Jul 26, 2024
I’m Meredith Williams, MPH, RN, OCN, director of cancer services at United Hospital Center. July is Ultraviolet Safety Month and I’m here to answer your questions about UV Rays and skin safety.
1. With the beginning of the school year right around the corner, can you offer some skin safety tips for schools?
Recess and other outdoor activities during the day can put students at risk if their skin isn’t protected from too much exposure to the sun. Teachers and school administrators can take steps to protect students from getting skin cancer later in life.
One step is to simply increase shade. Provide shade structures or trees. Move outdoor activities to shaded areas. Plan for shade when developing or renovating school buildings, playgrounds, or athletic fields.
Another step a school administration can take is to promote sun-safe behaviors. A few ways to do this are to encourage students to wear hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen outdoors. Try to avoid scheduling outdoor activities when the sun is strongest. Provide breaks during outdoor activities so that students can reapply sunscreen and get water.
2. As for the adult population, does UV exposure affect workplace environments?
The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to minimize risk of harm to workers. Employers may be required to provide workers’ compensation to employees who get skin cancer because of sun exposure on the job.
Skin cancer can greatly reduce workers’ productivity. Every year, Americans lose more than $100 million in productivity because of too restricted activity or absence from work due to skin cancer.
Providing sun protection for outdoor workers helps create a healthy and safe workplace. It can also increase productivity, which saves money.
3. Can you recommend tips for those who work outdoors?
Encourage sun safety among your employees and provide sun protection when possible.
Use tents, shelters, and cooling stations to provide shade at worksites. Schedule breaks in the shade and allow workers to reapply sunscreen throughout their shifts. Create work schedules that minimize sun exposure. For example, schedule outdoor tasks like mowing for early morning instead of noon, and rotate workers to reduce their UV exposure.
This content was originally posted on the WDTV News website here.
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