Snake Safety Training in Texas

snake in texas

Snake safety training is of utmost importance in the workplace, as it helps employees understand the risks associated with snake encounters and equips them with the knowledge and skills to prevent incidents.

The Importance of Snake Safety in The Workplace

Employers have legal and ethical obligations to ensure the safety and well-being of their employees. Snakes in the workplace pose a hazard that can be largely mitigated through staff training. By training employees about their risk of being bitten by venomous snakes and providing them with the knowledge to identify and avoid such encounters, employers can fulfill their duty to protect their workers.

OSHA Snake Safety Guidelines

OSHA requires construction entities to train employees and job sites where harmful plants or animals are present. At Safety By Design, our trainings are designed by professionals, for professionals with a focus on common needs from agencies, including hazard identification and risk assessment. We set the standard for safe snake manipulation because our techniques are designed to help you perform safely and competently.

Snake Safety Awareness Tips

  1. Create a Snake-Safe Workplace: identify hotspots around the jobsite, close entry gaps around buildings, and create a snake safety and bite plan.
  2. Stay Alert: Keep an eye out for any signs of snakes, such as their movement or distinctive patterns on the ground or in the vegetation.
  3. Know When Snakes Are Active: In most of the United States, snakes are generally active from March through October.
  4. Wear Appropriate Clothing: When working in snake-prone areas, wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, and thick socks to protect against potential snake bites. Gaiters or chaps may be more important for workers walking through grass or brush.
  5. Watch Where You Step: Be cautious when walking in tall grass, rocky areas, or brush, as snakes may be hidden and camouflaged. Use a walking stick to probe ahead of you.
  6. Educate Your Staff: Teach your employees about the venomous snakes native to your area and how to differentiate them from harmless species. Facilities operating near venomous snake habitats are recommended to have a trained team member that can properly move venomous snakes.
  7. Know What to Do: In the event of a snake encounter, stay calm, slowly back away, and give the snake space to retreat. If bitten, seek medical attention immediately. Attempting to kill a snake is riskier and less safe than leaving it alone or having a trained responder capture and contain it.

By following these snake safety tips in the workplace, you can minimize the risks associated with snake encounters and stay safe in snake-prone areas.

snake safety sign

Common Venomous Snakes in Texas

  • Eastern Black-Tailed Rattlesnake
  • Broad-Banded Copperhead
  • Eastern Copperhead
  • Mojave Rattlesnake
  • Northern Cottonmouth
  • Prairie Rattlesnake
  • Texas Coral Snake
  • Timber Rattlesnake
  • Rock Rattlesnake
  • Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
  • Western Massasauga Rattlesnake
  • Pygmy Rattlesnake

Texas Snake Safety Training and Services

Our safety training courses have been reviewed nationally by experts in the field and herpetologists. Safety By Design provides professional wildlife services for energy, construction, zoos, government, private, and ecological industries. Our services include:

  1. Venomous snake safety and risk management training
  2. Snake safety awareness seminars
  3. Snake safety planning for businesses and organizations

Don’t take chances when it comes to your safety – choose us for nationwide snake safety training today.

U.S. Venomous Snake Safety Training

This course is designed for risk management, and it’s tailored to fit the needs of your team. We tailor each course to focus on the venomous snakes in your area. Topics include identification, natural history, first aid, encounter awareness, safety, and handling.

What’s included?

  • Skills lesson with live Venomous and non-venomous snakes
  • Venomous snake safety manual
  • U.S. venomous snake safety and handling certification

Delivery Options

  • Full-day, in-person at your location
  • Hybrid (online and in-person)

Additional Topics

  • Research – trapping in removal, measurements, tubing, probing, transmitters, PIT tags, and snakebite emergency planning
  • Construction – hazard recognition, OSHA compliance, snake safety awareness

Online Training

Regional Mini Courses (northwest, northeast, southwest, southeast, TX & OK and Midwest)

  • In-depth comparison of local venomous snake species
  • Includes commonly confused non-venomous and venomous snake species

Venomous Snakes Safety Awareness: Basics

  • Topics include identification, natural history, first aid, and safety. There is no handling or manipulation of lessons included.

Venomous Snake Safety + Handling Fundamentals

  • Topics include identification, national history, first aid, safety, and introduction to handling
  • Part 2 in-person handling skills lessons are available

Developed for: Safety managers, safety crew, maintenance, construction crew, energy, utility, first responders, military biologist, botanists, and animal control

Snake Safety Planning

Our specialists will work with you and your team to inventory, assess, and plan for venomous snakes around your property, workspace, or in your facilities in buildings. We will meet with your team remotely or in person to assess the property, identify risks, and establish custom safety plans.

Venomous Snake Safety Plan: Our venomous snake safety biologists will create a safety plan for your organization to help keep your team prepared to avoid snakebites. It will include the venomous snakes in your area, encounter avoidance techniques, best practices for relocation and removal, and a customized husbandry plan (if needed).

Venomous Snake Bite Plan: In the event of a venomous snake bite, your team will be ready in preparation for fast, immediate care. We will identify the best emergency services and determine if they have antivenom at the nearby hospital. The document will include a customized snake bite plan, what not to do, and a venomous animal escape plan (if needed).

Contact Safety By Design for OSHA-Compliant Snake Safety Training in Texas

Snake safety training should be a priority for health and safety officers and supervisors to ensure a safe working environment for all employees. That’s why Safety By Design is now partnered with Adaptation on a mission to improve human sneak interactions and reduce snakebites through education. We are offering nationwide workshops and hands-on training to provide comprehensive education on snake safety, including proper handling techniques and appropriate snakebite treatment.

Contact us for inquiries and quotes today!