Potential exposure to bites, infections and poisons, such as Weil's disease, mite bites, stings, hogweed burns and others, leading to injury or illness to staff and student populations.
The University is keen to improve the ecology and diversity of its campus site by encouraging wild flora and fauna.
Certain plant species do present risks such as thorns or stings which can lead to irritation, swelling and inflammation, and long-term chronic conditions can develop for prolonged repeated exposures to dusts and pollens.
Insect and animal species may present risks of bites and stings, including for example ticks, rodents, wasps, mosquitos, and hornets each of which can be painful, with some leading to allergic reactions, and potentially infections such as Lyme’s Disease and Leptospirosis or Weil's disease.
The risk of exposure to these hazards should be risk assessed, (see ‘What are the specific risks for Substances Hazardous to Health?’) and any actions required planned for and implemented. These can include moving slowly around or avoiding animals and insects such as hornets and wasps, training to identify potential flora and fauna risks, covering exposed skin and using insect repellent.
There is also a homepage that lists the range of Health and Safety risks identified as relevant to the University's activities and facilities, together with information on the University's policies and arrangements on how these risks are to be managed and controlled.
