We all spend time outdoors, so we all are at some risk of coming into contact with the deer ticks that carry Lyme disease. Our Safety Training Tips editor offers some tips to share with your workers for lowering the risk of contracting this potentially debilitating disease.
Lyme disease lives in squirrels, mice, and other small mammals and is passed to humans through black-legged ticks, more commonly known as deer ticks. Outdoor workers are most at risk, but so are employees who work and play in the great outdoors during their off hours. So take some time to teach your employees with ways to avoid exposure to ticks, how to recognize Lyme Disease symptoms, and when to get treatment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list these jobs as at risk:
- Construction
- Landscaping
- Forestry
- Brush clearing
- Land surveying
- Farming
- Railroad work
- Oil field work
- Utility line work
- Park or wildlife management
Here’s how to avoid exposure whenever you go outside:
- Wear a hat, light-colored clothing, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants tucked into shoes or socks.
- Use insect repellents containing 20% to 30% DEET on your skin or clothing, or reapply repellents as needed.
- Use insecticides such as Permethrin for greater protection. Permethrin can be used on clothing but not on skin.
- Check your skin and clothes for ticks every day.
- Remove ticks from your body using fine-tipped tweezers.
- Grasp the tick firmly and as close to your skin as possible.
- Pull the tick’s body away from your skin with a steady motion.
- Clean the area with soap and water.
- Wash and dry clothes in a hot dryer to kill ticks.
- Learn the symptoms of Lyme disease.
How do you know if you have Lyme disease? Here are the symptoms:
- An expanding circular rash that may look like a red bulls-eye at the site of the tick bite
- Fever
- Joint and muscle pains
- Headache
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Sleep disturbance
- Swollen lymph nodes
If you have these symptoms, seek medical attention promptly. Most cases can be cured with antibiotics if treatment is begun early. A small percentage of patients experience symptoms for months to years after taking antibiotics. Why this happens is not known, but there is some evidence that it is because a person’s immune system continues to respond even after the infection has been cleared. So get treated quickly.
Why It Matters…
- In a recent year, more than 23,000 cases of Lyme disease were reported.
- Those who live in the Northeast and North-Central states are most at risk—but cases have been reported in almost all 50 states.
- The majority of cases can be cured if treated early.
Other Recent Articles on Injuries and Illness
Back Injuries: Eliminate the ‘Usual Suspects’
Back Pain: Causes and Prevention
Do the Math: Understanding the Heat Equation
Not Quite Summer, but the Heat Is On!
OSHA’s bloodborne pathogen standard applies to all “reasonably anticipated” contact with blood (or other potentially infectious materials) that may result from the performance of an employee’s duties.
OSHA’s bloodborne pathogen standard applies to all “reasonably anticipated” contact with blood (or other potentially infectious materials) that may result from the performance of an employee’s duties.