Risk Management Department

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Risk Management Department

• Sun Heat
• Safety
• April, 2008

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Introduction
• This training contains information about the
  risks posed by ultraviolet radiation (UV), the
  effects of heat and sunlight, and steps you can
  take to protect yourself from overexposure.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Introduction
• In this training we will cover
• The sun and UV radiation
• Hazards of sun exposure
• Hazards of heat exposure
• Guidelines for protection

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Sun and Heat Safety

• The Sun and UV Radiation
• The sun is the energy source that sustains all
  life on earth. Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) is
  simply one form of energy coming from the sun.
• Even though you may have only just started
  hearing about UV and the effects it has on you,
  it is nothing new. 
• The effects of sunlight can be dangerous. 

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Sun and Heat Safety

• The Sun and UV Radiation
• Even on cloudy or overcast days, UV rays travel
  through the clouds and reflect off sand, water,
  and even concrete.   Clouds and pollution don't
  filter out UV rays, and they can give a false
  sense of protection. 
• Some clouds can increase the UV intensity on the
  ground by reflecting and refracting the sun's
  rays.  People can also be caught unawares when a
  small break in an overcast deck of clouds allows
  a brief burst of intense radiation to reach the
  ground.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• The Sun and UV Radiation
• Cold air can also be deceptive as temperature is
  not directly related to UV intensity. 

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Sun and Heat Safety

• The Sun and UV Radiation
• Of course, mere exposure to the sun is not the
  entire story.  The effects are dependent on you,
  your level of pigmentation, how much of a tan you
  already have as well as the nature of your skin.
   
• Production of your skin's pigment, or melanin, is
  stimulated by sun exposure and does reduce your
  risk of sunburn once you are already tan.  Be
  aware that even dark-skinned individuals can be
  sunburned and damage their skin with over
  exposure.  
• Obviously, fair-skinned individuals need to
  exercise more caution.  You should also be aware
  that the sun's rays have different intensities at
  different times of the year.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Sun Exposure
• Sunburn
• A sunburn develops when the amount of UV exposure
  is greater than what can be protected against by
  the skin's melanin.   The lighter your skin, the
  less melanin it has to absorb UV and protect
  itself.   And all skin, no matter what color,
  responds to continued sun exposure by thickening
  and hardening, resulting in leathery skin and
  wrinkles later in life.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Sun Exposure
• Sunburn
• Unprotected sun exposure is even more dangerous
  if you have moles on your skin, very fair skin
  and hair, or a family history of skin cancer,
  including melanoma. 
• You should be especially careful about sun
  protection if you have one or more of these
  high-risk characteristics.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Sun Exposure
• Skin Cancer
• According to the American Cancer Society (1999),
  skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. 
  The incidence of skin cancer is greater than the
  incidence of breast, lung, prostate, colorectal,
  and kidney cancers combined. 
• In the United States, about 1.3 million
• new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed
• each year.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Sun Exposure
• Skin Cancer
• More than one million new cases of basal cell and
  squamous cell carcinoma are detected each year.
• 47,000 new cases of malignant melanoma
• are diagnosed each year.
• Each year skin cancer will claim the lives
• of approximately 9,800 people.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Sun Exposure
• Skin Cancer
• Exposure to UV radiation appears to be the most
  important environmental factor in the development
  of skin cancer. 
• Skin cancer is a largely preventable disease. 
  Exposure to UV radiation may be the most
  important preventable factor in determining a
  person's risk for skin cancer.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Sun Exposure
• Eye Damage
• Sunlight is the primary source of UV radiation
  that can damage tissues of the eye. 
• Spending long hours in the sun without eye
  protection increases the chances of developing
  eye diseases, including cataracts. 

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Sun Exposure
• Eye Damage
• Excess exposure to UV radiation may increase the
  incidence of cataracts.  Cataracts are a form of
  eye damage that causes the loss of transparency
  in the lens, clouding vision.  
• Another potential effect of UV radiation is a
  "burning" of the eye surface, called "snow
  blindness" or photokeratitis from sunlight.  The
  effects usually disappear within a couple of
  days, but may lead to further complications later
  in life.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Sun Exposure
• Photo Aging/Wrinkling
• Chronic overexposure to the sun changes the
  texture and weakens the elastic properties of the
  skin.  The epidermis, which is the outer layer of
  the skin, thickens, becomes leathery, and
  wrinkles as a result of sun exposure. 
• Sun-induced skin damage causes wrinkles and
  furrows, easy bruising, brown or "liver spots",
  precancerous lesions (actinic keratoses), and
  potentially skin cancer.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Heat Exposure
• High temperatures and humidity stress the body's
  ability to cool itself, and heat illness becomes
  a special concern during hot weather.
• There are three major forms of heat illnesses
• Heat cramps
• Heat exhaustion
• Heat stroke

