USING FIELD EQUIPMENT SAFELY

usually a vine; poison oak, usually a bush. In the flowering season, both types produce clusters of small white berries. Different varieties of poisonous sumac leaves are shown in figure 12-30. There are poisonous sumacs and harmless sumacs, and it is difficult to distinguish the leaf of one from the leaf of the other. The only way to tell the poisonous plant from the harmless one is by the fruit. Both plants produce a drooping fruit cluster. The difference lies in the color of their fruits—that of the harmless sumac is RED; that of the poison sumac is WHITE. In other than the fruit season, it would be better to avoid contact with all sumacs. There are no “do-it-yourself” remedies for plant poisoning; treatment must be by, or as directed by, professional medical personnel. How- ever, if you have reason to believe that you have been infected, you should wash thoroughly with water and an alkaline laundry soap. Do not use an oily soap (most facial soaps are oily) because this will tend to spread the juice. Lather profusely, and do not rinse the lather off, but allow it to dry on the skin. Repeat this procedure every 3 to 4 hours, allowing the lather to dry each time. If job conditions make contact with plants unavoidable, wear gloves and long sleeve shirts and keep all other skin areas covered. When you remove your clothing, take care not to allow any skin area to come into contact with exposed clothing. Launder all clothing at once. USING FIELD EQUIPMENT SAFELY The standard source of information on the safe use of dangerous field equipment and other safety precautions is Safety Precautions for Shore Activi- ties, NAVMAT P-5100. A copy of this publica- tion should be available in your technical library. Since tools are a potential source of danger in all occupations, they should be inspected periodically to find out whether any repairs or replacements are needed. Only tools in good condition should be used. There should be no loose heads on any hand tools. Sharp-edged tools should be kept sharp. All tools should be stored safely when not being used. If tools with sharp blades or points are laid down on the job temporarily, they should be placed in such a way that no injury can result to anyone. Sheaths or guards are desirable when sharp-edged or pointed tools are being carried from one place to another. If sheaths are not available, carry a tool with the sharp edge or point Figure 12-30.-Varieties of sumac leaves. 12-30