If you are working in outdoor areas this time of year, be aware that you might not be alone out there: it’s tick time again in most parts of the country. Ticks are the little hitchhikers that pack a serious bite. While they may be small in size at first, it’s not the size of their bite that makes them so serious, it’s what might be in their bite that makes it important to be aware and take precautionary measures for prevention.

Preliminary health reports out of several states this year indicate that tick season is off to an early start in many areas, driven partly by a mild winter and warm spring. That being considered, this week’s topic is going to be on Ticks. We will talk about exactly what makes them dangerous, how to protect ourselves, and the removal process.

Let’s Get Focused

Ramblings of Safety

I started working in the nuclear field in the mid 1980’s and at that time I am not really sure there was a true safety culture at that time in the industry. It was something definitely said but not really, truly adhered to.

Fast forward to 2013 present day. Thanks to the help of Lea-Anne Mason and the likes of Jerry Hiatt and his organization, I believe our folks in the field are taking safety very seriously these days. Over the last 8 years of overseeing Florida Power & Light, Southern Nuclear, and South Carolina Gas & Electric you can actually see the changes from year to year in our safety culture. You can see them in the number of incidents that are happening or I should say incidents that are not happening anymore!

Why are the numbers declining and improving? I believe that our folks are simply just “getting the message” and it is sinking in that they need to stay safe at work and go home every day to enjoy their family and friends. Our folks are getting the message from multiple avenues; from our corporate office, Directors, Site Managers and Supervisors, and most importantly from their own peers in the field, looking out for each other.

On a personal note I would also like this to be a “Public Safety Announcement”. Let’s make sure as we are getting older to schedule what-ever yearly exams we need to (male and female); to make sure one day out of the clear blue sky we do not get surprised by a health issue. My brother was not very long ago “surprised” by an unknown-growth that turned out to be cancerous. His long term diagnosis’s looks pretty good and will have surgery sometime in early August. So guess what, I have an appointment set-up for late July for a colonoscopy. Trust me, I am not really looking forward to it, but I have just witnessed what can happen without yearly and preventive check-ups….So I am going…you all should to!

Thanks and have a safe week.

Sam BassDirector of Operations

Diversity Quote

“Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day.”

-unknown

Identification and Information

Ticks tend to be more active during the warmer months of the year, though this is going to vary by geographic regions and climate. Areas with woods, bushes, high grass, or leaf litter are likely to have more ticks.

For most of us the common ticks we will encounter are the Deer Tick (also known as the Blacklegged Tick) the Dog Tick and the Lone Star Tick. We are just a host for ticks —a means for food support. The factor that makes them dangerous is who they may have fed on before they decided to settle with us.

Anatomy of the Tick and It’s Bite

Many people group ticks into the same category as fleas and mosquitoes -- insects that suck blood. However, ticks share the family species with the arachnids—better known as the spider. The distinct difference between a tick and a spider is the two (2) distinct body segments, otherwise they are the same.

A tick's body is small and relatively flat, so it's easy for it to attach itself to a host and eat its fill before the host notices. This is particularly true for immature ticks, which can be smaller than the period at the end of a sentence. Hungry adult ticks are often smaller than sesame seeds. Many ticks have to stay in place for a day or more to finish a meal, so the ability to go unnoticed is central to its survival.

Ticks use their mouthparts to pierce their hosts' skin and extract blood. There are 3 main parts of a ticks mouth but the barbed needle-like part of their mouth is what will break through the skin to draw out it’s food—your blood.

The barbs on the needle-like part of a ticks mouth are like the barbs on a fishhook and they point back toward the tick, making it difficult to remove the tick without damaging the skin. Some ticks even secrete a cement-like substance with their saliva that can make it even harder to remove the feeding tick. The saliva also keeps the host's blood from clotting while the tick eats. But unlike a flea's saliva, it doesn't usually include compounds that cause itching and swelling.

As a tick eats its body expands or swells. The female tick will swell immensely as they store the blood they need to lay their eggs.

How to Protect Yourself from Ticks

The bite of a tick transmits a host of illness, including lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and babesiosis, an infection that destroys red blood cells. If you spend time outdoors for work or play in wood areas, areas with high grass or leaf litter on the ground, you need to take some precautionary measures to protect yourself from ticks:

• Stay on well-worn trails when or if possible. Avoid walking through tall grass and dense foliage that are common tick habitats.

• Wear light-colored clothing. Doing so will make it easier to see a tiny tick if it lands on you. Ticks are dark colored and will contrast against a lighter color.

• Cover up. It’s a lot harder for ticks to bite you if you’re covered from head to toe. While away from work, avoid sandals and open toed shoes, shorts and short sleeves in these areas. Opt for pants and long-sleeved shirts. Tuck your pant legs into your socks or boots for extra protection.

• Ticks are opportunistic little rascals and will even attach themselves to strands of your hair in an effort to get to a good biting spot like your neck or head. Tuck your hair under a hat or scarf so you don’t give a tick a free ride.

• Use insect repellent. Brands that contain 20 to 30 percent of the ingredient commonly referred to as DEET are most effective, but you’ll have to reapply the product every few hours.

