Watch Your Step Around Snakes

Details

• Personal Author:
  Pazos D
• Description:
  It's the time of year when farmers, ranchers and rural residents are busy doing yard work and field plowing before the fall breeze rolls in. However, agricultural producers are not the only ones busy this time of year. In August and September, snakes are particularly active trying to get in a couple more meals before hibernation. Now is a good time to watch your step and where you stick your hand. Areas to Avoid: Thick corn fields, tall grass, fallen logs, and old barns are not just perfect home structures for rodents, but also the perfect buffet line for snakes. Ponds are also ideal habitats for snakes due to the thick vegetation and access to small animals. Workers and people who live in rural areas should avoid snake habitats, if at all possible. Safety Tips: It doesn't matter if you're a farmer or just tending to the yard, the following tips can help you avoid a snake bite while performing outdoor work. Use a lawn rake or a wooden stick to check dark areas before you enter with your hand, foot or other body part. Wear thick gloves and boots while working in snake territory. This will make it harder for a snake's fangs to make contact with your skin. Remember: most snakes will only strike if they feel threatened. However, sometimes we don't hear or see their warnings. If you are bitten by a snake, wash the area with soap and water and call 911. It is difficult to identify some species of snakes or to determine if it poisonous. If you see a snake, make every effort to avoid it. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Accidents Agriculture Health Promotion Occupational Health Public Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Accident Prevention Agricultural Industry Agricultural Safety Health Promotion Injury Prevention Public Health Safety Education Snakes
• Publisher:
  The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Newsletter
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 6 ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20053427
• Citation:
  Monthly Safety Blast. Tyler, TX: The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education, 2014 Aug; :website
• Email:
  agcenter@uthct.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2014
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Texas Health Center at Tyler
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Monthly Safety Blast
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c46ddab13e2864d1ebef4204277606aced0d55bdc3929a591d519b86169661e205a372e491450bf56f825cc008482e800f6fe00e6623aa5abc3df63c1be9b564
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/216180/cdc_216180_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 346.80 KB ]