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Heat Exposure
• Heat Cramps
• Heat cramps are muscle spasms which usually
  affect the arms, legs, or stomach. Frequently
  they don't occur until sometime later after work,
  at night, or when relaxing.
• Heat cramps are caused by heavy sweating,
• especially when water is replaced by drinking,
• but not salt or potassium. Although heat
• cramps can be quite painful, they usually
• don't result in permanent damage.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Heat Exposure
• Heat Exhaustion
• Heat exhaustion is more serious than heat cramps.
  It occurs when the body's internal
  air-conditioning system is overworked, but hasn't
  completely shut down.
• In heat exhaustion, the surface blood vessels and
  capillaries which originally enlarged to cool the
  blood collapse from loss of body fluids and
  necessary minerals.
• This happens when you don't drink
• enough fluids to replace what you are
• sweating away.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Heat Exposure
• Heat Exhaustion
• The symptoms of heat exhaustion include
  headache, heavy sweating, intense thirst,
  dizziness, fatigue, loss of coordination, nausea,
  impaired judgment, loss of appetite,
  hyperventilation, tingling in hands or feet,
  anxiety, cool moist skin, weak and rapid pulse
  (120-200), and low to normal blood pressure.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Heat Exposure
• Heat Exhaustion
• Somebody suffering these symptoms should be moved
  to a cool location such as a shaded area or
  air-conditioned building. Have them lie down with
  their feet slightly elevated. Loosen their
  clothing, apply cool, wet cloths or fan them.
  Have them drink water or electrolyte drinks. Try
  to cool them down, and have them checked by
  medical personnel. Victims of heat exhaustion
  should avoid strenuous activity for at least a
  day, and they should continue to drink water to
  replace lost body fluids.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Heat Exposure
• Heat Stroke
• Heat stroke is a life threatening illness that
  occurs when the body has depleted its supply of
  water and salt, and the victim's body temperature
  rises to deadly levels.
• A heat stroke victim may first suffer heat cramps
  and/or the heat exhaustion before progressing
  into the heat stroke stage, but this is not
  always the case.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Heat Exposure
• Heat Stroke
• On the job, heat stroke is sometimes mistaken for
  heart attack.
• Symptoms include a high body temperature (103
  degrees F) a distinct absence of sweating
  (usually) hot red or flushed dry skin rapid
  pulse difficulty breathing constricted pupils
  any/all the signs or symptoms of heat exhaustion
  such as dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, or
  confusion, but more severe bizarre behavior and
  high blood pressure. Advanced symptoms may be
  seizure or convulsions, collapse, loss of
  consciousness, and a body temperature of over
  108 F.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Hazards of Heat Exposure
• Heat Stroke
• It is vital to lower a heat stroke victim's body
  temperature. Seconds count. Pour water on them,
  fan them, or apply cold packs. Call 911 and get
  an ambulance on the way as soon as possible.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Guidelines for Protection
• Avoid being in the sun for prolonged times when
  it is highest overhead and therefore the
  strongest (normally from 1000 AM until 400 PM).

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Guidelines for Protection
• Eye Protection
• Sunglasses offer excellent protection for your
  eyes.  Like your skin, your eyes are at risk of
  damage and trauma if exposed to too much UV
  radiation.
• Wear sunglasses that ensure lenses block at least
  95 of UV radiation.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Guidelines for Protection
• Eye Protection
• If you wear corrective lenses, add UV-protective
  coating or obtain prescription sunglasses if you
  spend significant periods outside. 
• You can buy protective shades to attach to your
  glasses or sunglasses that you can wear over your
  corrective lenses.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Guidelines for Protection
• Skin Protection
• Sunscreen is used to protect your skin from the
  suns damaging ultraviolet radiation or 'UV'. 
  When choosing a sunscreen that will protect you,
  there are a few things you should know
• No sunscreen offers 100 protection from the
  suns damaging UV.  Even with sunscreen, UV will
  still get through to the fragile upper and lower
  layers of your skin.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Guidelines for Protection
• Skin Protection
• Sunscreen should always be used in conjunction
  with other forms of protection like hats,
  sunglasses, clothing and shade.
• Sun protection factor (SPF) 30 sunscreen offers
  you maximum protection from the sun, blocking out
  96 of UV. 
• SPF 15 will block out 93.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Guidelines for Protection
• Skin Protection
• For sunscreen to be effective at protecting you
  from sunburn, put it on 20 minutes before going
  outside.  This gives the protective elements in
  sunscreen time to bond to your skin. 
• Dont rub it in--a light film should stay
  visible.  Remember to reapply every two hours or
  more regularly if sweating a lot.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Guidelines for Protection
• Protective Clothing
• Appropriately designed clothing is great for
  protecting you from the sun.  Choose clothes that
  cover the arms, legs and neck to ensure you are
  properly protected. 
• You wont get hot or uncomfortable if you choose
  lightweight fabrics like cotton or linen.  The
  tests on
• clothing show that most polyester/cotton
• and cotton clothing items protect against
• 95 of ultraviolet radiation or 'UV'. 

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Guidelines for Protection
• Protective Clothing
• Some factors can reduce the UV protection of your
  clothing.  If your clothing gets wet, fades or is
  a few years old, its ability to shade against UV
  will be reduced.
• If you are looking for very high sun protective
  clothing - for outdoor work, - choose dark
  colors, as
• they are better at absorbing UV than
• light colors.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Guidelines for Protection
• Heat
• Anyone can suffer a heat illness, but by taking a
  few simple precautions, they can be prevented
• Condition yourself for working in hot
  environments - start slowly then build up to more
  physical work. Allow your body to adjust over a
  few days.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• Guidelines for Protection
• Heat
• Drink lots of liquids. Don't wait until you're
  thirsty, by then, there's a good chance you're
  already on your way to being dehydrated.
  Electrolyte drinks are good for replacing both
  water and minerals lost through sweating. Never
  drink alcohol, and avoid caffeinated beverages
  like coffee and pop.
• Take a break if you notice you are getting a
• headache or you start feeling overheated.
• Cool off for a few minutes before going
• back to work.

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Sun and Heat Safety

• You are finished!
• You have finished the Sun and Heat Safety
  training.
• Download the quiz from the Risk Management
  websites training page.
• Print the form and be sure to write your name,
  location and employee number in the spaces
  provided.
• Complete the ten questions and have your
  supervisor send it to the Risk Management office