Summer is near, and with it comes additional workplace hazards, especially for employees who work outdoors in the California sun. High heat and bright sun create special risks—including heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and sun-related skin damage—for outdoor workers. Certain insect-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease and West Nile virus are more prevalent in the summer as well.
To help you protect your workers from summer dangers, here are four handy safety checklists.
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Minimize Damage from Sun’s Rays
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight can cause cataracts and skin ancer. Workers with light skin or light hair are particularly vulnerable as are those with lots of moles or freckles. Advise employees who are out in the sun to:
- Wear sunscreen with an SPF factor of at least 15 that protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat that protects the neck, ears, eyes, forehead, nose, and scalp. Baseball caps don’t provide sufficient coverage.
- Check the label on sunglasses: They should block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation.
- If possible, avoid or limit outdoor work between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when UV rays are most intense.
Head Off Heat-Related Illness
Heat exhaustion, caused primarily by dehydration, and heat stroke can be dangerous or even fatal. To reduce these hot weather risks, inform employees that they should:
- Drink plenty of water when it’s hot, even if they don’t feel thirsty.
- Wear light, loose-fitting, breathable clothing. Cotton is a good summertime fabric.
- Take short but frequent breaks in the shade.
- Eat smaller meals before working in the heat.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and large amounts of sugar before and during work. They are diuretics that pull water from the body.
- Find out from their healthcare providers if certain medications and heat don’t mix.
Precautions Against Lyme Disease
Bites from infected ticks cause Lyme disease. Employees are at increased risk if their outdoor work involves construction, landscaping, forestry, brush clearing, land surveying, farming, railroads, oil fields, utility lines, or park and wildlife management. They should follow these precautions:
- Wear light-colored clothes so ticks can be spotted more easily.
- Wear long sleeves and tuck pant legs into socks or boots.
- Wear high boots or closed shoes, and a hat.
- Use tick repellents.
- Shower after work and wash and dry clothes at a high temperature.
- Promptly remove ticks from skin with fine-tipped tweezers.
Watching Out for West Nile
Mosquitoes can carry the West Nile virus. While rare, the virus has cropped up in California, so keep the following tips in mind to help workers avoid contracting it:
- Get rid of standing water to reduce mosquito breeding areas.
- Apply insect repellent containing DEET to clothing and exposed skin.
- Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks.
- Be extra vigilant at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.