Canadian Safety Reporter

2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2014 CSR | July 2014 | News Hard hats, work boots – and sunscreen Protecting employees from UV exposure not just a summertime exercise By Liz FoSTer the Current state of sum- mer sunshine is a welcome change for workers after a long, hard winter. But as much as em- ployees might celebrate the sun, repeated exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can pose serious safety risks. Prolonged, repetitive expo- sure to UV radiation in the form of sunlight is the most signifi- cant risk factor in the develop- ment of skin cancer. Daily exposure to UV radia- tion increases the risk of skin cancer, photo-aging and the for- mation of cataracts. "We would just hope em- ployers would be ethical and be responsive to the needs of their employees in supporting sun protection strategies," said Samir Gupta, chair of the on- tario Medical Association's der- matology section. Gupta suggested workers seek shade when possible to avoid direct UV exposure. When exposure is unavoid- able, he recommended sun pro- tective clothing and the use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen. Not just a summer problem Gupta also warned against the misconception that having a tan defends against UV exposure, saying the only thing a tan pro- vides is a false sense of protec- tion. Another misconception Gup- ta hopes to dispel is the notion that employers need only pro- vide UV protection for workers during the summer months. "Sun protection is not just a summer thing," Gupta clarified. "it's January through De- cember, it's Monday through Sunday and it's both sunny and cloudy days." in the summer months, when the sun is stronger and paired with higher temperatures, how- ever, employers need to be in- creasingly cautious of protect- ing workers from UV exposure, Gupta said. Sari Sairanen, director of health, safety and environment at Unifor, said the best thing em- ployers can do to protect work- ers is to plan ahead. "you'd have to be living in a cave not to know that UV ex- posure creates a very hazardous working condition," Sairanen said. "it is really important to identify those hazards and deal with them. And it's important you don't start working on a safety plan in June. you should be building an awareness pro- gram early and running that program year-round." When an employer can't elim- inate a hazard altogether it must employ control measures to the best of its ability. Scheduling changes can keep employees out of the sun when UV radiation is at its peak and the use of person- al protective gear — including sunglasses, hats and uniforms in fabrics that offer UV protection — can reduce exposure. it is also important to consid- er different levels of exposure. While employees who work out- doors are obvious candidates for special measures, other workers — like sales rep- resentatives who spend large por- tions of their day driving — also re- quire safety con- siderations. "employers should never be caught off-guard," Sairanen said. "They should never be reaction- ary. employers have an opportu- nity to be proactive." Legal obligations Legally speaking, employers have a responsibility to take ev- ery reasonable precaution in or- der to protect workers. "it's clear that exposure to sun is a potential health hazard, but it's one that's misunderstood and not appreciated enough," said David K. Law, partner at Gowl- ing Lafleur henderson LLP. it's appropriate for an em- ployer to insist workers wear sunscreen, take frequent breaks in the shade and hydrate, he said. "What employers need to un- derstand is that sun exposure is a genuine hazard, even if cultur- ally we like it," Law said. An important aspect for employers to remember is the subjectivity of sun safety, Law said. Some workers will be more susceptible to UV and heat ex- posure than others. employ- ers need to listen to workers' concerns about the workplace, as they will not always share an employee's reaction to the envi- ronment. employees who feel their con- cerns are being ignored could potentially refuse work on the basis of safety. Across Canada, provisions relating to work re- fusal reference an employee's "reasonable belief " the condi- tions of their workplace could expose him to dangers to his health or safety. Law noted a low comfort level is not the same as a safety risk, saying it is crucial employers un- derstand the difference. "if the air conditioning in an office went off, the people would complain… but they would not be at risk because it's not going to get that hot. Sorry you're un- comfortable, but there's no legal right to be comfortable. it's a judgment call." By creating a UV safety plan and implementing it early on, employers can protect work- ers when levels of exposure are highest and ensure productivity is not affected during the sum- mer months. "People working outdoors are going to be exposed. There's no real excuse for an employer to pretend it doesn't know," Law said. "The things you can do are practical and simple. These are not difficult things, and they work." Credit: Konstantin Faraktinov/Shutterstock Sun exposure is a significant hazard, but one that's often misunderstood. "People working outdoors are going to be exposed. ere's no real excuse for an employer to pretend it doesn't know. e things you can do are simple."

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