WorkCover Queensland has issued an urgent warning to workers in rural areas to work safetly during the wet season, which still has a few months still to go.

The Authority has reminded workers there are unique risks posed by working in flooded areas, including displaced snakes and other animals.

Several work-caused melioidosis fatalities have occurred in Queensland in recent years. The bacteria that cause melioidosis usually live below the soil surface but are found in mud and surface water after heavy rainfall. It can present in a number of different ways including skin ulcers and abscesses, abscesses of internal organs, pneumonia and/or septicaemia (blood infection).

Take a few basic precautions to reduce the risk of infection:

  • cover cuts, abrasions and sores with a water-resistant dressing
  • wear water-resistant or enclosed footwear when working or walking in wet or muddy areas 
  • wear protective gloves if handling soil, mud or surface water
  • wash thoroughly after contact with soil and muddy water
  • clean wounds and abrasions.