Solar ultraviolet radiation:Solar ultraviolet radiation: Are outdoor workers protected?

April 1, 2009

Session SCH312Presented by Bess Huygne

“Solar ultraviolet radiation: Are outdoor workers protected?”

Bess Huyghe, MSOH, AHESIndustrial Hygienist

Bowling Green State Universitybhuyghe@bgsu.edu

419-372-2171

Outline

• Disclaimer• Statement of

problem• Health effects• Skin anatomy• Skin cancer

statistics• Research• Instrumentation

• ACGIH guidelines• Summary of thesis

conclusions• Interpretation of

OSHA’s PPE standard

• Recommendations• Summary

Statement of Problem

• Outdoor workers continuously engage in risky behavior while exposed to UVR.

• Many studies show that workers may easily be exposed to UVR levels above the ACGIH-TLV for eight hours.

• Several health effects are associated with unprotected skin [NIH, 1983; IARC, 1986; EPA, 1987; WHO, 1994; Tenkate, 1998; Godar, 2001].

Health Effects

• Skin cancer• Skin tanning• Erythema• Accelerated skin aging• Cataracts

• Retinal burns• Photokeratitis• Genetic mutation• Photosensitivity• Immune Suppression

Skin Anatomy

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp

Types of Skin Cancer

• Melanoma skin cancer – a cancer that starts from the pigment-making cells of the skin

• Basal cell cancer – a cancer that begins in the lowest layer of the epidermis

• Squamous cell cancer – a cancer that begins in the upper part of the epidermis

Skin Cancer Statistics: Incidence Trends

• In the United States, incidence of melanoma of the skin has• increased significantly by 7.7% per year from

2003 to 2005 among men. • increased significantly by 2.9% per year from

1993 to 2005 among women. • Among whites, incidence has

• increased significantly by 2.9% per year from 1996 to 2005 among men.

• increased significantly by 3.5% per year from 1996 to 2005 among women.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp

Skin Cancer Statistics: Mortality Trends

• In the United States, deaths from melanoma of the skin have• remained level from 1990 to 2005 among men.

• Among whites, deaths have• remained level from 1990 to 2005 among men.

http://www.cdc.gov

http://www.cdc.gov

Statistics

• Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. Melanoma accounts for less than 5% of skin cancer cases, but it causes the most skin cancer deaths.

• The number of new cases of melanoma in the United States has not changed much in the last 8 years. Overall, the lifetime risk of getting melanoma is about 1 in 50 for whites, 1 in 1,000 for blacks, and 1 in 200 for Hispanics.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp

Statistics

• The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2008 there will be 62,480 new cases of melanoma in this country.

• About 8,420 of the 62,480 people will die of this disease in 2008.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp

Review of Literature

Worker Exposure: Solar UVR

•Kimlin et al. [2006]

•Gies et al. [2003]

•Parisi et al. [2000]

Instrumentation

UV Radiometer: International Light, Inc.; Model IL 1400A

Actinic Hazard Detector: Model SEL240 #6070; Input Optic T2ACT5 #26271; Filter – N/A

ACGIH Guidelines

ACGIH Guidelines

• ACGIH TLVs and BEIs (Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents & Biological Exposure Indices)

• ACGIH1330 Kemper Meadow DriveCincinnati, OH 45240-4148513-742-2020 OR www.acgih.org

NOTE:

• 10 graphs will be displayed and discussed during the live presentation as well as 2 additional graphs on conclusions.

• All 12 of these slides have been omitted from the web version because the information comes from a thesis that has not been published yet.

OSHA’s PPE Standard

• General Industry - 29 CFR 1910.132• Construction - 29 CFR 1926.95• Employers are not required to provide or

pay for any employee PPE when the hazard is solar UVR.

• With that said, an employer can and has an obligation to require PPE even though they are not providing or paying for it.

