Course Highlight: Valley Fever Awareness
Valley fever or Coccidioidomycosis – sometimes known as ‘San Joaquin valley fever’ or ‘desert rheumatism’ – is a fungal infection caused by inhaling fungus spores and affects thousands of people every year. Cases of valley fever are mostly saturated in the southwest but have been recorded along the west coast stretching up to Washington.
Those in certain industries may be more at risk of contracting valley fever, including those that are exposed to high levels of dust intake such as construction workers, road and agricultural workers, ranchers, archaeologists, and military personnel on field exercises. People who spend a significant amount of time outdoors or spend time close to dust and dirt can also be at risk. It has been shown that there can be a rise in cases as a result of natural disturbances such as earthquakes in endemic areas.
Generally, there are no fully effective ways to prevent catching valley fever. In the workplace, wearing masks and having proper air filtration can protect employees from catching the illness. Further, keeping your windows closed and staying inside during windy conditions and dust storms is also a preventive action.
After completing this course, employees should be able to recognize how a valley fever infection is contracted and identify symptoms. They should be able to identify high-risk populations and exposure prevention methods. Finally, they should be able to recognize when to seek medical attention and report symptoms to their employer. This course is offered in English and Spanish.
Interested in more SafetySkills course content?
SafetySkills launched the following course titles and course translations in May 2022:
New Course Title:
- Valley Fever Awareness
Rebuilt Course Title:
- Personal Protection Equipment
New Translations:
Bosnian
- Personal Protective Equipment
French (Europe)
- Personal Protective Equipment
German
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Fall Protection
Korean
- Personal Protective Equipment
Mandarin
- Personal Protective Equipment
Polish
- Personal Protective Equipment
Portuguese (Brazil)
- Personal Protective Equipment
Spanish
- Valley Fever Awareness
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Fall Protection for Upstream Oil and Gas Operations
- Back Injury Prevention for Oil and Gas Workers
- Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records
New Microlearning Courses:
- Carcinogen Awareness: Hazards and Characteristics
- Carcinogen Awareness: Common Occupations Associated with Exposure
- Carcinogen Awareness: Reducing Exposure
- Benzene Awareness: Identifying Common Usage
- Benzene Awareness: Safety Requirements in the Workplace
- Benzene Awareness: Exposure Control
- Hexavalent Chromium: Properties and Hazards
- Hexavalent Chromium: Common Sources
- Hexavalent Chromium: Reduce or Eliminate Exposure
- Access to Medical Records: Rights and Record Access
- Access to Medical Records: Employer Responsibility and Record Maintenance
- Organic Peroxide Awareness: Characteristics and Hazards of Organic Peroxides
- Organic Peroxide Awareness: General Safety Considerations
- Ammonium Hydroxide: Properties and Potential Hazards
- Ammonium Hydroxide: Preventing and Treating Ammonium Hydroxide Exposure
- Security Threat Awareness: Personnel Security Considerations
- Security Threat Awareness: Physical Security Considerations
- Security Threat Awareness: Digital Security Considerations
- Combustible Dust: Identify Hazards of Combustible Dust
- Combustible Dust: Safe Practices for Working Around Combustible Dust
- Hazard Communication for Construction Workers: Purpose and Requirements of a Hazard Communication Program
- Hazard Communication for Construction Workers: Types of Chemical Hazards and Hazard Controls
- Hazard Communication for Construction Workers: Sources of Information for Worksite Chemical Hazards
- Hazard Communication for Construction Workers: Requirements for Medical Recordkeeping
- Fire Safety for Construction: Common Fire Hazards on Construction Sites
