Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool Loss Prevention 1-800-537-6655 .

POISONOUS PLANTSAND

VENOMOUS INSECTSSAFETY TRAINING

Texas Municipal LeagueIntergovernmental Risk Pool

Loss Prevention1-800-537-6655 www.tmlirp.org

WELCOME!

POISONOUS PLANTS ANDVENOMOUS INSECTS SAFETY TRAINING

Any employee working outdoors is at risk of exposure to poisonous plants and venomous insects.

Symptoms from exposure to plants or insects can occur within minutes and reactions vary from mild

to life-threatening.

This safety training will increase your awareness of safety issues and provide effective solutions regarding:

OBJECTIVES:

Discuss and increase awareness of the following; Types of Plants and Insects Symptoms of Exposure First Aid How to Protect Yourself


TYPES OF POISONOUS PLANTS AND VENOMOUS INSECTS

• POISONOUS PLANTS

• VENOMOUS INSECTS

Poisons are swallowed or absorbed.

Venoms are injected by fangs or stings.


Poison Ivy – Poison Oak – Poison Sumac• Urushiol – oily organic allergen in plant sap, resin, pale yellow-white in color. Turns black in air.• Induced contact dermatitis (rash)• Member of the Cashew family: Mangoes & Pistachios

Leaves of 3, Let It Be!

EXPOSURE TO POISONOUS PLANTS

Leaves of 3, Let It Be!




Only these are Poison ivy!Only these are Poison ivy!

SYMPTOMS / REACTIONS:

MildMedium

Extreme

SYMPTOMS OF EXPOSURE TO POISONOUS PLANTS

URUSHIOL - Contact dermatitis (rash: 1 - 2 days / ends 14 – 21 days )

sensitivity of the individual severity of exposure

* Possible allergic reaction

• POISONOUS PLANTS Loss Prevention Newsletter: Vol. 3 Issue 4 July – September 2011


PREVENTION:

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT FOR EXPOSURE

Best Prevention: No contact - no problem!

When working in an area where the possibility of contact exist;

• Use barrier cream: (IvyX)

• Wear PPE: long sleeved shirt, gloves, boots and pants

TREATMENT: FIRST AID

Best Treatment: Wash with soap and water at once after exposure

• After 10 minutes, only 50% of the resin is removable

• After 30 minutes, only 10%, rash normally clears in 14 - 21 days

• Hydrocortisone Cream: used for temporary relief of itching due

to rashes, insect bites, poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac.

Do not burn plants or brush piles that may contain poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac. Inhaling smoke from burning plants containing urushiol can cause severe allergic reactions& respiratory problems.

WARNING:EXPOSURE TO POISONOUS PLANTS

Personal Protective Equipment


EXPOSURE TO VENOMOUS INSECTS

• VENOMOUS INSECTS • Venoms are injected (fangs or stings)

Venoms (toxins)• hemotoxin (lower blood pressure and blood clotting)• myotoxin (also attack the heart muscle causing death)• neurotoxin (paralysis)• cytotoxin (tissue death, possible amputations)



Three ‘BADDEST OF THE BAD’ insects in Texas!• Bees• Black widow spider• Brown recluse (a.k.a. violin spider)


BEES: HONEY/AFRICANIZED/BUMBLE EVERYONE IS SUBJECT TO BEE STINGS

EVERYONE IS SUBJECT TO BEE STINGS

BEES: HONEY/AFRICANIZED/BUMBLE


Loss Prevention Newsletter: Vol. 1 Issue 3 April – June 2009

FATALITY

EVERYONE IS SUBJECT TO BEE STINGS



* Most active in spring and fall (new hives)

* Honey bees (sting only once – barbed stinger)

* Bee stings (immediate swelling, possible allergic reaction)

* Do not pinch the stinger to remove it. (Remove the stinger and the attached poison sac by scraping it from the skin with a dull edge of a credit card or fingernail.)

* Africanized honey bees (difficult to distinguish from managed bees)

BEES: AFRICANIZED


Africanized Bees are spreading rapidly!

