Good Advice

On my first day here - because I work for the government - I had to sign these things called JHAs. Job Hazard Analysis forms. Fun things. Essentially, they are supposed to make me aware of the possible risks associated with the jobs I will be preforming. I'll list some of my favorites -

- Prior to excursions, think about an evacuation plan if encountering swarms of insects
- Shake shoes, boots, or clothing that has not been worn in awhile to avoid brown recluses
- Avoid areas venomous snakes like to gather - rock and log piles, junk piles, under logs, crawl spaces, fallen logs **Author note - I will be leading hikes through WOODS**
- When along shoreline, be careful while stepping on debris or beaver dams, where cottonmouths may congregate
- Staff should avoid stepping off of trails, getting into tall grass, or weeds to avoid ticks
And my most favorite -
- Avoid sticking hands in places where you can not see

Really, words to live by. And these were just from the JHA for outdoor excursions. There are separate ones for office work, canoeing, using a pontoon boat and who knows what else. Awesome.
After signing these I'm convinced I have one of the most dangerous jobs that ever existed. Who knew that I'm going to meet so many perils on a daily basis. Forget police officers, firefighters, and those guys who catch Alaskan king crabs - Naturalists are at the top of the list. My roommate that gets to hold the bison with a nose pinching device while they get shots might beat me out - might.