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A Spider’s Venom
Safety in Crawl Spaces
By Jessica A. Baris
 A spray foam applicator in New York was working on a spray foam application project for a home in Westerlo. The home was surrounded by woods and had a horse barn nearby. He was tasked to spray the crawl space, which had dirt floors and stone walls.
The applicator was not wearing gloves as he worked on pulling the hose through a downstairs window to gain access to the crawl space. Unaware that a venomous spider had crawled onto the hose, the applicator grabbed the hose where the spider had landed. He was bit twice.
“He told me that it felt like someone put gasoline in his veins and lit it on fire,” said the applicator’s partner on the job.
The venom quickly spread up his forearm. In a panic to stop the venom from spreading, the applicator wrapped a cord around his wrist. His partner acted swiftly and got him into the truck and rushed him to the emergency room, where doctors told him he may have caused more damage by using the cord. The applicator was given morphine to suppress the pain and eventually was sedated to stop him from shaking and panicking.
The applicator took two days off work to recover, and by the third day, he still had pain in his hand, but he was able to begin working again. The venomous bite was no more than a miniscule red spot on the palm of his hand at that point.
“If he would have had gloves on, it would have never happened,” said the partner. “It’s important that you always have gloves on, whether you’re spraying or not. The gloves should also be taped to the suit to prevent anything from getting inside.”
This is the true story of how an applicator’s health and safety was jeopardized on the job site. An injured worker, a trip to the emergency room, and a delayed project were all the result of a lack of donning full personal protective equipment during all job site tasks. Bites or stings from animals or insects are a real threat while working on construction job sites. Read the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s “Quick Tips for Rodents, Snakes and Insects” to learn more on how to protect yourself and your employees from animal hazards.
OSHA Quick Tips for Rodents, Snakes and Insects
Insects, Spiders and Ticks
• To protect yourself from biting and stinging insects, wear long pants, socks, and long-sleeved shirts.
• Use insect repellents that contain DEET or Picaridin.
• Treat bites and stings with over-the-counter products that relieve pain and prevent infection.
• Avoid fire ants; their bites are painful and cause blisters.
• Severe reactions to fire ant bites (chest pain, nausea, sweating, loss of breath, serious swelling or slurred speech) require immediate medical treatment.
Rodents and Wild or Stray Animals
• Dead and live animals can spread diseases, such as rat bite fever and rabies.
• Avoid contact with wild or stray animals.
• Avoid contact with rats or rat-contaminated buildings. If you can’t avoid contact, wear protective gloves
and wash your hands regularly.
• Get rid of dead animals as soon as possible.
• If bitten/scratched, get medical attention immediately.
Snakes
• Watch where you place your hands and feet when removing debris. If possible, don’t place your
fingers under debris you are moving. Wear heavy gloves.
• If you see a snake, step back and allow it to proceed.
• Wear boots at least 10 inches high.
• Watch for snakes sunning on fallen trees, limbs or other debris.
• A snake’s striking distance is about 1/2 the total length of the snake.
• If bitten, note the color and shape of the snake’s head to help with treatment.
• Keep bite victims still and calm to slow the spread of venom in case the snake is poisonous. Seek
medical attention as soon as possible.
• Do not cut the wound or attempt to suck out the venom. Apply first aid: lay the person down so that the
bite is below the level of the heart, and cover the bite with a clean, dry dressing.
To find this list on OSHA’s website, visit http://www.osha.gov/Publications/rodents_snakes_insects.html.
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