Lyme Disease

High Risk Occupations

Occupations that put you greater contact with tick habitats, such as wooded areas, piles of debris, and high grasses, put you at greater risk for Lyme.  Outdoor work in endemic areas, such as Rhode Island, is considered to be high-risk.  Such work includes:

• Utility work (telephone, electric, etc)
• Surveying
• Landscaping
• Forestry
• Public Works (including Parks Department employees, road debris clearing, etc)
• Animal Care
• Farming
• Outdoor tour guides, camp counselors, golf caddies, etc.

Children: Children are at great risk for tick bites as they tend to play in grassy and wooded areas.  Be certain to take precautions to protect your children.  And be sure your children learn about Lyme.  Also, carefully check them for ticks after any outdoor activity.

When you engage in any of these activities, especially during peak tick months, it is extremely important to protect yourself against tick bites.

Links from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration:

• Potential for Occupational Exposure to Lyme Disease
• OSHA Logging Advisor: Tick-Borne Disease  
• Sawmills eTool: Tick-Borne Illnesses  
• Lyme Disease Hazard Information Bulletin  
• Lyme Disease Facts  

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