Learning doesn’t just happen in a classroom; it includes field trips and outdoor activities. Unfortunately, that often means going places that ticks are active.

Staying safe from tick bites and the diseases they may carry is always important. The best protection is avoiding tick bites, but if you are bitten during your workday, know that any resulting ailment is an occupational illness and should be covered by WSIB. If you get a tick bite at work, make sure you report it.

Stay safe:

There are many kinds of ticks, but the primary risk is from blacklegged (a.k.a. deer) ticks. They are known for carrying Lyme disease and can also pass on other parasites or viruses. Ticks can be found in areas with trees, shrubs, tall grasses, or piles of leaves. The Public Health Agency of Canada offers advice to reduce your risk of tick bites, including:

• wear light-coloured clothes
• cover up with long-sleeved shirts and pants
• tuck shirts into pants, and pants into socks
• use cleared paths or walkways
• shower or bathe after time outdoors
• do a daily full-body tick check when you’re spending time outdoors

If you find a tick or a bite:

• follow instructions to immediately remove the tick
• wash the area with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizer
• keep the tick to show your health-care provider if necessary
• contact your health-care provider about symptoms or concerns
• watch for symptoms, usually appearing three to 30 days after a bite

If a bite happens while you’re doing your job:

• ETFO members are at risk on field trips, yard duty, or at outdoor sporting events.
• If you find a tick or a bite, don’t wait for symptoms, make two important reports:
  • your school board’s incident/accident/injury report
  • WSIB’s exposure report
• Reporting the incident creates a record when you’ve been exposed to something that may make you sick in the future, establishing that it was workplace related and that you may be entitled to compensation.
• If you experience any symptoms, contact your health-care provider as soon as possible, and make sure they know that you got your tick bite at work, so that they will report it to the WSIB.
• If you get health care or miss time from work, make sure you inform your employer that it is as the result of a workplace exposure.

Questions?

Contact your ETFO local if you have been exposed and you’re not sure of next steps.