RESPONSE AND TREATMENT FOR BEE STINGS

• Stay calm, get indoors (possibly apply cold compress)

* Breathing difficulty, seek medical attention immediately (911)

• Itching should subside in a few hours (If some sort of allergic reaction, see a doctor immediately. Symptoms; difficulty breathing, weakness, nausea, shock, and possibly unconsciousness)

* If you know that you are allergic to bee stings, consult your doctor about a preventative anti-venom first-aid kit

* If you see someone else being stung multiple times, call 9-1-1 first, and take measures to get them to safety, if possible, without endangering yourself.


MORE BEE INFORMATION


Materials on bees, including safety information from our TMLIRP NEWSLETTER.

Resources: Texas Cooperative Extension – http://texasextension.tamu.edu

Provides publications and materials regarding bees at its website. Refer to the Texas Cooperative Extension article “Honey Bees in and Around Buildings” athttp://tcebookstore.org.

Texas A&M Department of Entymology – http://honeybee.tamu.edu

http://texasextension.tamu.edu/

http://tcebookstore.org/

http://honeybee.tamu.edu/

SYMPTOMS OF EXPOSURE TO VENOMOUS INSECTS

BLACK WIDOW SPIDER: SYMPTOMS• Venom affects nervous system (neurotoxin)

* First symptom: acute pain at site of the bite in 20 minutes * Local pain followed by severe muscle cramps, abdominal pain, weakness, and tremor * In severe cases, nausea, vomiting, fainting, dizziness, chest pain, and respiratory difficulties may follow * Abdominal & chest pain, elevated blood pressure & heart rate * Severity of reaction depends on: age and physical condition

People rarely die from a black widow's bite. Life-threatening reactions are generally seen only in small children and the elderly.


BLACK WIDOW SPIDER: TREATMENT

Treatment for serious reactions to a black widow spider's bite require urgent medical attention

Pain relief : possibly the use of narcotics and antivenin (antitoxin to counteract the effects of the spider venom)

* Decision to seek emergency care should be made early! If the person bitten by a black widow spider has more

than minor pain or has whole-body symptoms(if symptoms are severe), call 911.

Brown Recluse (a.k.a. Violin Spider)

Identified by the violin on the back.


BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER: SYMPTOMS

Brown recluse venom is very poisonous and destructive!

Tissue death (necrosis) in areas surrounding the bite can cause: • Destruction of red blood cells• Low platelet count• Blood clots in the capillaries and loss of ability to form clots• Acute renal failure (kidney damage)• Coma• Death


BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER: SYMPTOMSBrown recluse spider bite often go unnoticed (usually painless bites)

• Some minor burning (feels like a bee sting at the time of the bite)• Symptoms usually develop 2 to 8 hours (after a bite)

Victims may experience these symptoms, initially: * severe pain at bite site after about 4 hours, severe itching, nausea, vomiting, fever, and muscle pain.

Initially the bite site is mildly red - close inspection may reveal fang marks.

Keep in mind that bites cause little tissue destruction, initially….

The bite may become more severe with blistering, leading to a blue discoloration, and ultimately leading to a necrotic lesion and scarring.


BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER: TREATMENT

Serious reactions – may require medical attention depending upon how it affects the individual

Pain relief: may require the use of narcotics / medication to deal with possible narcosis

The decision to seek emergency care should be made early. If the person bitten by a brown recluse spider has more than minor pain (or necrosis) and swelling starts, seek medical attention immediately!

Necrosis (death of the flesh) is extremely painful and can begin just a few hours

after a bite!

A BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER BITE: NECROTIC LESION

Day 3

Day 2 Day 5 Day 6

Day 9 Day 10

The Brown Recluse is ‘Lean & Mean’!

POISONOUS PLANTS AND VENOMOUS INSECTS



The best way to avoid contact with any of these is:

PREVENTION by contact avoidance!

Wear your PPE! Keep your mind on the job at hand! Be aware of your surroundings!


Texas Municipal LeagueIntergovernmental Risk Pool

Loss Prevention1-800-537-6655 www.tmlirp.org

Thank you and SAFE!

Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool Loss Prevention 1-800-537-6655 .

Documents

Transcript of Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool Loss Prevention 1-800-537-6655 .