Is Sunscreen As Important As High-Vis Clothing?

Sunscreen should be considered as important as high-visibility clothing on construction sites it has been claimed.

Building Design & Construction magazine has suggested that the industry needs to start looking at protecting its workers from exposure to the sun, as well as ensuring they’re visible onsite.

The publication cited research showing that there are 241 cases of melanoma skin cancer in the UK each year among people who are exposed to the sun while working. As a result, there are 48 deaths every year.

Dr Birnie, skin cancer specialist, explained that although there are some good quality products available to protect against sun exposure, awareness of them isn’t high enough and people can see the cost as prohibitive.

“Accessibility and education are key,” Dr Birnie stated. And once people have sunscreen to wear at work, they need to remember to apply it regularly throughout the day.

Ideally, workers should reapply sunscreen every two hours and use products with either SPF30 or SPF50 because creams with these strengths make use of the most sophisticated UV filters available.

So, if you operate construction sites you may want to start supplying sunscreen to your workers alongside their hard hats and high vis jackets.

Of course, this kind of protection is only necessary if you’re going to be on site during the day. If you are working after dark there will be other risks to consider, mostly around being visible to vehicles and other workers.

When you’re working after dark it is the reflective elements of an item of clothing that are the most important, Safety and Health magazine recently pointed out.