Protecting Workers from Ultraviolet Radiation

• Durability. Once a sunscreen has been applied to skin, its substantivity can become
compromised due to factors such as immersion in water (Stokes and Diffey 1999),
sweating and abrasion.
• Protection Level. For upright workers engaging in a variety of outdoor activity,
the exposure relative to ambient on commonly exposed sites e.g. chest, shoulder,
face, forearms (and lower legs if exposed), ranges from about 20% to 60% of
available ambient (Diffey 1999). The maximum daily ambient ultraviolet levels
under clear summer skies are about 70 SED in the tropics, 60 SED at mid-latitudes
approximating those of southern Europe and the US, and 45 SED for UK and
Scandinavian latitudes. Therefore, most outdoor workers even in the tropic, and
certainly at mid-latitudes, would receive a daily exposure of no more than 40 SED
over much of the body surface. Since an exposure of at least 2 SED is necessary
for a minimal erythema in sensitive skin types, a photoprotective device, properly
applied, would need only to posses a protection factor of 20 or more for tropical
sun exposure. However, to account for inadequate application, a higher SPF is
recommended. An SPF of at least 45 is advised in the tropics.
• To actually maintain exposures below the ICNIRP guidelines, current sunscreens
would not be adequate. This would require the use of sunblock or appropriate
clothing.

9.3.3 Eye Protection

Several forms of eyewear exist for protection of the eye. Sunglasses are frequently used to
reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the eye. The main casual use of sunglasses is
usually to reduce glare by decreasing the luminance of visible radiation reaching the eye.
Sunglasses also attenuate the UVR, but the degree of attenuation is not apparent by visual
inspection of the lenses. Several countries have standards specifying the classification of
sunglasses for the general use according to their UVR transmittance (AS/NZS 1996, ANSI 2001
1997). In Europe a standard exists for sunglare filters used in the workplace (CEN 1997). The
design of sunglasses is important, with “wrap-around” glasses that fit close to the eyes providing
better protection than more open designs. Photokeratitis and photoconjunctivitis are the main
short-term effects of UVR irradiation of the eye. These conditions commonly occur when
exposure takes place on a surface with a high UVR reflectance, such as snow or sand. The
presence of the high reflectance ground surface significantly increases the solar irradiance
reaching the eye. In addition, skiing often takes place at high altitudes where the solar UVB
irradiance can be higher than that at sea level. UVR protective goggles are effective in reducing
the ocular UVR exposure of the eyes from reflections from the snow.
For exposure to artificial sources in the outdoor work place, greater levels of protection may be
needed in the form of enclosed goggles or faceshields, e.g., during electric arc welding in the
field.

9.3.4 User acceptance of protective measures

UV protective measures must provide the proper level of protection (i.e. of UV absorption, area
of coverage, et cetera) and also be accepted by the worker so that they are routinely used. A

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