Spring Cleanup

Some basic safety rules include:

• Never touch a needle with your hands. Follow safe pickup procedures, or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) for assistance.
• Wear gloves and appropriate footwear.
• Wear pants and long-sleeved shirts.
• If cleaning near a roadway, wear a safety vest and clean only the non-travelled portion of a roadway.
• Do not lift heavy objects.
• Supervise children in their cleanup efforts and emphasize that safety comes first.
• There must be one adult present for every six children less than 12 years of age and you must obtain consent from the legal guardian of those participants.
• Children must never touch items like glass, broken wood, metal, needles, or household hazardous waste. It’s a good idea to double up your garbage bags for transporting these items.
• Be aware of your surroundings and the potential hazards (i.e. poison ivy, wild parsnip, streams and branches) and remember to put on protective eyewear as necessary.
• The blacklegged tick that carries the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease is present in the Ottawa area, across Eastern Ontario, and the Outaouais region of Quebec.