It’s That Time of the Year Again – June is National Safety Month

With a focus on reducing leading causes of injury and death at home, work and on the road, the National Safety Council has once again declared June as National Safety Month. To help you reduce the risk of injury this summer, Security Specialists will be providing some handy tips throughout the month that you can put into practice to keep your family and employees safe. This week’s theme focuses on those pesky little intruders of summer fun, mosquitoes.

While we often view mosquito bites as simply a nuisance, everyone should be aware that mosquitoes carry dangers such as the West Nile virus, Zika virus and other serious illnesses. In fact, West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in this country. While the majority of people do not develop symptoms when bit by an infected mosquito; approximately 1 in 5 adults may develop a fever, body aches, diarrhea, and other symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness.

For those businesses with employees who work outside, it’s a good practice to educate your work force about the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses as well as supplying mosquito repellent or insecticide to protect workers from occupational exposure to Zika virus.

According to the American Mosquito Control Association, business owners as well as homeowners can reduce the number of areas where adult mosquitoes can live by removing weeds and mowing the lawn regularly. To further reduce adult mosquitoes’ presence, Security Specialists recommends:

1. Apply insecticides to trees, shrubs, and other vegetation regularly
2. Eliminate standing water around your business or home. Fill or drain puddles, ditches, and swampy areas. Remove or fill tree holes and stumps.
3. Make sure you utilize proper backfilling and grading of your property to allow for drainage.
4. Eliminate seepage. Seepage may accumulate near cisterns, cesspools, and septic tanks.
5. Use insect repellent. To prevent mosquito bites, use Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellent with DEET and wear long-sleeve shirts and long pants.
6. Turn up air conditioning. Mosquitoes prefer warm, damp, and dark spaces not cool and dry ones.

Taking these small actions could be an important large step in preventing potential illness from mosquitoes for you, your employees and family!