Skin Protection FAQ
What skin protection do outdoor crews need?
Outdoor crews need protection from sun, irritating plants, chemicals, and abrasion: sunscreen and covering clothing for UV, barrier protection and appropriate gloves for irritants and chemicals, and protective clothing for abrasion. The hazards vary by task and season. Providing the right skin protection for the conditions reduces the sunburn, rashes, and exposures that outdoor work otherwise causes.
Why is sun protection important for outdoor workers?
Cumulative sun exposure raises skin cancer risk and causes immediate sunburn, and outdoor crews accumulate far more UV exposure than most people. Sunscreen, covering clothing, hats, and shade all reduce it. Sun protection is a genuine long-term health measure for crews working in the sun all day, not just comfort, which is why it belongs in the crew's protection program.
How do I protect skin from irritating plants and chemicals?
Use appropriate gloves, barrier protection, and covering clothing matched to the hazard, and wash exposed skin after contact with irritating plants or chemicals. The chemical labels specify required skin protection. For plants that cause rashes and for chemical handling, the right barrier between skin and the irritant, plus prompt washing after exposure, prevents the reactions that contact causes.
What should I look for in sun-protective clothing?
Covering, breathable clothing with sun protection shields skin while keeping workers cool, and lighter colors and ventilated fabrics help in heat. Long sleeves, brimmed hats, and neck protection cover the areas that burn most. Sun-protective clothing that workers will actually wear in the heat is what provides real, all-day protection, balancing coverage against comfort.
How does skin protection fit into a crew safety program?
Skin protection addresses hazards that are easy to overlook because their effects, sunburn, rashes, cumulative UV damage, are gradual or seem minor day to day. Including sun protection, appropriate gloves, and barrier products in the crew's supplies, and encouraging their use, protects workers from the skin hazards that constant outdoor exposure presents over a career.
Can skin protection products be ordered for a crew?
Yes. Skin protection products are stocked in quantities for outfitting crews with volume pricing by quote. Equipping crews with sun protection, barrier products, and appropriate gloves for their tasks, and keeping them stocked, supports the skin protection that all-day outdoor work makes important for worker health.
