Protecting Outdoor 

Workers from Ticks

Brenda Jacklitsch, MS

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Promoting Community IPM to Prevent

Tick-borne Diseases

March 2011

TM

The findings and conclusions in this presentation have not been formally 

disseminated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and 

should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy.
What is NIOSH? 

Is it the same as OSHA?

NIOSH

(National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health)

OSHA

(Occupational Safety & Health Administration)

Dept. of Health & Human 

Services (DHHS)

Centers for Diseases Control & Prevention 

(CDC)

Dept. of Labor (DOL)

Research Agency Regulatory Agency

Provide Recommendations Provide & Enforce Standards
NIOSH Services

NIOSH Topic Pages: 

Occupational safety & health info arranged by subject. 

Health Hazard Evaluation Program: 

Investigates potentially hazardous working conditions when requested by 

employers or employees at no cost.

NIOSH Publications:

FREE documents & brochures available online or mailed.

Databases:

Ex. Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, etc.

CDC Info:

Ask questions and get answers.
How Can We Protect 

Workers?
Employer Recommendations

 Provide workers with training.

 Tick-borne Diseases

 Transmission

 Symptoms

 Prevention

 Encourage symptoms & illness reporting.
Tick-borne Diseases

Lyme

Disease Babesiosis Ehrlichiosis

Rocky Mtn. 

Spotted Fever

Southern Tick-Associated Rash 

Illness

Tick-borne 

Relapsing 

Fever

Anaplasmosis Colorado Tick 

Fever

Powassan 

Encephalitis Q Fever Tularemia
Tick-borne Disease Transmission
When Are Workers at Highest 

Risk?

Warmer Months

J

A

N

F

E

B

M

A

R

A

P

R

M

A

Y

J

U

N

J

U

L

A

U

G

S

E

P

O

C

T

N

O

V

D

E

C
Common Symptoms 

of Tick-borne Diseases

 Fever

 Fatigue

 Headache

 Joint pain

 Body/muscle 

aches

 Rash

Lyme Disease Rash
Symptoms & Illness Reporting

 Show workers National & State data on Lyme 

Disease.

 Encourage workers to report finding ticks, being 

bitten by ticks, and any symptoms of illness.
Employer Recommendations

 Eliminate natural 

conditions that attract 

ticks to worker areas.

 Remove leaf litter.

 Keep grass mowed short.

 Set rodent traps or 

poisons & properly store 

food.

 Discourage deer with 

barriers.
Employer Recommendations

 Discuss or provide proper clothing.

 Long sleeves & long pants.

 Tuck pants into socks or boots.

 Light-colored clothing for easy tick 

spotting.

 Provide workers with repellent.

 Products containing > 20% DEET for 

skin.

 Permethrin for clothing.
Employer Recommendations

 Provide instructions for appropriate ways 

to check for and remove ticks.

 Check skin & clothes daily for ticks.

 When washing & drying clothes, use the ‘Hot’ 

setting on the dryer to kill ticks.

 If a tick is attached to the skin, only use 

appropriate removal techniques.
Proper Tick Removal

 Remove the tick as soon as you notice it.

 Use fine-tipped tweezers to firmly grasp the 

tick very close to your skin. 

 Avoid crushing the tick’s body. 

 With a steady motion, pull the tick’s body 

away from your skin. 

 Do not be alarmed if the tick’s mouthparts 

remain in the skin, the tick can no longer 

transmit bacteria.

 Clean your skin with soap & warm H2O or 

alcohol.

DO NOT use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish, 

or other products to remove a tick.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/ld_tickremoval.htm
NIOSH Resources

for

Outdoor Workers
NIOSH Fast Facts

www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-119/
NIOSH Topic Pages 

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/tick-borne/
NIOSH Topic Pages 

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lyme/