Working Outdoors

Look out for Hazards!

As we approach summer and with the weather improving, it is important to keep in mind the hazards workers can face when working outdoors. When working outdoors, exposures can include:



  • Bites from insects and bugs such as bees, hornets, wasps, ticks and mosquitoes
  • Poisonous plants, such as poison ivy, giant hogweed, and wild parsnip
  • High temperatures
  • Solar radiation


Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), employers, owners, constructors, and supervisors are legally required to protect the health and safety of workers, which includes protecting them from insect bites, stings and poisonous plants and heat stress.


Please take a moment and re-establish a commitment to ensure workers are protected against outdoor hazards. We suggest you deliver a safety talk as a reminder to workplace parties of the hazards, and more importantly, re-establish safe practices and procedures.


Additionally, we encourage you to Visit IHSA's Occupational Health page to access many FREE resources on information regarding poisonous plants, insect stings, and heat stress.



Resources on Insect bites, stings, and poisonous plants

Download Safety Talk 
Download Safety Talk 
Read more on Giant Hogweed

Resources on Solar Radiation and Heat Stress

Download Safety Talk on Sun Protection
Download Safety Talk on Heat Stress
e-Learning on Heat Stress

Check out the Heat Stress topic page for more resources!

Sincerely,

Jennifer McKenzie

Director, Stakeholder & Client Engagement

IHSA

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