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SAFETY MOMENT, APRIL 3

Know the signs of a severe allergic reaction

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Safety moment, April 3

Know the signs of a severe allergic reaction

Outdoor crews work where ticks, mosquitoes and stinging insects live: tall grass, brush, wood piles, eaves and equipment that has sat for a while. Ticks and mosquitoes can spread diseases such as Lyme disease and West Nile virus, and a sting can set off a severe allergic reaction that needs emergency care right away.

SAFETY MOMENT

April 3

The hazard

Outdoor crews work where ticks, mosquitoes and stinging insects live: tall grass, brush, wood piles, eaves and equipment that has sat for a while. Ticks and mosquitoes can spread diseases such as Lyme disease and West Nile virus, and a sting can set off a severe allergic reaction that needs emergency care right away.

The action

Call 911 right away if someone has trouble breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, spreading hives, or dizziness after a sting or bite. Help them use their own epinephrine auto-injector if they have one, and stay with them. If you have a serious sting allergy, carry your auto-injector and tell a coworker where it is. On construction sites where 911 service is not available, the phone numbers of physicians, hospitals or ambulances must be conspicuously posted. (29 CFR 1926.50(f)(1))

ASK THE CREW

What repellent and long-sleeve gear do we have on the truck?

From the talk: Insects, ticks and stings. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

  1. Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
  2. Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
  3. Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
  4. Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

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