All right, maybe it’s obvious, but working outdoors exposes people to many types of hazards. Those hazards differ by work type, geography, season and length of time outside. But workers for companies that deal in drain and pipe maintenance face a wide range of risks, from traffic out in the streets to poisonous plants and critters on remote, off-road jobsites.

Of course, at this time of year, outdoor hazards include hypothermia and frostbite. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) says employers should train outdoor workers about the hazards they’re likely to encounter – including ways to identify hazards and limit their exposure.

So many threats

Have you thought about the many hazards that go with the mere fact of working outside? A NIOSH Safety and Health Topic bulletin, Hazards to Outdoor Workers, says physical hazards include extreme heat or cold, noise, lightning and ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

“Extreme heat conditions can cause heat stroke, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat rash and other problems. ... Too much noise exposure may cause a temporary change in hearing or a temporary ringing in workers’ ears (tinnitus). Repeated exposures to loud noise can lead to permanent, incurable hearing loss or tinnitus.

“Lightning kills about 80 people in the United States each year and injures hundreds. UV radiation can cause problems such as sunburn and skin cancer.”

And then there are biological hazards. There are diseases carried by mosquitoes or ticks. Mosquito-borne diseases include West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, eastern equine encephalitis, western equine encephalitis and La Crosse encephalitis.

Among ailments carried by ticks are Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, southern tick-associated rash illness, tularemia, tick-borne relapsing fever, anaplasmosis, Colorado tick fever, Powassan encephalitis and Q fever.

Snake-bit

And let’s not forget poisonous reptiles, poisonous insects and poisonous plants.

Venomous snakes, spiders, scorpions and stinging insects are found in many geographic regions and are especially dangerous to workers allergic to the toxins.

“Anaphylactic shock is the body’s severe allergic reaction to a bite or sting and requires immediate emergency care,” NIOSH says. “Thousands of people are stung each year, and as many as 40 to 50 people in the United States die each year from severe allergic reactions.

“Venomous U.S. snakes include rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths/water moccasins and coral snakes. Stinging insects include bees, wasps, hornets and fire ants. Venomous spiders include black widows, brown recluse and hobo spiders.

“Poisonous plants found in the United States include poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. These plants can cause allergic reactions if the leaves or stalks are damaged and come in contact with workers’ skin. These plants can also be dangerous if they are burned and their toxins are inhaled by workers.

NIOSH says nearly one-third of forestry workers and firefighters who battle forest fires in California, Oregon and Washington develop rashes or lung irritations from contact with poison oak, the most common poisonous plant in those states.

Then there’s the job

And of course there are those hazards directly related to working with machinery, entering confined spaces, using electricity and more.

Since winter is at hand, it’s worth remembering the specific hazards of prolonged exposure to cold. There are two basic items to be concerned about.

Core temperature. The body tries to keep its internal temperature at about 98.6 degrees F. In extreme cold, blood vessels in skin, arms and legs constrict, and blood flow to the arms and legs decreases. This keeps the blood from cooling and keeps internal organs warm, but extreme reduction in blood flow to the extremities can result in lower skin temperature and increase the risk of frostbite, NIOSH reports.

Wind chill. Here, air movement increases heat loss from exposed skin. The stronger the wind and the lower the temperature, the more risk and the more protective clothing is required.

You can brush up on cold-weather safety precautions for your workers at www.cdc.gov/niosh or at www.osha.gov.