Insect and Animal Hazards on Jobsites

Talking points

1. Stinging insects — bees, wasps, hornets, fire ants — are responsible for more fatalities in the US than snakes and spiders combined. Workers with known allergies must carry an epinephrine auto-injector.
2. Ticks carry Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and other illnesses. Wear long pants, use DEET or permethrin-treated clothing, and check your body for ticks at the end of each day.
3. Snakes shelter under debris piles, in pipe stacks, and inside stored materials. Be cautious when reaching into areas you cannot see — use a tool or light to check first.
4. Spiders — especially brown recluse and black widow — hide in dark, undisturbed areas: stored boxes, inside gloves left out overnight, and in portable toilets. Shake out gloves and boots before putting them on.
5. If anyone is stung or bitten and shows signs of anaphylaxis — swelling of the face or throat, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat — call 911 immediately. This is a life-threatening emergency.

Ask the crew

Does anyone on the crew have a known allergy to stinging insects — and do they have an EpiPen on site?

Standards this talk is built on

• Section 5(a)(1)

A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.

Sign-in sheet

Print this page to collect signatures, or run the talk in Jobsite and workers sign in on their phones.

© Jobsite. Free to read aloud, print and use in your own crew's safety meetings. Republishing, reselling or bulk-copying these talks is not permitted.