OSHA’s PPE Standard

• In other words, the employer still has to determine if a hazard exists and if so, administer controls to protect their employees, including PPE.

• If OSHA arrives onsite and witnesses a severe skin sunburn on an employee who is not being protected from the hazard, they could cite you for not requiring and enforcing proper protective equipment.

• With this said, an area OSHA office confirmed that they have never cited anyone for this, but they have the ability to and may in extreme cases.

Recommendations

• Engineering controls

• Administrative controls

• Personal Protective Equipment

Recommendations

Engineering Controls• shielding, enclosing, using a

less harmful process or procedure, etc.

Recommendations

Administrative Controls• scheduling work around the

hours when the sun’s intensity is the strongest, scheduling breaks, awareness training, developing a program and enforcing it, etc.

Recommendations

Personal Protective Equipment• wide brimmed hats, neck

covers, sunglasses, coverage of skin in general, sunscreen, etc.

Summary

• If your employees work outdoors, solar UVR is an occupational hazard and you have an obligation to protect your employees from the hazard.

• Develop a program that clearly recognizes the hazard and specifically states the hazard controls you are going to implement, the training you are going to provide, and the enforcement you are going to follow at a minimum.

• If requiring PPE, be specific about what you are going to provide and pay for as well as what the employee is responsible for.

For More Information

• The American Cancer Society at http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at http://www.cdc.gov/

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration at http://www.osha.gov

For More Information

• Dr. Farhang Akbar from the University of Toledo Health Science Campus (formally MUO) at farhang.akbar@utoledo.edu

• International Agency for Research on Cancer at http://www.iarc.fr/

• The World Health Organization at http://www.who.int/en/

References

• National Institute of Health (NIH): 1983 Incidence of Nonmelonoma Skin Cancer in the United States. By Scotto J, Fears TR and Fraumeni JF. (Pub. No. 83-2433), Bethesda, MD.

• International Agency for Research on Cancer. (IARC). Appendix: Ultraviolet Radiation. In IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Humans. Lyon, France 40: 379-414; IARC,1986.

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Ultraviolet Radiation and Melanoma with Special Focus on Assessing the Risks of Stratospheric Ozone Depletion. Washington, D.C.: EPA (400/ 1-87/001D), 1987.

References

• World Health Organization (WHO): Environmental Health Criteria 14 -- Ultraviolet Radiation. WHO, Geneva, 1994.

• Tenkate TD. 1998 Ultraviolet Radiation: Human Exposure and Health Risks. Environmental Health (September issue): 9-15.

• Godar DE, Wengraitis SP, Shreffler J and Sliney DH: 2001 UV Doses of Americans. Photochemistry and Photobiology 73:621-629.

References

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at http://www.cdc.gov

• The American Cancer Society at http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp

• Kimlin MG, Martinez N, Green AC, Whiteman DC. 2006 Anatomical Distribution of Solar Ultraviolet Exposures Among Cyclists. Photochemistry and Photobiology 85: 23-27.

References

• Gies P, Wright J. 2003 Measured Solar Ultraviolet Radiation Exposures of Outdoor Workers in Queensland in the Building and Construction Industry. Photochemistry and Photobiology 78(4): 342-348.

• Parisi AV, Kimlin MG, Mulheran L, Meldrum LR, Randall C. 2000 Field-Based Measurements of Personal Erythemal Ultraviolet Exposure Through a Common Summer Garment. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 16: 134-138.

• Parisi AV, Meldrum LR, Kimlin MG, Wong JCF, Aitken J, Mainstone JS. 2000 Evaluation of Differences in Ultraviolet Exposure during Weekend and Weekday Activities. Phys Med Biol 45: 2253-2262.

References

• International Light, Inc at http://www.intl-lighttech.com/

• American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH): Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents and Biological Exposure Indices. Cincinnati, Ohio: ACGIH, 2003.

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration at http://www.osha.gov

Thank you for your time and attention!

Any Questions?