Safety Requirements

Large quantities of medicine boxes, respirator masks, rubber gloves, rubber hoses, clamps, Pyrex or Corning glass containers, pill residue (putty looking substance, pink to red in color), other containers or kitty litter bags with rubber hoses attached, red-stained cloths or coffee filters, and any containers with a powdery residue, gasoline additives, or rubbing alcohol may be an indication of meth manufacturing.

Here is a new warning. Methamphetamine makers might also just use a plastic soda bottle, lye, starter fluid, ammonia nitrate, ether, acetone, and strips from lithium batteries to make what is called a “one-pot method” or “shake and bake.” Production on a small scale can be very dangerous.

DO NOT PICK UP ANY SEALED PLASTIC BOTTLES or any plastic bottles that appear to contain any questionable substance. If you come across items you suspect were used to make methamphetamine, stay away from them and notify your ADOT contact as to where they are.

If you come across any of the following items leave them alone and tell your ADOT contact where you saw them:

Over-the-counter cold remedies containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine are used to make meth. Unusually large quantities of these products or large numbers of “blister packs” being disposed of may indicate the presence of a meth lab.

Coleman fuel, acetone, and muriatic acid are common ingredients used in meth labs. Other common chemicals are ethyl alcohol (denatured alcohol), ethyl ether (starting fluid), hydrogen peroxide, iodine crystals and paint thinner. Storage or disposal of large quantities gasoline, antifreeze or any of the above items can indicate the presence of a meth lab.

Meth labs can be contained inside a simple cardboard box or ice chest/cooler. Be alert for strange and powerful odors, piping attached to odd containers (like kitty litter bags), beakers, jars, and funnels.

When “cooked,” meth takes on the form of a white, tan or brown powder. Coffee filters are commonly used in the manufacture of meth. Finding filters stained unusually bright colors can be a sign of a meth lab. Common colors for stains on coffee filters are fluorescent red, green and blue,

This is a home grill propane bottle used to download ammonia. You can see the nozzle is blue. This blue color is due to the corrosive effect of ammonia on the gas valve. This propane tank is now a potential bomb, ready to explode.

Take extra caution when walking in the desert or mountains, especially when the daytime temperature stays above 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Use caution at all times.

DO NOT HANDLE DEAD SNAKES OR THEIR SEVERED HEADS

A REFLEX STRIKE/BITE CAN OCCUR FOR HOURS AFTER THE SNAKE IS DEAD!

When disturbed, a snake vibrates its tail, and the rattle gives off a vibrant chi chi chi chi. Arizona has 17 species and subspecies of rattlesnakes.

TREATMENT AND FIRST AID

If bitten by a rattlesnake, stay calm and seek medical attention IMMEDIATELY! To keep your heart rate low, do not run or walk quickly.

Call 911 or the Poison Control Center at 800.222.1222.

• If bitten on the hand, remove all jewelry immediately before swelling begins.
• DON’T apply ice to the bite site or immerse the bite in a bucket of ice.
• DON’T use a constricting band or tourniquet. Do not restrict blood flow in any manner.
• DON’T try to capture the snake and take it to the hospital with the person who was bitten

BE ALERT TO BITES AND STINGS SCORPION STINGS

All scorpions can sting, but only one scorpion in the US, the bark scorpion in Arizona, is classified as potentially deadly.

If someone in your group is stung and the scorpion cannot be identified, pay attention to the SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS.

The bark scorpion sting is extremely painful, but does not usually cause swelling or redness at the sting site. Victims describe the feeling as similar to having a piece of hot metal stabbed into their skin. If one of the other types of scorpions stings a person, victims say the pain is similar to that of a wasp, with local swelling and pain. The bark scorpion ranges in different shades of light brown. The male bark scorpion can grow to 8 cm in length, while the female only grows to 7 cm.

Call 911 or the Poison Control Center at 800.222.1222.

CONSIDER ANY HONEYBEES TO BE AFRICANIZED HONEYBEES OR KILLER BEES.

The Africanized honeybee looks just like a domestic or common European honeybee, and only highly trained bee specialists can tell them apart. Honeybees, wasps and yellow jackets sting to defend themselves or their nests. Avoid disturbing them. Africanized bees are not particular about where they establish a colony. They may nest in cavities like holes in the ground, crevices in rocks, discarded tires, a saguaro cactus or water meter boxes.

DON’T KICK OVER A ROCK OR ROLL OVER A LOG WITHOUT CHECKING FOR BEES.

Treat all bees like you would a rattlesnake, a scorpion or any venomous creature; be alert and stay away from them.

• Assume all bees are Africanized honeybees.
• Always be aware of your surroundings.
• “Bee prepared” and cover up as much skin as possible while on the Arizona roadside.
• Carry a handkerchief or scarf to cover your face if bees are riled and you can’t outrun them to safety.
• Wear light-colored clothing; do not wear perfume or strong smelling sunscreen.
• Most attacks are traced back to some kind of provocation. Don’t bug the bees!

If you are attacked, cover your head and run to the nearest place that will enable you to shut out the bees. A car, a truck or a house will work. If you choose a car or truck, close the outside vents and turn on the air conditioning to calm the bees. Do not dive under water. The bees will wait for you to surface and attack.

Ants can sting or bite and use their venom to kill smaller creatures or to keep intruders away. Therefore, the best prevention is to avoid stepping or sitting on their nests.

The severity of an insect sting reaction varies from person to person. A large, local reaction includes swelling and redness beyond the sting site. Although frightening in appearance, it will go away over several days.

The most serious reaction to an insect sting is an allergic one. All of these reactions require immediate medical attention. A severe allergic reaction, or “anaphylaxis,” may include one or more of the following symptoms:

• Hives, itching or swelling in areas other than the sting
• Tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing
• Hoarse voice or swelling of the tongue
• Dizziness or sharp drop in blood pressure
• Unconsciousness or cardiac arrest