Safety Manual | 2024

BL Companies // Corporate Safety Manual //

8.13 Biological Hazards

· Use caution when entering tick-infected areas; · Stay in the center of paths;

· Avoid sitting on the ground; and · Conduct frequent tick-checks.

Purpose The purpose of this Section is to make Employees aware of possible biological hazards in the field and how to protect themselves. Scope This Section applies to all Employees when they are in the field. Policy It is BL’s policy to provide Employees with the information they need to remain safe and to encourage them to avoid areas where the biological hazards listed below may be found. Overview During site work, Employees may encounter biological hazards in the form of poisonous plants, insects, animals and indigenous pathogens. Protective clothing can help reduce the chances of exposure and Employees should wash any exposed body parts and equipment to protect against infection. Ticks Ticks are blood-feeding external parasites found in wooded areas and in tall grass where they wait for a suitable host. The primary concern with a tick bite is the potential exposure to diseases such as Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Ehrlichiosis. One should exercise caution at all times. To reduce the chance of getting a tick-bite: · Avoid tick infested areas, when possible; · Avoid short-cuts through heavily wooded, tick-infested areas;

CLOTHING Dress properly and wear light-colored clothing. This allows an Employee to more easily see ticks on clothing and gives the opportunity to remove them before they can attach to the skin. Wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants. This reduces the skin area exposed to ticks. Tuck shirts into pants and pants into socks. Use tape or Velcro ® straps to secure pant legs at the cuffs. This helps to keep the ticks on the outside of clothing. As an alternative to using tape or Velcro ® straps to secure pant legs at the cuffs, field team members may wear a light-colored, breathable, booted fabric coverall. The coverall should be worn as the field team member’s outer clothing, as a seamless barrier against ticks. A Tyvek suit may be used as an alternative, however, a Tyvek does not breathe easily and may become very hot to wear. Additionally, in many field environments the Tyvek may tear easily. When removing clothing, the Employee should ensure the coverall is free of ticks before removal. REPELLANTS Using repellants can help protect from ticks. Repellants with DEET should be applied to skin in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Repellants with Permethrin should be applied to clothes in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. Wash off the repellents from skin when returning inside or prior to eating. In the field where water may not be available, this can easily be accomplished using something as simple as a baby and sanitizer wipe.

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