Alert 12 – 07 Bee Stings Result in Anaphylactic Reaction
WHAT HAPPENED:
At two different intervals, two different contractors were stung by bees and experienced allergic reactions while working at two different remote well sites. In the first event the contractor was working alone and drove himself to the hospital. Throughout the drive he was in phone communication with a co-worker, who ensured that he made it to the hospital. This was a serious potential incident because the injured person’s face had begun to swell significantly and impaired his vision. It could have impaired his ability to breathe if he had not received treatment when he did. In a second incident, a supervisor drove his employee to the doctor. In this case, the injured person was given Benadryl at the work site which prevented a more serious reaction from occurring during the 1.5 hour drive to seek medical attention. This was a serious potential incident because the allergic reaction might not have been controlled by the Benadryl.