Summertime isn't always what it's cracked up to be. The weather can be extreme and disruptive. It's easier for you and your workers to enjoy these lazy days of summer when you know you're ready for even the wildest weather forecast.

Hailstorms

You've seen or heard what hailstones can do to cars and trucks. Imagine what they could do to your pets.

Keep these tips in mind when a hailstorm comes pelting at your door:

Tornadoes

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, approximately 1,000 storms are reported each year in the United States. And some tornadoes do occur without a tornado warning. Here are five signs of a tornado that you can watch for and five tips to keep your family safe in the event of a tornado:

Five Signs of a Tornado

Five Tornado Safety Tips

Conclusion

While people can't control the weather, they can do much to avoid becoming victims of it. Don't cast your fate to the wind. Have a plan!

HOLY HEALTH HAZARDS, BATMAN

What You Should Know About Bats (Part 2 of 3)

By Ted Morrison

CORRECTION: In my July 29 article, I wrongly claimed that bats were rodents. They're not. In fact, as I was kindly reminded by veterinary technologist and SafetyXChange reader Kay Knox, bats are more closely related to primates, such as humans. However, they are mammals, and the risk of rabies is very real.

Batman faces a number of health threats, from the Joker's laughing gas to Poison Ivy's villainous charm. Regular workers face threats no less serious in their everyday jobs. Last week, we looked at the health threat to humans from rabies, transmitted by bats. This week we'll examine another hazard bats can bring along.

No Joker

The second bat-threat is histoplasmosis, a disease that comes from a fungus called Histoplasma Capsulatum, which is found in soil contaminated with bat or bird droppings. The histoplasmosis fungus can remain undisturbed for years in the accumulation of droppings beneath an active roosting site. Pigeon, starling, and bat roosts are likely places. The New Jersey Department of Health states that the fungus will reach significant levels if guano (droppings) is left undisturbed for three years or more, but it is known to be present in fresh bat droppings even, sometimes, when no soil is present.

Why So Serious?

Inhaled in spore form, H. Capsulatum affects the sufferer's lungs. Anyone can catch it. Although histoplasmosis infections usually occur without symptoms, it is an unpredictable disease. When its flu-like symptoms manifest, histoplasmosis can sometimes be fatal. Those with lung ailments and impaired immunity from conditions like AIDS or cancer are susceptible to a nastier form of the disease. Called disseminated histoplasmosis, this form can affect organs besides the lungs. Four percent of histoplasmosis infections may result in a blinding condition called ocular histoplasmosis syndrome (ironically known as OHS).

Disturbing bat or bird droppings, or soil where they land, may cause dust to rise and be inhaled. In 2001, more than five hundred people tested positive for histoplasmosis after a school garden measuring just 10' by 45' (3.5 by 15m) was tilled. Some of the victims were absent from school the day the work was done, but inhaled spores from the school's air handling system.

Presence of histoplasmosis should be suspected when roosting sites are found, particularly bat roosts. Workers most at risk include bridge and building inspectors, bridge and building painters, cave explorers, chimney cleaners, heating and air conditioning workers, pest controllers, roofers, restorers and demolition and construction workers. Anyone who may inhale dust or debris from dropping sites can be a victim.

If someone who has been in a suspected histoplasmosis risk area develops flu-like symptoms, even weeks after possible contact, and the symptoms do not improve within a few days, the victim should seek medical help. Healthcare provides should be informed of the possible exposure.

Next Week: Out of the Batcave. What to do about bats and their associated health risks.

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