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Project No.4-419-0381 August 29,2019 Page No. 12 aforementioned conditions are potential factors during site activities. Personnel should always position themselves properly, lift with the legs when lifting equipment or heavy objects, and rely on the buddy system for assistance in lifting loads that are awkward or too heavy for one person. Back strain, the most common ergonomic hazard in the field,may be avoided if site workers ask for assistance when needed. A maximum one-person lift is limited to 50 pounds. 3.3.7 Acoustical Hazards When working around mechanical equipment and heavy equipment, the potential exists for exposure to excessive noise. Any team member who must raise his/her voice to be understood at a distance of 3 feet will be required to use hearing protective equipment. Use of portable radios, tape decks, and similar equipment in the work zone is not permitted. 3.3.8 Biological Hazards 3.3.8.1 Hantavirus Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare but serious, and often deadly, lung infection. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is caused by the Sin Nombre virus. This virus is a type of Hantavirus. Most Hantaviruses attack the kidneys, but the Sin Nombre virus attacks the lungs. It infects the walls of the capillaries(tiny blood vessels in the lungs), making them leak and flooding the lungs with fluid. Hantaviruses are found in rodents in different parts of the world. Each Hantavirus has a preferred rodent host.The Sin Nombre virus is carried by the deer mouse,the cotton rat,and perhaps other rodents common throughout North America.These rodents live in semi-rural and rural areas and infest camps,old buildings, barns, and homes. Wild rodents spread HPS to people. The Sin Nombre virus is passed in the saliva,urine, and droppings of infected rodents. The virus can live for a few days in contaminated dirt and dust.People are infected when they breathe in tiny particles of these materials in dust from places where rodents are living and active. People can also be infected by handling contaminated materials and then touching the mouth or nose. The first symptoms are general and flu-like: fever(101°F-104°F),headache,stomach pain,pain in the joints and lower back, coughing, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. The main symptom is difficulty breathing as the lungs fill with fluid. This can quickly lead to an inability to breathe and, in severe cases, death from suffocation. Symptoms can appear from three days to six weeks after infection, but usually within two weeks. Because the early symptoms are not specific and vary from person to person,HPS is hard to identify in its early stages. It is usually detected only when it affects the lungs and causes breathing problems. Unlike many illnesses that mainly strike people with weakened immune systems,HPS has hit mostly strong, healthy persons. Those who work, play, or live in closed spaces with-active rodent infestation are at risk, although the chances of infection are low. Infected persons can develop untreatable respiratory failure. HPS is fatal to more than half of those who become infected. No virus-killing drug is effective against HPS. Although there has been some experimental use of the anti- virus drug, ribavirin,mechanical ventilation(use of a respirator)is the main treatment. Most patients need to be hospitalized in intensive care. The sooner an infected person gets medical treatment, the better the chance of recovery. LI SALEM engineering group. inc.