Outdoor Workers and Poisonous Plant Exposures

Poisonous Plants Are an Occupational Hazard For many outdoor workers (and some who work indoors), contact with poisonous plants is a common work hazard. Workers at risk include construction workers, farmers, landscapers and arborists, gardeners, outdoor painters, roofers, and wildland firefighters. Common plants they may come in contact with include poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, devil’s club (devil’s walking stick), stinging nettle, jimson weed, milkweed, giant hogweed, ragweed, goldenrod, foxglove, agave, mistletoe, juniper, oleander, nightshade, and water hemlock. Some or all parts of these plants can be toxic to humans and animals. Poisoning from plants is commonly reported to