According to the Met Office we are already into the summer as of 1st June. True to form as the weather heats up those of us who spend all of our time indoors at work will, in our spare time, be heading out into our gardens or up the coast in an attempt to stop ourselves looking lily white any longer. In contrast those employees that spend large amounts of time working outdoors have the opposite problem of making sure that their skin is not over exposed and they keep well hydrated especially when doing physical work. So what do the experts tell us about this periodic British opportunity of a potentially decent summer?
The Met Office has published a range of new web pages entitled Get Ready for the Great British Summer, teaming up with a number of partners, such as Cancer Research UK and PDSA to encourage us to be prepared for and enjoy the summer. The web pages include a new safety section with tips about sunscreen and hats from Cancer Research UK. Sunscreen (factor 15 or higher is recommended) should be the last line of defence to help protect skin from sunburn. It’s really important to use shade and clothing too. Factor 15 or higher sunscreen can help protect parts of the body you can’t cover with clothes, but no sunscreen, whatever its SPF or star rating, can offer 100 per cent protection from UV rays. And to get the level of protection written on the bottle it’s important to apply enough (about an ice-cream scoopful to cover your whole body if wearing a swimsuit) and reapply regularly. There is even some helpful advice from the PDSA on how to make sure that your pets (working and domestic) don’t suffer heatstroke. Typical symptoms being excessive panting; extreme salivation; distress and collapse. It goes without saying that all pets need access to clean drinking water, they too should not stay out in the sun for long and not left in cars unless under complete shade with adequate ventilation.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) considers matters within the work place reminding organisations and managers responsible for workers whose job keeps them outside for most of the day. Their relevant leaflet INDG337: Sun Protection: Advice for Employers of Outdoor Workers gives advice on reducing the health risks for employees when they are working in the sun.
The leaflet advises outdoor workers to follow the sun protection six-point code:
- Keep tops on to act as a barrier from the rays of the sun.
- Wear a suitable hat especially one with a brim or flap that protects the ears and back of the neck.
- Stay in the shade wherever possible, especially at break times.
- Use a high factor sunscreen on any exposed skin.
- Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
- Check skin regularly for any unusual moles or spots and see the doctor promptly if anything is changing in shape, size or colour, itching or bleeding.
Employers or manager responsible for outdoor workers should:
- Make their workers aware of the above points and especially.
- Include sun protection advice in routine health and safety training, as well as informing workers that a tan is not healthy but a sign that skin has already been damaged by the sun.
- Make sure that they drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, siting water points and rest areas in the shade.
- Encourage workers to keep covered up with hats and long sleeved shirts during the summer months, especially at lunch time when the sun is at its hottest.
- Encourage workers to use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.
- Consult with employees and take their views into account when introducing any new sun safety initiatives.
The HSE says, “UV radiation should be considered an occupational hazard for people who work outdoors” so this needs to be considered as part of any generic workplace risk assessment undertaken.
Other workers that need to be considered are those that work in hot conditions all year round but when there is additional summer heat their environments can get even hotter. These can range from professional kitchens, bakeries, laundries and boiler rooms through to heavy industrial processing activities such as smelting or welding. These workers are at risk of heat stress which is when the body’s means of controlling its internal temperature starts to fail. Air temperature, work rate, humidity and work clothing are all factors that can cause heat stress; the problem being is that it is not an obvious risk to people that are only passing through rather than actually working there. Factors to reduce risks include:
- Control the temperature e.g. fans or air conditioning.
- Provide mechanical aids to reduce work rates.
- Regulate the length of exposure e.g. job rotation.
- Prevent dehydration encouraging people to drink small amounts frequently during and after working.
- Provide training about heat risks, symptoms of heat stress, safe working practices and emergency procedures.
- Make sure first aiders know about what to look out for and what treatment to provide as well.
- Allow workers to acclimatise to their environment and asses whether they are fit to work.
- Identify those who may be more susceptible due to illness, a medical condition or medication that can bring on early onset of heat stress e.g. pregnant women or those with heart conditions.
- Monitor the health of workers at risk and seek OH advice if necessary.
There is some useful information on managing temperature at work at: Temperature
Finally, for those that are simply suffering the heat in an office environment, there is no upper temperature limit that employers must adhere to. However, the Workplace, Health, Safety & Welfare Regulations do require that working areas should be adequately ventilated with clean fresh air draw from a source outside of the workplace with suitable circulation. That can mean either opening windows to switching on the air conditioning. Don’t forget that those air conditioning units need to be periodically serviced so that filters can be cleaned to reduce the risk of legionella. High quality drinking water must be readily available to all workers. Even workers that spend many hours in a vehicle driving can suffer with heat exhaustion increasing the risk of accidents to make sure that they carry plenty of fresh drinking water in their vehicles, switch on the air conditioning, and take appropriate rests especially when driving at the hottest time of the day.
So check that your risk assessments cover this welcome advent of the sun and make sure that your control measure are adequate for all of your workers, indoors and out, and anyway in between!
