May 2006 Safety Tip

Snakes

• Leave snakes alone.

• Rattlesnakes often curl up underneath shrubs, in rock piles, or in other shady, enclosed, sheltered areas.

• Watch the ground when you are walking or jogging. Heed posted warning signs about rattlesnakes. Stick to well-used trails and roads.

• Close doors to keep snakes from entering your building.

• Humans are not the natural prey of any venomous snake and they will usually avoid you if they know you are near. Let them know you are coming by walking heavily--snakes sense ground vibrations better than sounds.

• Don't reach into places where they might hide. Be careful if turning over rocks, boards or shrubs.

• If someone is bitten, call 9-911. Then clean and disinfect the wound. Keep the patient calm, quiet and resting, and get them to a hospital as quickly as possible.

• If transportation is not immediately available, immobilize the area. Use constricting bands above and below the site, but remember that you aren't making a tourniquet. The bands should not interfere with blood circulation--they only slow the movement of lymphatic fluids just under the skin. Or you can wrap the area with a snug cloth or elastic bandage.

• If you can identify the kind of snake that bit the person, that will help determine the proper treatment.

• Do not cut into a wound unless you are medically trained.