Weekly Toolbox Talk: Jobsite Critters and Animal Awareness

Most hazards found at jobsites are man made, while others were there before construction began. Those are the ones that fly, crawl and slither.

Insects—Protection from bites and stings is your first defense. Some personal protection measures you can use to avoid getting stung include:

Avoid swatting at flying insects. Instead, gently brush them aside or just wait for them to fly away.

Never wear sweet-smelling colognes and deodorants. Insects are attracted to them.

Avoid wearing bright colored clothing with flowery patterns. Many insects can’t tell the real thing from a manufactured one.

Do not eat in areas where there are insects since many are attracted to food odors.

If you get stung or bitten by any insect, report this immediately to your supervisor that way he can take the proper measurements to clean the infected area. You can reduce any associated pain by applying cold water or ice. Venom from wasp stings has an odor that attracts other wasps, so you may want to take evasive action and move inside the building or inside a room.

Spiders—generally occupy dark, undisturbed sites, and they can occur indoors or outdoors. They thrive in human-altered environments. Indoors, they may be found in attics, basements, crawl spaces, cellars, closets, registers, ductwork, or remodeling jobs. Spiders may be also found underneath logs, loose stones in rock piles, and stacks of lumber.

Animals—Many animals are attracted to shelters and waste dumps, and may carry serious diseases. Infections are a common result, and rabies is a concern in wild animals as well as wandering dogs and cats. Not to long ago we had an employee that had a scratch from a rat while taking his lunch, be aware of the place where you decide to stand, sit or take your break, animals could be around that area. Housekeeping is real important, when you finish eating your lunch, make sure you pick up your trash and disposed properly, leaving trash behind is also a reason why animals are present on the jobsite. First aid for bites and scratches from animals should include cleaning the wound with soap and clean water, applying an antibiotic cream, and then covering it.