provided by the Safety Council of Maryland
Hot summer months pose special hazards for outdoor workers who
must protect themselves against heat, sun exposure, and other hazards.
Employers and employees should know the potential hazards in their workplaces
and how to manage them.
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Sun
Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which causes premature aging of
the skin, wrinkles, cataracts, and skin cancer. There are no safe UV rays or
safe suntans. Be especially careful in the sun if you burn easily, spend a lot
of time outdoors, or have any of the following physical features: numerous,
irregular, or large moles; freckles, fair skin; or blond, red, or light brown
hair. Here’s how to block those harmful rays:
Cover up. Wear lightly woven clothing that you can’t see through.
Use sunscreen. A sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 blocks 93 percent of UV rays. Be sure to follow application directions on the bottle or tube.
Wear a Hat. A wide brim hat, not a baseball cap, works best because it protects the neck, ears, eyes, forehead, nose, and scalp.
Wear UV-absorbent shades. Sunglasses don’t have to be expensive, but they should block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation. Before you buy, read the product tag or label.
Limit exposure. UV rays are most intense between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Heat
The combination of heat and humidity can be a serious health threat during the
summer months. If you work at a beach resort, on a farm, or in a kitchen,
laundry, or bakery for example, you may be at risk for heat-related illness. So,
take precautions. Here’s how:
Drink plenty of water before you get thirsty.
Wear light, loose-fitting, breathable clothing-cotton is good.
Take frequent short breaks in cool shade.
Eat smaller meals before work activity.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol or large amounts of sugar.
Find out from your health-care provider if your medications and heat don’t mix.
Know that equipment such as respirators or work suits can increase heat stress.
Lyme Disease
This illness is caused by bites from infected ticks. Most but not all, victims
will develop a “bulls-eye” rash. Other signs and symptoms may be non-specific
and similar to flu symptoms such as fever, lymph mode swelling, neck stiffness,
generalized fatigue, headaches, migrating joint aches, or muscle aches. You are
at increased risk if your work outdoors involves construction, landscaping,
forestry, brush clearing, land surveying, farming, railroads, oil fields,
utility lines, or park and wildlife management. Protect yourself with these
precautions:
Wear light-colored clothes to see ticks more easily.
Wear long sleeves; tuck pant legs into socks or boots.
Wear high boots or closed shoes that cover your feet completely.
Wear a hot.
Use tick repellants, but not on your face.
Shower after work. Wash and dry your work clothes at high temperature.
Examine your body for ticks after work. Remove any attached ticks promptly with fine-tipped tweezers. Do not use petroleum jelly, a hot match, or nail polish to remove the tick.
Helpful link:
www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_LymeFacts/lymefac.pdf
West Nile Virus
Illness from the West Nile virus is rare, but it does happen. Mild symptoms
include fever, headache, and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the
trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands. Symptoms of severe infection include
headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors,
convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. Getting rid of standing water in
containers such as discarded tires, buckets, and barrels helps reduce
mosquito-breeding areas. In addition, you can protect yourself from mosquito
bites in these ways:
Apply insect repellent with DEET to exposed skin.
Spray clothing with repellants containing DEET or permethrin.
Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks.
Be extra vigilant at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
Helpful link:
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm
More Information
Do you have teenagers working at summer jobs this year? You and they may want to
check out one of these websites:
Department of Labor at www.youthrules.dol.gov
OSHA has many other material available to help employers,
employees, safety and health professionals, and others. For more information,
visit our website at www.osha.gov or call us
toll-free at (800) 321-OSHA (6742).
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This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs,
policies, or standards. It does not impose any new compliance requirements.
For a comprehensive list of compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations, refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
This information will be made available to sensory-impaired
individuals upon request. The voice phone is (202) 693-1999. See also OSHA’s
website at www.osha.gov
Safety Council of Maryland
Baltimore: 410-298-4770
Toll Free: 1-800-875-4770
Fax: 410-281-1350
www.safemd.org
Email: safety@safemd.org
Your help in improving safety at the
University is appreciated!
Safety Alert # 0703
Safety Alert Archive