SUN SAFETY AT WORK

Conducted by:

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This safety toolbox talk will highlight the details and statistics about skin cancer, who is at great risk and how to protect your employees, and yourself.

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OVERVIEW

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FACTS AND FIGURES

• Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is a major cause of skin cancer in humans. Skin cancer cases have increased and almost doubled in the last 20 years worldwide.
• Approximately, 35,000 to 40,000 people are diagnosed with skin cancer and 2,000 people lead to death from skin cancer due to sun ultraviolet each year.
• Sun rays cause the human skin to create and develop a dark stain termed as melanin; this indicates that the skin has been destructed and affected.
• Long-term sun exposure speeds up the skin's ageing process, making it drier and wrinkled.
• People working outside should consider exposure to UV radiation as an occupational health hazard.
• A suntan (a brown or lightless shade of skin developed after exposure to the sunlight) is perceived as ‘healthy’ but it may not be so.

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�WHO HAS INCREASED RISKS OF SKIN DAMAGE?�

1. People with pale skin, fair hair, freckles or a large number of moles.
2. People with a family history of skin cancer and those with excessive exposure to sunlight, such as outdoor workers.
3. The risk is less for people with dark hair and brown or black skin. However, prolonged sun exposure can be bad for skin types. Do not be complacent.

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SKIN TYPES

Category 1: White skin, never tans, always burns. Generally, people with red or fair hair, blue eyes, pale skin and freckles.

Category 2: White skin, burns easily, but may tan eventually. May have decent and clean hair, blue eyes and freckles.

Types 1 and 2 must take extra care to avoid strong sunshine or cover up with woven clothing wear, a hat.

Category 3: White skin, tans easily and burns rarely. Often with darkish hair and eyes and slightly darker skin.

Category 4: White skin, never burns, always tans, darker hair, eyes and skin.

Types three and 4 must nevertheless take care in robust sunshine.

Category 5: Brown skin

Category 6: Black Skin

Categories 5 and 6 are at a minor risk of skin cancer but it can happen. These skin categories can still blacken and even burn in stronger sunlight.

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��SUN SAFETY GUIDELINES TO PRACTICE ��

1. Take care not to burn, this can take as little as 10 minutes.
2. Cover up with loose clothing. Keep your apparel on so you do no longer exposed to unprotected regions.
3. Seek shade during the hottest part of the day and take your breaks in the shade.
4. Apply high-factor sunscreen generously and frequently to any parts of the body exposed to the sun; SPF 15 or above.
5. If you are concerned about moles changing shape or colour and itching, weeping or bleeding, see your General Practitioner immediately.

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��WHAT IS SPF? �

SPF is a measure of how much solar energy (UV radiation) is required to produce sunburn on protected skin (i.e., in the presence of sunscreen) relative to the amount of solar energy required to produce sunburn on unprotected skin. As the SPF value increases, sunburn protection increases.

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWER SECTIONS:

Do you have any questions for me?

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