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How can you keep your employees safe from the sun this summer?

TOLEDO, Ohio - June 28, 2012 - As the season continues into the dog days of summer, the amount of harmful UV rays from the sun continues to strengthen into armies of cancer and blindness causing agents that can have a negative impact on employees and in turn impact employers. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight and tanning beds causes premature aging of the skin, wrinkles, cataracts, and skin cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, the estimated total direct cost associated with the treatment of melanoma (a form of skin cancer) in 2010 was $2.36 billion in the United States (2011).

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States with one person dying of the disease every hour (EPA, 2004). Skin cancer can be caused by sunburns or long exposure to UV radiation that result in genetic mutations. In addition to skin cancer, UV radiation can result in eye damage including cataracts, pterygium, macular degeneration, and blindness. The number of Americans age 40 or older with cataracts has increased to approximately 13 million (EPA, 2004).

While length of exposure to the sun, altitude, and time of year influence the risk of exposure to UV radiation, there are also genetic risk factors that can increase the chances of deadly repercussions from some fun in the sun or summertime outdoor labor.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that those with the following attributes are at more risk for developing skin cancers:

• A lighter natural skin color
• Family history of skin cancer
• A personal history of skin cancer
• Exposure to the sun through work and play
• A history of sunburns early in life
• A history of indoor tanning
• Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun
• Blue or green eyes
• Blond or red hair
• Certain types and a large number of moles

July is UV Safety Month, an awareness event sponsored by Prevent Blindness America, which encourages individuals to decrease exposure to environmental and chemical agents that could induce blindness.  

Since the average employed American spends over a third of the day in the workplace (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011), it is important for employers to provide opportunity for shelter against - and stress the importance of - protection from damaging UV radiation.

What can you do as an employer to prevent the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation?

Help educate employees about their risk of exposure, how to prevent exposure, and the signs and symptoms of overexposure.  Provide access to helpful resources such as, A Guide to the UV Index, provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency, or the Ultraviolet Light Awareness Quiz, provided by Prevent Blindness America.

Taking some simple steps can help keep employees safe from UV rays this summer  If you have any questions or need any further information on employee exposure risks your company, please contact your Hylant representative.

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If you have any questions on how your company can better educate employees on the dangers of UV rays, please contact Jerid Baxter, Health & Wellness Strategies Practice Leader, or your Hylant representative.