Working Outdoors
Hot summer months pose special hazards for
outdoor workers who must protect themselves
against heat, sun exposure, and other hazards.
Employers and employees should know the
potential hazards in their workplaces and how to
manage them.
Sun
Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) radiation,
which causes premature aging of the skin,
wrinkles, cataracts, and skin cancer. There are
no safe UV rays or safe suntans. Be especially
careful in the sun if you burn easily, spend a lot
of time outdoors, or have any of the following
physical features: numerous, irregular, or large
moles; freckles; fair skin; or blond, red, or light
brown hair. Here’s how to block those harmful
rays:
¦ Cover up. Wear tightly woven clothing that
you can’t see through.
¦ Use sunscreen. A sun protection factor
(SPF) of at least 15 blocks 93 percent of UV
rays. Be sure to follow application directions
on the bottle or tube.
¦ Wear a hat. A wide brim hat, not a baseball
cap, works best because it protects the neck,
ears, eyes, forehead, nose, and scalp.
¦ Wear UV-absorbent shades. Sunglasses
don’t have to be expensive, but they should
block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB
radiation. Before you buy, read the product
tag or label.
¦ Limit exposure. UV rays are most intense
between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Helpful link: www.cdc.gov/chooseyourcover
Heat
The combination of heat and humidity can be
a serious health threat during the summer
months. If you work at a beach resort, on a
farm, or in a kitchen, laundry, or bakery, for
example, you may be at risk for heat-related
illness. So, take precautions. Here’s how:
¦ Drink plenty of water before you get thirsty.
¦ Wear light, loose-fitting, breathable clothing—
cotton is good.
¦ Take frequent short breaks in cool shade.
¦ Eat smaller meals before work activity.
¦ Avoid caffeine and alcohol or large amounts of
sugar.
¦ Find out from your health-care provider if your
medications and heat don’t mix.
¦ Know that equipment such as respirators or
work suits can increase heat stress.
Helpful links: www.cdc.gov/niosh/elcosh/docs/
d0100/d000024/d000024.html
www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/extremeheat
Lyme Disease
This illness is caused by bites from infected
ticks. Most, but not all, victims will develop a
“bulls-eye” rash. Other signs and symptoms may
be non-specific and similar to flu symptoms such
as fever, lymph node swelling, neck stiffness,
generalized fatigue, headaches, migrating joint
aches, or muscle aches. You are at increased risk
if your work outdoors involves construction,
landscaping, forestry, brush clearing, land
surveying, farming, railroads, oil fields, utility
lines, or park and wildlife management. Protect
yourself with these precautions:
¦ Wear light-colored clothes to see ticks more
easily.
¦ Wear long sleeves; tuck pant legs into socks or
boots.
¦ Wear high boots or closed shoes that cover
your feet completely.
¦ Wear a hat.
¦ Use tick repellants, but not on your face.
2003
¦ Shower after work. Wash and dry your
work clothes at high temperature.
¦ Examine your body for ticks after work.
Remove any attached ticks promptly with
fine-tipped tweezers. Do not use
petroleum jelly, a hot match, or nail
polish to remove the tick.
Helpful link: www.osha.gov/OshDoc/
data_LymeFacts/lymefac.pdf
West Nile Virus
Illness from the West Nile virus is rare,
but it does happen. Mild symptoms include
fever, headache, and body aches,
occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of
the body and swollen lymph glands.
Symptoms of severe infection include
headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor,
disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions,
muscle weakness, and paralysis. Getting
rid of standing water in containers such as
discarded tires, buckets, and barrels helps
reduce mosquito breeding areas. In
addition, you can protect yourself from
mosquito bites in these ways:
¦ Apply insect repellent with DEET to
exposed skin.
¦ Spray clothing with repellents containing
DEET or permethrin.
¦ Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks.
¦ Be extra vigilant at dusk and dawn when
mosquitoes are most active.
Helpful link: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/
westnile/index.htm
More Information
Do you have teenagers working at summer
jobs this year? You and they may want to check
out one of these websites:
¦ OSHA at www.osha.gov/SLTC/teenworkers/
teenworkers.html
¦ Department of Labor at www.youthrules.dol.gov
¦ National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health at www.cdc.gov/niosh/adolespg.html
OSHA has many other materials available to
help employers, employees, safety and health
professionals, and others. For more information,
visit our website at www.osha.gov or call us tollfree
at (800) 321-OSHA (6742).
This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting
OSHA programs, policies, or standards. It does not impose
any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of
compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations,
refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This information
will be made available to sensory-impaired individuals
upon request. The voice phone is (202) 693-1999. See also OSHA’s
website at www.osha.gov. |
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