Access Professional Development

🐍 Most snakebite incidents don't start with a snake.

They start with:
❌ Poor housekeeping
❌ Overgrown vegetation
❌ Blind reaching into storage areas
❌ Workers taking shortcuts through grass

The snake is often just the final link in a chain of overlooked hazards.

That's why the best snake safety programmes don't start with snake handling. They start with hazard identification!

Could your workplace already be creating ideal snake habitat without you realising it?

Our latest blog explains exactly what to look for 👉 https://accesspd.co.za/blog/workplace-snake-hazards-how-to-identify-snake-risks-on-your-site

🐍 Space exploration may happen above us... but workplace safety starts on the ground. 🚀🌿

Yesterday, we wrapped up a Snake Identification, Handling & Snakebite Treatment course for delegates working at a major scientific and research facility in Hartebeeshoek, Gauteng.

When people think about advanced technology, research, and communications infrastructure, snakes are probably not the first thing that comes to mind.

But large outdoor facilities often cover extensive areas of natural habitat, creating environments where encounters with wildlife, including snakes, are inevitable.

For maintenance teams, field personnel, security staff, and operational employees, knowing how to identify snakes, respond appropriately, and manage emergencies can make all the difference.

Throughout the course, delegates covered:

✔️ Identification of venomous and non-venomous snakes commonly encountered in Gauteng
✔️ Understanding snake behaviour and reducing unnecessary risk
✔️ Practical snakebite first aid and emergency response procedures
✔️ Safe and ethical snake handling and relocation techniques
✔️ Workplace health and safety responsibilities when operating in wildlife-rich environments

The more people understand snakes, the less likely they are to panic, make poor decisions, or unnecessarily harm wildlife.

And when confidence is backed by practical training, safer outcomes follow for both people and snakes.

A huge thank you to all the delegates who participated enthusiastically throughout the day and contributed to some excellent discussions and practical sessions.

📞 For more information on our Snake Identification, Handling & Snakebite Treatment courses, contact Bernadette on 076 092 5932 or [email protected]

🐍🚀🌿

🐍 "Where there’s water, there’s life... and often snakes." | Phalaborwa, Limpopo 💧🌿

Yesterday, we had the privilege of presenting a Snake Identification, Handling & Snakebite Treatment course to delegates working in the water and sanitation sector in Phalaborwa, Limpopo.

From pump stations and reservoirs to pipelines, canals, treatment facilities, and remote infrastructure, these teams spend their days working in environments where snake encounters are a very real occupational hazard.

And in Limpopo, those encounters can involve some of South Africa's most medically significant species.

This course was designed to give delegates the knowledge and practical skills needed to work safely in these high-risk environments while protecting both themselves and the wildlife they encounter.

Throughout the day, delegates worked through:

✔️ Identification of venomous and non-venomous snakes commonly encountered in Limpopo
✔️ Understanding why snakes are frequently found around water infrastructure
✔️ Practical snakebite first aid and emergency response procedures
✔️ Safe and ethical snake handling and relocation techniques
✔️ Workplace risk reduction strategies for field personnel

When workers understand what to look for and how to respond, they can prevent incidents before they happen.

Because effective snake safety isn't about removing every snake. It's about creating safer people, safer workplaces, and safer outcomes for everyone involved.

📞 For more information on our Snake Identification, Handling & Snakebite Treatment courses, contact Bernadette on 076 092 5932 or [email protected]