Built by a geologist
Wildlife and Insect Awareness identification and geology
Field crews can encounter wildlife such as bears, moose, and snakes, along with insects like blackflies and ticks. Bites and stings can cause allergic reactions, and tick bites can transmit infections like Lyme disease. Risk is highest in brushy areas, tall grass, and warm months. Reduce risk with awareness, proper clothing, repellents, and behaviour that avoids surprising animals. Make tick checks part of the daily routine and remove ticks promptly using proper tools. This guidance is educational and is not a substitute for your employer's or site's safety training and rules. Do list: Make noise in dense bush and keep visibility when possible, Store food and garbage securely away from sleeping/work areas, Do daily tick checks and remove ticks promptly, Wear light-coloured clothing to spot ticks, Know your site plan for wildlife encounters and evacuation. Dont list: Do not approach or feed wildlife, Do not run from wildlife; follow trained response steps, Do not ignore tick bites or symptoms that follow, Do not leave food scraps around camp or core shacks, Do not rely on repellents alone without checks and clothing. First aid: For severe allergic reaction trouble breathing, swelling , call emergency services and use epinephrine if prescribed. For bites, clean the area and monitor for infection. For tick bites, remove the tick promptly and watch for symptoms; seek medical advice if rash or fever occurs.. Regulations: Follow local wildlife safety guidance and site policies. For tick-borne disease prevention, follow public health guidance for your region. Use employer first aid and incident reporting rules.. Hazard level: moderate. Ppe required: long pants and long sleeves, insect repellent, tick removal tool or fine tweezers, bear spray where trained and allowed. Common geological settings: Remote drilling camps, boreal forest fieldwork, shoreline brush, tall grass, and spring/summer mapping and sampling programs.