Entomological Health and Safety for Ecologists and Environmental Professionals by De Jong, Grant D.;

Short description:

This structured, field-focused guide to the medical and operational risks posed by insects, arachnids, and their allies combines insights from biology, health and safety, and practical field experience. It equips readers with the knowledge to anticipate, assess, and mitigate arthropod-related risks across environments and occupations.

Long description:

Outdoor work for environmental professionals in ecological, engineering, or resource management settings frequently brings workers into contact with arthropods. Some are dangerous, many are disruptive, and most are overlooked in traditional safety planning. Entomological Health and Safety for Ecologists and Environmental Professionals offers a structured, field‑focused guide to the medical and operational risks posed by insects, arachnids, and their allies. Combining insights from biology, health and safety, and practical field experience, it equips readers with the knowledge to anticipate, assess, and mitigate arthropod‑related risks across a wide range of environments and occupations.

From mosquito‑borne pathogens to venomous spiders, from allergic reactions to
massive insect emergences that disrupt logistics, this guide goes beyond identification to evaluate risk through a clear exposure and severity framework. It is designed for field biologists, utility crews, safety officers, project managers, and anyone who plans or participates in outdoor work, especially where biological hazards are underappreciated but unavoidable.

Key Features:

• Practical exposure × severity risk model applicable to diverse arthropod encounters
• Structured entries for over 100 arthropod hazards, including arachnids, crustaceans, myriapods, and insects
• Operational insights into allergic responses, panic‑inducing swarms, vector transmission, and field logistics
• Regionally variable risk considerations with support for SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), JHAs (Job Hazard Analyses), and HASPs (Health and Safety Plans)
• Field‑ready summaries, visual ID aids, and training support tools

Ideal for professionals in environmental consulting, land management, public works, and scientific fieldwork, this book empowers teams to plan confidently, reduce avoidable risk, and improve morale by understanding the entomological landscape of their job sites. Whether you’re building a risk register or briefing a crew before deployment, this guide offers clarity, caution, and competence – without alarmism.

"The author has cleverly and insightfully identified the gap between academic entomology and occupational health and safety practice, and targeted the work directly in this gap. I believe that this is the only book of its kind."

Philip Weinstein, professorial research fellow in the School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Australia

“A health and safety reference text for professionals who work in outdoor and ecological settings is overdue, especially one pertaining to the particular threats may arthropods pose to the health, safety, or operational factors of those who work there. Numerous books and online resources about medical entomology have been published, but nothing that comprehensively covers structured assessments of the entomological risks such as bites, stings, allergic reactions, disease transmission, and logistical disruptions facing field crews. This guidebook will be of great interest to a wide range of users, from utility workers and military planners to camp staff and emergency responders, helping them prepare for and mitigate entomological risks through informed decision-making. The text should go a long way in helping these officials prepare for and respond to arthropod-related environmental threats. Whether used for pre-deployment briefings, job hazard analyses, or daily fieldwork, it promotes a culture of safety through understanding and proactive management of arthropod-related hazards across diverse environments and sectors.”

Jerome Goddard, Extension Professor of Medical Entomology, Mississippi State University, USA

Table of Contents:

Preface. About the Author. Part 1: Introduction to Arthropods and Their Role in Risk. 1. Introduction 2. Arthropod Overview 3. Exposure and Risk Part 2: The Arthropods. 4. Stings 5. Non-Pathogenic Bites or Pinches 6. Potentially Pathogenic Bites 7. Physical Irritants and Allergens 8. Potentially Pathogenic Non-Biting Contact Hazards 9. Transportation, Equipment, and Operations Hazards. Appendix A: Example Standard Operating Procedure. Appendix B: Example Job Hazard Analysis. Appendix C: Example Health and Safety Plan.
Index