaped bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is spread by blacklegged ticks, or deer ticks as they used to be known, according to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
The disease can cause fevers, temporary face paralysis and flu-like symptoms in the short term. If the initial infection is not treated, symptoms involving the heart, nervous system or joints can occur.
Applying insect repellent with DEET and covering up as much skin as possible are two of the ways to decrease risk of a tick bite when working outdoors, said Richard Gould, medical officer of health based in Wolfdale, N.S.
Once a worker has returned home she should be told to do a “tick check” to look for any ticks that might be on her body and to see if any ticks have attached. Ticks can be removed easily with a pair of tweezers if they are attached, he said.
“It takes at least 24 hours or so for a tick to be attached and potentially transmit Lyme disease, so if you remove them earlier you’re not at risk of infection,” he said.
The worker should also take a shower or bath after changing out of work clothes.
“If there’s an unattached tick they’ll just wash off in the bath water or shower,” he said.
Nova Scotia gets about 10 cases of Lyme disease reported to public health every year, he said.
“It’s sort of increased over the years since we started seeing Lyme disease in the early 2000s...but it’s kind of in that range now,” he said.
Late summer and early fall are when public health in the province tends to get the most reports about Lyme disease, which is probably related to the stages of life of the black legged tick, he said.
Giant hogweed
The plant, which has been present in Ontario and some other provinces for awhile, has just popped up in New Brunswick.
“It is quite an invasive species, so we expect we are going to see more and more of it,” Roland Roy, an engineer with WorkSafe New Brunswick.
“So that’s why we’ve put out the hazard alert.”
The plant can grow quite large, with mature plants reaching up to six metres high.
“Giant hogweed is a new species in New Brunswick, so workers don’t have a lot of exposure to it, they’ve never seen it before,” said Roy.
The major concern with giant hogweed is the sap, which can react with UV rays and can cause third degree burns. If it gets in a worker’s eyes it can also cause blindness, he said.
If there is hogweed on a worksite, Roy suggests hiring professionals to remove it.
“If you have to work near the plants, wear protective clothing,” he said, adding if there is skin contact the area should be washed immediately with soap and water and the worker should avoid sun exposure.
Wildlife
While bears may not be an issue at most worksites, rural workers and employees sent to remote sites should be aware the dangers of a bear are very real.
“I would say we probably run into it a couple times a year,” said Bruce Clarke, regional prevention manager for north central, central and northwestern British Columbia at WorkSafeBC.
And in B.C., bears are an ever-present hazard, not a seasonal one, said Clarke.
If employers have employees working in rural settings, for industries including tree planting, logging and even the flaggers on roads and highways in rural areas, WorkSafe expects companies to do a risk assessment with relation to wildlife and take the appropriate measures to either eliminate or minimize the risks, he said.
“What we expect is proper training and education of the workers with regard to bears and the proper tools to deal with the situations,” he said. Tools could include firearms, bear spray or air horns depending on what the risks are in the area of work.
Training should include ensuring workers know the difference between a black bear and a grizzly bear, the ability to identify bear signs like scat, knowing what areas attract a bear and the difference between a bear that is investigating a noise and predatory bear that is stalking.
The training can be taken through WorkSafe or by showing workers a comprehensive DVD, he said.
“There are a number of very good training tapes out,” he said.
There are ways to deal with problems before they start, said Clarke.
Some employers put salt blocks down around their work camps to attract buffalos to their camps because they know bears are afraid of them.
“People get pretty ingenious with how to handle certain situations,” he said.
