Venomous Spiders: Recommendations for Employers & Workers

Recommendations

Employer Recommendations

Employers should protect their workers from spider bites by training them on:

• Their risk of exposure to spiders
• How to identify spiders
• How to prevent exposure to spiders
• What they should do if they are bitten by a spider

Worker Recommendations

Workers can take the following preventive steps:

• Inspect or shake out any clothing, shoes, towels, or equipment before use.
• Wear protective clothing such as a long-sleeved shirt and long pants, hat, gloves, and boots when handling stacked or undisturbed piles of materials.
• Minimize the empty spaces between stacked materials.
• Remove and reduce debris and rubble from around the outdoor work areas.
• Trim or eliminate tall grasses from around outdoor work areas.
• Store apparel and outdoor equipment in tightly closed plastic bags.
• Keep your tetanus boosters up-to-date (every 10 years). Spider bites can become infected with tetanus spores.