24.3 : Survey Safety

Surveying near highways, rough terrain, or power lines involves significant risks. Working along highways is particularly dangerous and requires the use of warning signs and flagmen. It is safest to avoid working directly on roads and use offsets whenever possible. When highway work is unavoidable, it must follow all safety guidelines. Surveyors should wear bright clothing, such as orange reflective vests, to ensure visibility to motorists, coworkers, and hunters. In construction zones, wearing hard hats and safety shoes is mandatory, and in snake-prone areas, boots and leggings are essential. 

First-aid kits should contain antidotes for allergic reactions to stings from wasps, bees, and yellowjackets. In tick-infested areas, surveyors should use insect repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts, tuck pants into boots, and wear light-colored clothing for easier detection of ticks. They should also regularly check each other for ticks to ensure safety. Surveyors must never look at the sun through a telescope without special filters to prevent serious eye injury. Wearing gloves when working in briars or poison ivy is also important. Caution should be exercised when cutting bushes, watching for snakes, and avoiding the use of steel tapes near electric lines to ensure safety for all involved.