Across Europe, an estimated number of 36 million workers are exposed to natural ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun and around 1 million to UVR from artificial sources. Exposure to UVR primarily affects the skin and the eyes. Both solar and artificial UVR are classified as carcinogenic to humans (IARC Group 1). Excessive UVR exposure leads to sunburn and inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva after a delay of a few hours. Cataract and different types of skin cancer can develop after many years of UVR exposure. In Europe, more than 470 000 new cases of skin cancer (melanoma and non-melanoma) were reported by IARC for 2022.
Where risks occur
All outdoor workers, e.g. in agriculture and forestry, in building construction and civil engineering, or in shipping, are particularly affected by solar UVR. However, workers who only work partially outdoors, such as those in delivery, police, and emergency services, in education, and in gastronomy are also at the risks arising from solar UVR exposure. Work activities that can be accompanied by artificial UVR include, for example, welding or cutting with an arc or a laser, material testing, UV disinfection (food industry, water treatment) or industrial curing of paints.
More about the hazard
UVR with wavelengths between 100 and 400 nm is neither visible nor otherwise perceptible. Not every UVR wavelength has the same biological effect, but the relative spectral sensitivities of the skin and the eyes must be taken into account. As a consequence, especially UV-B radiation (280 – 315 nm) poses a risk of sunburn. UV-A radiation (315 – 400 nm) leads to skin ageing and wrinkling, among other things.
Solar UV-C radiation (100 – 280 nm) is completely absorbed by the stratospheric ozone layer and therefore does not reach the earth’s surface. However, artificial UV-C radiation can occur, for example, during arc welding and disinfection (typically with a wavelength of 254 nm) or by use of certain laser sources. Artificial UV-C radiation is partially absorbed by air leading to ozone formation.
Hazards that may occur
UVR primarily has an effect on the surfaces of the skin and the eyes but is also known to suppress the immune system. Acute, excessive exposure to UVR can lead to painful but reversible inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva, which feels like “sand in the eye”, as well as inflammatory reddening of the skin (erythema, synonymous with sunburn). Long-term high UVR exposure increases the risk of developing both white (non-melanoma) and black (melanoma) skin cancer as well as cataract. While acute health effects are delayed by a few hours, the latency for diseases caused by chronic UVR exposure is in the order of decades.
What you can do
The initial check for a substitution of dangerous work equipment is the most effective way to avoid UVR exposure. With regard to solar UVR, it is not possible to replace the source of risk (the sun). However, if artificial UVR is intended to be used or occurs unintentionally, a substitution check must be carried out in advance. In principle, a reasonable combination of technical, organisational, and personal measures offers the best protection against UVR.
Technical measures include all forms of shielding and shading, e.g. canopies at stationary and sunshades at non-stationary outdoor workplaces. Completely enclosed cabins provide UVR protection when using mobile work equipment. Existing shading, e.g. from buildings or plants, often offers only limited UVR protection. When using artificial UVR, enclosing the source or shielding the accessible UVR is a suitable way of ensuring effective UVR protection.
Organisational measures aim to reduce the duration of exposure. These include, for example, relocating work activities to shaded or shielded areas that are only slightly exposed or not at all, and shifting work time to earlier morning and later evening hours (for outdoor work). Distributing work activities among several workers and restricting access to UVR exposed indoor workplaces by signs or labels are also examples for organisational measures.
Personal measures such as a headgear with a wide brim and a neck protection, safety goggles (sunglasses or specifically designed protective eyewear for artificial UVR), face shields and visors, as well as clothing and gloves that cover the whole body are often compulsory. Skin areas that cannot be covered by textiles, e.g. the face of outdoor workers, should be protected by using sunscreen with a sufficiently high sun protection factor.
References: IARC, COM, ICNIRP
