Ultra Violet Radiation (UVR) affects everyone

February 28, 2019

Ultra Violet Radiation (UVR) affects everyone

What is Ultra Violet Radiation (UVR)?
UVR effects everyone, it comes from the sun as well as artificial lighting such as welding or specialised lights used in hospitals and laboratories. 
 
It’s not just related to how hot it is, you can still get burnt on cool or cloudy days.
 
UVR levels are high enough to damage unprotected skin which can result in skin cancer (UV levels of 3 and above). Cancer Council research says that skin cancer accounts for around 80% of all newly diagnosed cancers*
 
You can be affected by UVR even if you are in a car or home.
 
There are many different types of glass. Each provides very different levels of sun protection, for example:
  • House window glass provides only moderate protection against UVR.
  • Office building glass has a UPF of 50+ which means it provides excellent protection.
  • Vehicle glass UVR levels vary. But it’s important to remember that a person sitting in a car can still receive significant exposure to UVR. 
How to protect yourself against UVR
Some tips for protecting yourself include:
  • Engineering controls:
    • Use shade cloth when working outdoors.
    • Put blinds or curtains down to block out sunlight.
  • Administrative controls
    • Reschedule work so the hot tasks are performed during the cooler part of the day.
    • Provide extra rest breaks in a cool area.
    • Reduce the time spent doing hot tasks (eg. job rotation).
  • Personal protective equipment and clothing:

Where can I find more information?

BOM weather app
  • Use the free BOM weather app to check the weather forecast and UVR levels.
SunSmart app
  • Use the free SunSmart app to find out when you should use sun protection and to check UVR levels. 
WorkSafe website
  • Visit the website or contact WorkSafe’s Advisory Service on 1800 136 089.

 

Credit: http://comms.worksafe.vic.gov.au/link/id/zzzz5c772a55a1fbb953Pzzzz525c801c743ad142/page.html