Work Sun Smart
Mary Klein Buller, M.A.
Employees face risks every workday. The operation of heavy equipment, electrical lines, chemicals, and even traffic can make a workplace hazardous. Yet one of the most consistent, insidious and dangerous of occupational exposures that threatens outdoor workers’ health goes largely unrecognized and uncombated – the sun’s ultraviolet radiation (UVR).
UVR is the primary cause of skin cancer. Outdoor workers receive up to eight times more UVR exposure and have a 60% greater risk of developing skin cancer than indoor workers. Skin cancer is the fastest growing and most prevalent form of cancer in the U.S. In 1930, an American’s risk of developing melanoma was 1 in 1,500; today it is 1 in 41, largely due to outdoor-oriented lifestyles and irregular use of sun protection. This skin cancer epidemic led the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to classify UVR as “a known human carcinogen.” In response, OSHA has issued a sun protection advisory for outdoor workers.
So what do you and your employees need to know to work safely under the sun?
Know Your Risk
Sun exposure at any age can cause skin cancer. Your skin and eyes are most susceptible to sun damage. According to OSHA, you need to be especially careful if you have:
· Numerous moles, irregular moles, or large moles;
· Freckles, or burn before tanning;
· Fair skin, or blond, red, or light brown hair.
You also need to consider the amount and intensity of the UVR you are exposed to daily. You need to be especially careful if you:
· Live in the south or southwest;
· Live or work at high altitude;
· Spend a lot of time outdoors at midday;
· Spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer.
Ban the Burn
Reducing sunburn is the single most preventable risk factor for skin cancer. Short periods of intense sun exposure are associated with a two-fold increase in melanoma risk. Also, it’s possible to get sunburned on a cloudy day. Clouds block only 20 to 40% of UVR.
Take Cover
Staying out of the sun whenever possible is the most foolproof way to protect yourself. Take advantage of the shade you have or bring portable shade with you to a jobsite. For those who work or rest in a vehicle, window glass blocks UVB but not all UVA.
Cover Up
As much as 85% of UVR can reflect off of sand, tile, cement, and water, so shade cover may not be enough protection. Clothing can be an excellent sunscreen. Specific factors that affect the sun protective quality of clothing include its style, fabric weave, stretchiness, and color. Long-sleeved shirts with collars, long pants, shoes, and socks provide more coverage than tank tops, t-shirts, shorts, and sandals. Fabrics with a tight weave between the threads block more UVR than loosely woven fabrics. Fabrics that stretch can allow more UVR to pass through. Light-colored clothing feels cooler because it reflects infrared light (heat), but darker colors absorb harmful UVR better.
Wear a Hat
More skin cancers occur on the head and face than any other place on the body. Tightly
woven hats with a 3-inch brim all the way around can help reduce sun exposure to the head, face, and neck by as much as two-thirds.
Use Sunscreen
Sunscreen is a valuable sun protection measure when used appropriately. Regular use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen is effective in preventing UVR-induced skin damage that may result in skin cancer. There are two major types of UVR that damage skin, UVB and UVA. All sunscreens protect against UVB, but only broad spectrum sunscreens protect against both UVB and UVA. To block UVA, look for avobenzone, oxybenzone, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in the active ingredients.
The active ingredients in sunscreen absorb, reflect, or scatter the harmful rays of the sun. Sunscreen ingredients are classified as either chemical or physical based on how they perform on the skin. Chemical sunscreen ingredients are absorbed into the skin and work by absorbing harmful UVR. Chemical sunscreens should be applied 15 to 30 minutes before your work shift to give the chemicals time to work. Physical sunscreen ingredients lie on top of the skin and work immediately by reflecting or scattering UVR radiation.
Sunscreen provides protection for a limited amount of time, usually the number of minutes it normally takes your skin to redden multiplied by the SPF of the sunscreen. If you usually burn in 12 minutes on a sunny summer day, sunscreen with SPF 30 will protect you from sunburn for 12 x 30 = 360 minutes or 6 hours. SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVR; SPF 50 blocks 98%. No sunscreen blocks 100% of the sun’s dangerous rays.
Ideally, a broad spectrum, high SPF sunscreen should be used in addition to wearing sun protective clothing. Reapply sunscreen every two hours. According to the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, the reapplication of sunscreen only keeps up the protection of the first application, it doesn’t give you extra or longer protection. Sunscreen should be used to protect against normal sun exposure, not to prolong your time in the sun. Be sure to check the expiration dates of sunscreen products and discard expired products; the average shelf life is two years.
Shade Your Eyes
Like the skin, your eyes can be damaged from too much sun exposure. UVR can cause cataracts, degeneration of the retina, and even melanoma of the eye. UV-protective sunglasses can reduce UVR exposure to the eyes significantly. Choose sunglasses that block 99 to 100% of UVR. Bigger lenses or lenses that wrap around the face offer more UVR protection. Lenses should be large enough to shield your eyes from most angles in order to help block scattered, reflected, or refracted UVR.
Do a Skin Self-Exam
When skin cancer is detected early it can almost always be cured. The most important warning sign for skin cancer is a spot on the skin that is changing in size, color, or shape. Examine your skin and see a doctor if you find anything unusual.
Check the UV Index Daily
The EPA’s UV Index provides a daily forecast of the expected intensity of the sun for 58 U.S. cities. The Index predicts UVR intensity on a scale of 1 to 11+, where 1 means minimal risk and 11+ means a very high risk of overexposure. Check the UV Index online at www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html
to help plan the sun precautions you and your employees should take each workday.