- Fire Safety for Construction: Fire Prevention and Protection Safeguards
- FRS for Construction: Firefighting Equipment/Procedures on Construction Sites
- Fire Safety for Construction: Construction Site Emergency Procedures
- LOTO for Construction: Importance of Lockout/Tagout and Employee Roles
- Lockout/Tagout for Construction: Required Tasks of the Authorized Employee During Lockout/Tagout
- Lockout/Tagout for Construction: Requirements for Locks and Tags
- PPE for Construction: Common Types of PPE and Their Uses
- PPE for Construction: Specialized types of PPE and their uses
- PPE for Construction: Employee responsibilities with PPE use and maintenance
- Electrical Safety/NFPA 70E for Construction: How Electricity Works/its Dangers
- Electrical Safety/NFPA 70E for Construction: Common Electrical Injuries
- Electrical Safety/NFPA 70E for CON: Electrical Hazards on CON Sites
- Electrical Safety/NFPA 70E for Construction: Electrical Safety Devices on Construction Sites
- Electrical Safety/NFPA 70E for Construction: Methods to Manage Electrical Hazards
French (Canada)
- Security Threat Awareness: Personnel Security Considerations
- Security Threat Awareness: Physical Security Considerations
- Security Threat Awareness: Digital Security Considerations
Spanish
- Housekeeping Awareness
- Fall Protection in the Oil and Gas Industry: Hazards and Controls on Working Surfaces (Microlearning)
- Fall Protection in the Oil and Gas Industry: Elevated Surfaces
- Fall Protection in the Oil and Gas Industry: Safe Work Practices
- Fall Protection in the Oil and Gas Industry: Personal Protective Equipment
- Carcinogen Awareness: Hazards and Characteristics
- Carcinogen Awareness: Common Occupations Associated with Exposure
- Carcinogen Awareness: Reducing Exposure
- Benzene Awareness: Identifying Common Usage
- Benzene Awareness: Safety Requirements in the Workplace
- Benzene Awareness: Exposure Control
- Hexavalent Chromium: Properties and Hazards
- Hexavalent Chromium: Common Sources
- Hexavalent Chromium: Reduce or Eliminate Exposure
- Access to Medical Records: Rights and Record Access
- Access to Medical Records: Employer Responsibility and Record Maintenance
- Organic Peroxide Awareness: Characteristics and Hazards of Organic Peroxides
- Organic Peroxide Awareness: General Safety Considerations
- Ammonium Hydroxide: Properties and Potential Hazards
- Ammonium Hydroxide: Preventing and Treating Ammonium Hydroxide Exposure
- Combustible Dust: Identify Hazards of Combustible Dust
- Combustible Dust: Safe Practices for Working Around Combustible Dust
- Hazard Communication for Construction Workers: Purpose and Requirements of a Hazard Communication Program
- Hazard Communication for Construction Workers: Types of Chemical Hazards and Hazard Controls
- Hazard Communication for Construction Workers: Sources of Information for Worksite Chemical Hazards
- Hazard Communication for Construction Workers: Requirements for Medical Recordkeeping
- Fire Safety for Construction: Common Fire Hazards on Construction Sites
- Fire Safety for Construction: Fire Prevention and Protection Safeguards
- FRS for Construction: Firefighting Equipment/Procedures on Construction Sites
- Fire Safety for Construction: Construction Site Emergency Procedures
- LOTO for Construction: Importance of Lockout/Tagout and Employee Roles
- Lockout/Tagout for Construction: Required Tasks of the Authorized Employee During Lockout/Tagout
- Lockout/Tagout for Construction: Requirements for Locks and Tags
- PPE for Construction: Common Types of PPE and Their Uses
- PPE for Construction: Specialized types of PPE and their uses
- PPE for Construction: Employee responsibilities with PPE use and maintenance
- Electrical Safety/NFPA 70E for Construction: How Electricity Works/its Dangers
- Electrical Safety/NFPA 70E for Construction: Common Electrical Injuries
- Electrical Safety/NFPA 70E for CON: Electrical Hazards on CON Sites
- Electrical Safety/NFPA 70E for Construction: Electrical Safety Devices on Construction Sites
- Electrical Safety/NFPA 70E for Construction: Methods to Manage Electrical Hazards
