Poison Ivy

My company(personal too since I'm a 1 man show) policy is to add a "hazard" fee to the quote if there is poison ivy. It takes extra care and time to deal with it. I'm transparent about it and give the client the option to mitigate the PI themselves and eliminate the hazard fee.

I'm only mildly allergic. The video that was posted above is excellent advice and works. Someone on here once mentioned good old gel hand sanitizer and that works very well on the jobsite. The citrus mechanic/grease cutting hand wipes work very well too. Haven't had PI in a couple years now in spite of working with it a few times a month.
 
Reach said:
We do not have an official company policy, here in this part of PA it’s just part of the job, in large part because it’s on nearly every job. We try to avoid it, keep those who are allergic away from it as much as possible - if there’s a lot of it, I will typically handle it myself, because I am truly immune. I’ve been bare handing it for 20+ years and never had a reaction.
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Itching with envy over here. No, wait, that’s my head-to-toe ivy reaction from a job two weeks ago.
 
BoomBitch222 said:
Its been on almost every job we’ve done this week and Im just sick of dealing with my crew wigging out and my boss being pissed, we need a better protocol than my bosses bs “Just throw your gloves away afterward”. I made him order throw-away coveralls and better gloves. In cases where its just a few sprouts on the ground I just throw something over it but at one place we went today it was EVERYWHERE and I told the boss “Jimmy cracks corn and I dont give a fuck, we’re not doing this” lol
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When I'm bidding a job on a site and there's any kind of hazard, I charge more knowing that I'm going to have to take time and spend money mitigating that hazard and keeping my crew as safe as possible. I'm also going to give the crew a pay bump to offset the hazard and keep everybody properly compensated. If your sales rep/boss bids jobs in the poison ivy patch at the same rate as front yard work..you need to have a serious come to Jesus meeting with them
 
I can climb a tree covered in poison ivy with no reaction. I tend to clear any small vines bare handed before anyone else will work the area, then I put my gloves back on to not cross contaminate any tools.

Strangely enough I worked a black walnut removal the other day and my arms were covered in red spots that turned to blisters and scarred. No one else had any reaction to it.
 
Jehinten said:
I can climb a tree covered in poison ivy with no reaction. I tend to clear any small vines bare handed before anyone else will work the area, then I put my gloves back on to not cross contaminate any tools.

Strangely enough I worked a black walnut removal the other day and my arms were covered in red spots that turned to blisters and scarred. No one else had any reaction to it.
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I have a friend who blisters terribly from black walnut. The sap can give me a little tingle if the stump is weeping heavily.
 
Crimsonking said:
I have a friend who blisters terribly from black walnut. The sap can give me a little tingle if the stump is weeping heavily.
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In this case I didn't notice anything throughout the day but noticed my forearms burning at cleanup. As far as sap flow, I sat one end of an 8-10' log up on the truck bed and you could actively see the sap actively flowing to the end on the ground and running out across the road in a stream.

Safe to say the sap was moving.
 
@BoomBitch222
Explore other options!
Know what is out there.
Sounds like the company sucks hard.

Jack you skill set up hard! Be there technical queen.
Can't tell how physically strong you are, but your brain can be easily as strong as a man's. Maybe without testosterone poisoning, all to common in men.

My GF did 37 stairs up with 25 loads or so, over the last two short workdays, plus lots of other work. Endurance / planning over power.

She's run a marathon. The aspiring body builder groundie was always gassed out.

I tell every new employee that if they learn the technical skills, they will drag a lot less, make more money, and be easily employed across the country.

"Yes, I'm interested in your position.
My experience includes, x,y,z.
I can use and teach these skills and techniques.

I have had to strictly manage my drop zone, as my former company didn't demand a safety culture.
I sought out professional development through _______, as my former employer didn't train people to professional standards.

I'm looking to learn, a, b, c, at a company that values health, safety, efficiency, and production in balance."

$0.02
 
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Jehinten said:
In this case I didn't notice anything throughout the day but noticed my forearms burning at cleanup. As far as sap flow, I sat one end of an 8-10' log up on the truck bed and you could actively see the sap actively flowing to the end on the ground and running out across the road in a stream.

Safe to say the sap was moving.
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I cut down a river birch two weeks ago that is still weeping. The homeowner sent me a photo yesterday.
 
cerviarborist said:
When I'm bidding a job on a site and there's any kind of hazard, I charge more knowing that I'm going to have to take time and spend money mitigating that hazard and keeping my crew as safe as possible. I'm also going to give the crew a pay bump to offset the hazard and keep everybody properly compensated. If your sales rep/boss bids jobs in the poison ivy patch at the same rate as front yard work..you need to have a serious come to Jesus meeting with them
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On more things than you could possibly imagine. My boss doesnt really give two shits, he just wants the job done. He certainly would never pay us extra for it. So Im just going to round up all these suggestions and do whatever I can to me and the crew safe from it. My fiance currently has it because he went in and cut up the trunk, pretty crappy prize for being the better worker and I feel so bad that he has it and the rest of the ground crew didnt even have to go near it. We definitely need some new protocols
 
BoomBitch222 said:
On more things than you could possibly imagine. My boss doesnt really give two shits, he just wants the job done. He certainly would never pay us extra for it. So Im just going to round up all these suggestions and do whatever I can to me and the crew safe from it. My fiance currently has it because he went in and cut up the trunk, pretty crappy prize for being the better worker and I feel so bad that he has it and the rest of the ground crew didnt even have to go near it. We definitely need some new protocols
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Slip a couple clippings down the back of the boss's shirt and ask him later .....

HOW DO YOU LIKE IT?
 
BoomBitch222 said:
On more things than you could possibly imagine. My boss doesnt really give two shits, he just wants the job done. He certainly would never pay us extra for it. So Im just going to round up all these suggestions and do whatever I can to me and the crew safe from it. My fiance currently has it because he went in and cut up the trunk, pretty crappy prize for being the better worker and I feel so bad that he has it and the rest of the ground crew didnt even have to go near it. We definitely need some new protocols
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Not to be harsh but it doesn’t sound like any new protocols are going to happen there, ever.

Hopefully you start looking elsewhere. If you’re as motivated as you seem you’ll find a fit pretty quick.
 
The reason a hot shower will give some relief to the itching is because the hot water effects your mast cells which intern effects your histamine reaction to the allergen. In this case the poison ivy/oak...

I myself don't get poison oak/ivy, but I used to give my wife very bad cases of poison oak a few times every year. That was until she started regularly consuming raw goat milk from goats that forage on poison oak. No joke...

TechNu yourself, your tools, and anything you touch before, during, and after. Don't cut the stuff with a chainsaw if at all possible..
 
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