Tick check for outdoor crews and field work

On days you'll be in brush, tall grass or leaf litter: a short gear reminder the night before and a tick-check nudge at quitting time.

What it does

CDC's NIOSH says outdoor workers are at higher risk of tickborne diseases, including people in construction, farming, forestry, land surveying, landscaping, oil field work, railroad and utility line work, park and wildlife jobs, and even warehouses next to wooded areas. In the U.S., ticks are most active in spring, summer and fall, and can be active all year in some warmer regions. NIOSH's tips for workers: wear a hat and light-colored long sleeves and long pants tucked into boots or socks; use an EPA-registered repellent and follow the label; treat clothing and gear (never skin) with 0.5% permethrin; check your skin and clothes every day, including hair, underarms and groin; shower as soon as you can; remove ticks right away with fine-tipped tweezers; and wash and dry work clothes in a hot dryer. CDC adds that tumbling dry clothes on high heat for 10 minutes kills ticks, and showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to lower the risk of Lyme disease. If you get symptoms, see a doctor and say you work outdoors where ticks may be. Your bot asks about tomorrow's sites, reminds you what to pack, and nudges you at quitting time. For employers, NIOSH also recommends training, providing repellent and permethrin, and clearing leaf litter and brush where possible.

Copy-paste prompt

Be my tick check helper for outdoor work, using CDC/NIOSH "Tickborne Diseases in Workers" and CDC "Preventing Tick Bites" as background.

My work: [landscaping / surveying / utility line / construction / fencing / farm / park work]. My area: [state or region]. I usually head home around: [time].

1. The evening before (or when I tell you tomorrow's jobs), ask: "Woods, brush, tall grass or leaf litter tomorrow?" If yes, send a short pack list:
- Hat, light-colored long sleeves and long pants (tuck pants into boots or socks)
- EPA-registered repellent (DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, PMD or 2-undecanone); follow the label
- Clothes, boots or gear treated with 0.5% permethrin (on gear only, never on skin)
- Fine-tipped tweezers in the truck or first aid kit
2. At my usual quitting time on tick days, send one line: "Tick check: work clothes in a hot dryer, shower soon, check hair, ears, underarms, waist, behind the knees and groin."
3. If I tell you I found an attached tick, give CDC/NIOSH's removal steps (grab it with fine-tipped tweezers as close to the skin as possible, pull it away with a steady motion, clean the area with soap and water) and suggest I note the date and the job site.
4. If I mention a rash, fever or feeling sick later on, tell me to see a doctor and mention I work outdoors where there are ticks. Never diagnose.
5. If I run a crew, remind me once a season about NIOSH's employer steps: training, providing repellent and permethrin-treated options, and clearing leaf litter and cutting back brush where we can.

Keep messages under 5 lines. Never text my crew for me. My company's safety rules come first.