• Spray insect repellent directly on your clothing• Do not sit on the ground or on logs in bushy areas

CAUTIONDEET is toxic and can cause serious injury if you get it in

your eyes or ingest it. Never apply the product to

your hands or face.

Spot Check and Tick Removal

Time is of the essence when you are dealing with a ticks and a tick bite. Ticks that carry Lyme disease usually have to feed on your body for at least 36 hours in order to transmit it. So if you’re vigilant about searching for and removing ticks, you can greatly reduce your risk of exposure.

If you are working in known tick habitats, check your clothing and exposed areas as frequently as possible. When you get in from the field inspect your body thoroughly and as soon as you have an opportunity take a shower. The areas to be watchful for during your check are:• Groin• Around the bellybutton• Arm pits• Head and scalp• Behind the knees• Around your earsIf during your search you do find a tick, it is important to remove it immediately. Ticks should be removed carefully and slowly.. If the attached tick is broken, the mouthparts left in the skin may transmit disease or cause a secondary infection. Take the following steps to remove a tick:

• Using a pair of pointed tweezers; grasp the tick as close to the head or mouth parts against the skin as possible. DO NOT grasp the tick by the body.

• With a slow, smooth motion, pull firmly and steadily outward. DO NOT twist the tick. DO NOT apply petroleum jelly, a hot match, alcohol or any other irritant to the tick. This can cause the tick to burrow more deeply and expel more bacteria into the blood.

• Clean the wound with disinfectant. Monitor the bite for a rash for three to 30 days.• If a rash or other symptom develops, see a doctor immediately.

Tick-borne Diseases and Symptoms

Tick-borne diseases are diseases or illnesses transmitted by ticks. They don’t necessarily originate from the tick but are usually picked up during the ticks life-cycle, carried and shared with other hosts. Tick-borne illnesses are caused by infection with a variety of different pathogens, including rickettsia and other types of bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. The most common that we may experience will be Lyme Disease. Lyme disease can affect different body systems, such as the nervous system, joints, skin, and heart. The symptoms of Lyme disease are often described as happening in three stages. Not everyone experiences all of these stages, though:

• Bulls-eye rash—roughly 80% of all cases the bulls-eye rash is the first sign. Appears witihin 1-2 weeks from the bite (can be as much as 30 days). Sometimes warm to the touch and usually not painful or itchy. Rash usually resolves in about a month.

• Along with the rash, you may experience flu-like symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, headache, and muscle aches. If left untreated these symptoms may go away on their own. Symptoms of this stage of Lyme disease usually appear within several weeks after the tick bite, even in someone who has not developed the initial bulls-eye rash.

• The last stage of Lyme disease can occur if the early stages of the disease were not detected or treated. Symptoms may include arthritis, particularly in the knees, and memory lapses (this last symptom happens mainly to adults and is rare in kids and teens.

Lyme disease is not contagious and it is difficult to test for but not impossibly. Additionally, there is no vaccine for Lyme disease currently on the market in the United States and it is typically treated with a 2 to 4 week course of antibiotics.

The best prevention is to avoid contact with ticks when possible and when not possible protect yourself.

Communications

With so much communication technology at our fingertips, it is difficult to believe that there are any communication problems today. In the course of a busy workday though, the importance of good communication can be something that can be easily forgotten.

Use the TelephoneUsing the telephone is good for setting up meetings or discussing items for which there is a quick resolution. It is not a good venue to tell someone that they made a mistake—Save that discussion for a one-on-one meeting.

Write an EmailEmail is a fast and convenient way of communicating provided you follow a few guidelines. Use email for only disseminating factual information—avoid information that can be misinterpreted

Have a MeetingMeetings can help bring co-workers and colleagues together and make them feel a part of the company. It also helps to keep everyone apprised of what is happening. It is probably the best way to communicate all important business and ensure that everyone hears it. It is important to encourage open communication in meetings, so that everyone feels that they are heard and that what they say matters.

One-on-One CommunicationIt is so much easier to shoot someone an email or leave them a voicemail, but there are times when good old-fashioned face-to-face communication is still the best way to speak with a colleague or co-worker.

ListenListening is probably the most glossed over, yet most important piece of the of communication puzzle. Without the listening portion, any other piece cannot fully succeed. Employees and colleagues need to know that their input is being heard. Feeling unheard can often be the cause of low morale and high employee turnover. While listening does not necessarily mean incorporating each suggestion into your company or changing every policy based on what one employee says, it does mean giving the ideas full consideration.

If you recall, one the central themes for Behavior Based Safety has always been:

“If you can predict it, you can prevent it”

If we focus on this as the core principal or central theme, we should be able to identify when our instincts or other factors have a way of overriding our values.

We have talked about our values numerous times—but it is important that you are able to clearly show how each decision you make reflects that you were considering your values, the things that you hold near and dear to your heart.

Our Instinctive Center; that which instinctively happens with very little thought at all is something we need to be watchful for. The example we have used in the past is when you are hungry to the point that it is annoying—Hangry.

Our body tells us through instincts when we are hungry and need food, water or rest. But as our body tells us this, we have to listen as well. When you don’t pay attention to what your body is telling you, then eventually your body will begin to impact your decision making and ability to focus on the task at hand.

Plan ahead, eat well, hydrate and get plenty of rest so you can stay focused on arriving at the right result.