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Sun safety while at work is no joke. That painful shower after a long day out in the sun is only the tip of the iceberg. Thankfully, you can do plenty of easy things to prevent excessive UV exposure. As with any other safety advice, it’s just a case of reminding yourself and creating good habits.
At Hirepool, we’ve been keeping tradies cool and safe since ages ago. In fact, we’ve got a huge range of dedicated cooling and ventilation gear for hire, including extraction fans and dehumidifiers for hire. We also sell some great PPE too. Over the years, we’ve also seen our fair share of tomato-red shoulders and arms. So, we thought we’d do our bit and go over our top sun safety tips. After a read, you should be able to give your mates some wisdom at work. Here’s what we’ll cover:
Risks and hazards when working during summer
Top tips for keeping your team safe in the sun on site
Let’s rip into it.
We don’t mean to throw shade (terrible pun intended), but Kiwis often aren’t the best at taking UV exposure seriously. It’s a bit backward, really, as skin cancer is our country's most common type of cancer. They reckon that skin cancers make up about 80% of new cancers each year. It’s a pretty confronting fact.
Especially during summer, the effects of the sun are definitely counted as occupational health and safety. As well as increasing your risk of skin cancers like melanoma, the summer sun can cause other issues too. But more on them soon. Being SunSmart and protecting your crew means safeguarding their livelihood. And it means business can keep ticking over without the interruption of people needing time off for sun-related health problems.
Unlike other occupational safety hazards, UV exposure is less obvious. In saying that, the effects of spending too long in the summer sun without protection are stark. We’ll go over them to give you some sun safety motivation.
A big perk for many tradies is working outside instead of being chained to a desk. The bad news is, outdoor workers can receive up to 10 times more UV radiation than office workers. As you’d expect, this means a higher risk of skin cancers. The good news is you can actually check the UV levels and when they’re expected to peak each day. Just whip out your smartphone when having brekkie and search the NIWA website.
Most of us have had a gnarly sunburn before. But this is only an obvious example of being exposed to too many ultraviolet rays. UV exposure is also a silent killer, in the sense that it can damage your skin and eyes without even realising.
When it comes to dehydration, that sugar-free energy drink at smoko won’t cut it. Dehydration is what happens when you either don’t drink enough fluid or if you’re losing more fluid than you’re taking in. It may seem like a no-brainer, but during summer, you tend to lose more fluid through sweating as your body tries to keep you cool. On the one hand, mild dehydration can impair your performance at work. On the other hand, severe dehydration can even lead to death.
If you’re a painter, landscaper or construction worker putting in the mahi outside daily, you’ve got to be smart. Make sure your workmates know the risks and that everyone keeps up with the drinking at work (water!).
Usually, when you’re dehydrated, you’ll first notice that you’re thirsty (funny that). But there are other less obvious signs to look out for as well. These include:
If it were as easy as just telling your workmates to drink more water, no one would ever be dehydrated. We get it, though, you get busy on tools and drinking water falls by the wayside. The trick is to have a good drink bottle nearby at all times. As well as that, try to keep electrolyte drinks on hand for when your mates show signs of mild dehydration. There are also other handy water-drinking tips floating around online.
If you’ve never had heat stroke, you’re lucky. Heat stroke happens when your body temperature gets too high from being exposed to heat. Heat stroke serious and is an emergency that needs treating right away. The good news is heat stroke and heat exhaustion are very preventable. Tips for preventing heat stroke include:
It’s also important to do some homework on heatstroke and heat exhaustion to know what to look for and the risks. Also, put a prevention plan in place and make sure someone on-site knows first aid and what to do.
Sun safety on the work site isn’t rocket science. In saying that, it does require a bit of effort and planning. Also, communication is key. After having a gander over these tips, be sure to pass them on to your workmates. They’ll repay the favour one day. if you've got their back
You’re favourite faded cap from the early 2000s probably doesn’t cut it. Making sure there is other shade on the job site is important for sun safety, especially if you’re working long shifts or during peak UV hours. If you’re the site manager or boss, let your workers work under trees or shaded areas if possible. Otherwise, put up temporary shade structures. You can hire equipment like portable buildings from your pals here at Hirepool. Gazebo hire is also another good shout.
Failing to plan is planning to fail. When it comes to occupational health and safety, like UV exposure, those higher up the food chain need to manage risk. We’re not just making this up. It’s under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. To ensure you’re ticking all the right boxes, build a workplace policy tailored to your unique trade business. Once you’ve sorted your SunSmart policy, be clear with your team that they need to follow the guidelines and why. You can easily make a SunSmart policy online.
Sometimes, it’s not possible to set up a gazebo. In cases like these, protective gear is vital. Safety requirements may vary from industry to industry. PPE could include any number of things, including:
Sunscreen is one thing we haven’t touched on yet in this blog. Check that it's water-resistant, broad-spectrum and at least SPF50. Don’t muck around with anything lower than that. Make sure that your sunscreen isn’t expired, is stored in a cool area, and it’s easy to get to by your mates.
One of the best ways to catch and treat skin cancers like melanoma is to spot them early. Be sure to pressure your fellow tradies to do regular skin checks. If you’re the boss, it can be a good idea to subsidise your team to get proper checks outside working hours. Print off some pictures of melanoma and pin them up in the smoko room. That way, your workmates will know what to look for. The SunSmart website also has some tips on what to look for.
If you’re a tradie that works indoors, this one is for you. Hot and humid conditions while working inside can cause problems during summer. Keep an eye on the temperature and do what you can to make sure the work site is safe. You can hire equipment, including ventilation gear and extraction fans from us at Hirepool. Another good idea is dehumidifier hire. This can help to keep you from feeling hot and sticky while on the tools.
If you’re working full steam out in the sun for long periods, the wheels will fall off eventually. There’s no shame is taking regular breaks. In fact, it’s crucial when it comes to occupational safety. Regarding sun safety, putting the tools down from time to time gives your team a chance to rehydrate and cool down. At the start of the day, set break times and stick to them.
It may be an option for some, but if you can, try to work early or later in the day. This is so that you avoid those peak UV exposure hours and heat. If you can’t do that, at least try to keep an eye on peak UV hours and plan for shorter shifts or to work in the shade at these times. A bit of forward-thinking can go a long way.
We’ve heard the saying ‘slip, slap and wrap’. Slogans like this are catchy so that people remember them. As catchy as phrases like this are, you still need to pull your weight in raising awareness about the effects of UV exposure. Spreading the word and being proactive is often the best plan of attack. Ways you can remind your workmates may include:
Make sure your team knows that work-related sun protection is tax deductible in New Zealand. That should save some pennies!
UV exposure and sun safety is serious business, especially during the summer months and peak construction season. But, as you’ve read in this blog, you can do plenty of easy things to prevent a nasty burn or something worse. If you need to hire equipment to keep your cool, we’ve got plenty of options at Hirepool. Check out our range of cooling and ventilation gear for hire. For more safety advice during summer, read our top tips for safely working at height.
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