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Snakes

Animals are often referred to as poisonous or venomous, and sometimes both. “The words are often used interchangeably, but they’re not really interchangeable,” said Erin Kendall, the school programs coordinator at the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife. “But they both relate to animals that have some type of toxin.”

Venomous animals, such as rattlesnakes and wasps, inject toxins into a person’s bloodstream via a bite or a sting. With poisonous animals, the toxin is ingested.

According to NPS, ingesting a toxin can take place by inhaling, swallowing or absorbing it through the skin.

Certain physical signs often can help distinguish which snakes are venomous, said Kendall, who teaches snake safety. But this has limitations.

“You may have heard, ‘You can tell an animal’s venomous because it will have a diamond-, spade- or triangle-shaped head, or it will have elliptical pupils.’ But there are so many exceptions that I can’t give a blanket rule for the U.S.”

So, what advice does Kendall have for avoiding snakebites?

“Just give them space. It’s really a matter of, ‘OK, I see a snake. I don’t really know what it is. I’m going to give it a little space so it knows that it can slither away if it needs to and I’m not a threat.’”

NIOSH identifies the four types of venomous snakes in the United States as cottonmouths/water moccasins, copperheads, coral snakes and rattlesnakes. 

Workers can protect themselves by wearing boots, long pants and snake gaiters – a product that offers leg protection from the top of the foot to just below the knee.

Creepy-crawlies

With any bite or sting, workers should be aware that swelling is likely to occur.

“We can never go wrong washing with soap and water and removing any type of constricting items” such as jewelry, Weber said.

Common critters that bite or sting include:

Spiders: The black widow and the brown recluse are the two types of potentially deadly spiders found in the United States. Both can bite and inject toxic venom.

A black widow bite features two puncture marks in the skin, and the venom can cause pain in the bite area that can spread to the chest, abdomen or the entire body.

Black widows, identifiable by a red hourglass pattern on the underside of their abdomen, are known to build webs between objects, with which workers can come in contact.

Meanwhile, the area of a brown recluse bite can develop into a small white blister, then cause a severe lesion that requires immediate medical attention.

“Fortunately, both of these spider species tend to be very reclusive,” Kendall said. “They tend to isolate themselves.”

Watch out for these spiders in and around outdoor toilets where flies are abundant or under piles of rocks, leaves, wood or other debris. They’re most likely to bite, Kendall said, when threatened or provoked.

Scorpions: Mostly found in the southern and southwestern United States, scorpions often hide during the day and are most active at night. They can be found hiding under rocks, wood, debris and even in work gear such as boots.

Their stings can cause a burning sensation and pain at the site of a sting, among other symptoms, says NIOSH, which notes these usually subside within 48 hours. However, a sting from one particular species, known as the bark scorpion, can be life-threatening. Shaking out work clothing and footwear before donning can help prevent a sting, along with wearing leather gloves.

Bees, wasps and hornets: These are most common in warmer months, with workers potentially finding nests or hives in trees, on equipment such as ladders or under roof eaves, according to NIOSH.

Beverages should be consumed only from closed containers, Weber cautioned, rather than open cans or bottles.

Stings can be painful, and it’s important to use a fingernail or credit card to scrape away a stinger from the skin.

The biggest concern with stings is the potential for severe allergic reactions, Kendall said. NIOSH recommends workers with a history of allergic reactions carry an epinephrine auto injector.

Fire ants: Unknowingly standing on a nest or in a place where fire ants are foraging can lead to an attack that features a venomous sting. Workers should use a gloved hand or cloth to vigorously wipe away ants from their clothing.

Within one to two days, a sting can form a blisterlike sore and develop into an infection, OSHA says.

Protect yourself by wearing boots and tucking pant legs into your footwear, and using insect repellents on clothing.