OSHA
Employee Health
OSHA Recommendations for Employee Health
Employees face a variety of health hazards that are
unique to their specific workplace. Environmental and at-
mospheric changes may call for amended or additional
safety and health controls. Depending upon your industry,
your employees may be exposed to potentially dangerous
health hazards such as Lyme disease, heat stress and ultra-
violet radiation (UV). While OSHA has no formal rules gov-
erning these health hazards, it recognizes the dangers
posed by various working climates and offers several publi-
cations that contain facts and suggestions for employee
protection.
OSHA releases bulletins known as Hazard Information
Bulletins (HIBs) in accordance with OSHA instruction CPL
2.65 to provide relevant information regarding unrecog-
nized or misunderstood health hazards, and inadequacies
of materials, devices, technique and safety engineering
controls. HIBs are initiated based on information provided
by the field staff, studies, reports and concerns expressed
by safety and health professionals, employers and the pub-
lic. Bulletins are developed based on thorough evaluation
of available facts in accordance with appropriate parties.
An HIB is not a new standard or regulation, and it does not
create legal obligations. It is advisory in nature, informa-
tional in content and is intended for use by employers seek-
ing to provide a safe and healthful workplace.
This chapter presents guidelines for protection against
health hazards for which there are no OSHA standards, and
offers references for further information.
Lyme Disease
OSHA issued HIB 00-4-20 to provide guidance for work-
ers and employers about how to decrease the risk of Lyme
disease in individuals who may be exposed on the job to
disease-causing ticks. Workers in certain construction and
forestry duties as well as any individuals who work out-
doors in heavily wooded or grassy areas may be affected. If
recognized early, Lyme disease can be easily treated with
antibiotic medication. According to the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention (CDC), if the disease goes
unrecognized and untreated, chronic conditions may en-
sue, including varying degrees of permanent damage to the
joints or the nervous system. The CDC has published sev-
eral guidelines on the prevention of Lyme disease, including
avoiding or clearing tick-infested habitat; using personal
protective measures, such as clothing and repellent; per-
730 www.safety.ambest.com
Chapter 8
forming tick checks; and removing ticks early. (Note: See
CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov)
The CDC, along with the U.S Food and Drug Adminis-
tration (FDA), recommend that the following safety mea-
sures be taken when working outdoors:
• Wear light-colored clothing so that ticks can be more
easily seen and removed before attachment occurs
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck pant legs into socks
or boots to prevent ticks from reaching the skin
• Wear high boots or closed shoes that cover the entire
foot
• Wear a hat
• Spray insect repellents (containing n,n-diethyl-m-toluamide
[DEET]) on exposed skin, excluding the face, in accor-
dance with EPA guidelines. Use permethrin on clothes to
kill ticks on contact
• Shower, and wash and dry clothing at a high tempera-
ture after outdoor exposure
• Check the body carefully for ticks; once found,
promptly remove them with tweezers and cleanse the
skin area with an antiseptic
Avoiding tick bites is the key to preventing Lyme disease.
Some areas of the United States, the Northeast in particu-
lar, are at greater risk for Lyme disease. To determine the
degree of risk present in your area, please see the National
Lyme disease risk map, presented in OSHA HIB 00-4-20.
Heat Stress
High outdoor temperatures combined with high humidity
and physical work can lead to heat stress and illness. When
the body is unable to cool itself through sweating, serious
heat illnesses may occur. The most severe heat-induced ill-
nesses are heat exhaustion and heat stroke. If actions are
not taken to treat heat exhaustion, the illness could prog-
ress to heat stroke and possible death. Employers and
workers should take precautions to avoid potentially
life-threatening heat exhaustion.
OSHA suggests the following tips for protecting workers
in hot environments:
• Learn the signs and symptoms of heat-induced ill-
nesses and what to do to help the worker.
• Train the workforce about heat-induced illnesses.
• Perform the heaviest work in the coolest part of the day.
• Slowly build up tolerance to the heat and the work ac-
tivity (usually takes up to two weeks).
• Use the buddy system (work in pairs).
 • Drink plenty of cool water (one cup every 15 to 20
minutes).
• Wear light, loose fitting, breathable clothing (such as
cotton).
• Take frequent short breaks in cool shaded areas to al-
low your body to cool down.
• Avoid eating large meals before working in hot environ-
ments.
• Avoid caffeine and alcoholic beverages. These bever-
ages make the body lose water and increase the risk for
heat illnesses.
OSHA further advises that workers may be at increased
risk if they have had a heat-induced illness in the past and if
they wear personal protective equipment, such as respira-
tors or suits.
UV Radiation
Outdoor workers should be made aware of the dangers of
exposure to UV. According to OSHA, sunlight is the main
source of UV known to damage the skin and to cause can-
cer. The amount of UV exposure depends on the strength of
the light, the length of exposure and whether the skin is pro-
tected. There are no safe UV rays or safe suntans. Sun ex-
posure at any age can cause skin cancer. Skin and eyes are
most susceptible to sun damage. Your workers need to be
especially careful in the sun if they have:
• numerous moles, irregular moles or large moles;
• freckles or the tendency to burn before tanning;
• fair skin, or blond, red or light brown hair; or
• the tendency or need to spend a lot of time outdoors.
In addition to skin cancer, sun exposure can cause pre-
mature aging of the skin, wrinkles, cataracts and other eye
problems.
OSHA suggests five important steps for protection
against UV radiation and skin cancer:
1. Cover up. Wear clothing to protect as much of your
skin as possible. Wear clothing that does not transmit visi-
BEST’S SAFETY & SECURITY DIRECTORY — 2002
ble light. To determine if the clothing will protect you, try this
8
test: Place your hand between the fabric and a light source.
If you can see your hand through the fabric, the garment of-
fers little protection against sun exposure.
2. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. Ex-
OSHA
perts recommend products with a Sun Protection Factor
(SPF) of at least 15. The number of the SPF represents the
level of sunburn protection provided by the sunscreen. An
SPF 15 blocks out 93 percent of the burning UV rays; an
SPF 30 blocks out 97 percent of the burning UV rays.
3. Wear a hat. A wide brim hat is ideal because it protects
the neck, ears, eyes, forehead, nose and scalp. A baseball
cap provides some protection for the front and top of the
head, but not for the back of the neck or the ears where skin
cancers commonly develop.
4. Wear sunglasses that block UV rays. UV-absorbent
sunglasses can help protect your eyes from sun damage.
Ideal sunglasses should block 99 to 100 percent of UV radi-
ation. Check the label to make sure they do. Darker glasses
do not necessarily provide better protection. UV protection
comes from an invisible chemical applied to the lenses, not
from the color or darkness of the lenses.
5. Limit direct sun exposure. UV rays are most intense
when the sun is high in the sky, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
If you are unsure about the sun’s intensity, take the shadow
test: If your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun’s rays
are the strongest. Seek shade whenever possible.
(Editor’s note: You may also want to check the UV Index
for your area. The UV Index can usually be found in the local
newspaper or on TV and radio news broadcasts. It gives
the expected noontime UV radiation reaching the earth’s
surface on a scale of 1 to 10+. It is forecast daily for 58 cit-
ies. The higher the number, the greater the exposure to ra-
diation. For more information, consult the National
Weather Service at www.nws.noaa.gov./om/uvi.htm) ■
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