Ticks are a serious problem and they should be taken very seriously.
When you go outdoors, particularly if you go to an area with vegetation, trees, shrubbery and such, not only should you take precautions but you should also closely inspect your clothing and yourself when coming home.
How out door workers can avoid ticks?
If you are working outside, protect your self:
- Wear light-coloured clothing (when possible) to help find ticks more easily
- Wear long sleeve shirts (when possible) and long pants. Wear, a hat if contact with overhead vegetation cannot be avoided. Wear closed footwear and socks.
- Tuck your pants into your socks.
- Use caution when working in bushy areas and long grass. Immediately after outdoor work in such areas, do a total body inspection for ticks. Pay close attention to areas such as your scalp, ankles, armpits, groin, navel and behind your ears and knees. Use a mirror to check the back of your body or have someone else check for you.
- Shower soon after being outdoors to wash off a tick that may be attached.
- Check any gear that you may have brought with your outside for ticks.
- Put clothes in the dryer far one hour an high heat to kill any ticks.
- If you find any ticks, report it to your supervisor so that other workers can be made aware of the hazard and recheck themselves for ticks.
How to remove a tick
If you find a tick on you, follow these steps to remove it:
- If the tick is attached to you use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool to grasp me tick as close to your skin as possible. Do not use your fingers.
- Pull the tick straight out, gently but firmly making sure to remove me entire tick (including the head.) Don’t squeeze it – avoid crushing the tick’s body.
- After removing the tick place it in a secure container, such as a screw-top bottle used for medication.
- Contact your local public health unit or doctor for further instructions.
- Thoroughly clean, the bite site with rubbing alcohol and soap and water.
