WorldWide Drilling Resource

59 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® JUNE 2013 Safety Spotlight: Sun Protection by Scott Cosby This month, we’ll examine sun pro- tection - which is a good safety topic to examine any time of the year. In the drilling industry, we are all usually out- side in the late spring and summer months when sun protection is an ab- solute necessity. I’m sure all of us in this industry have experienced bad sunburns and the painful aftereffects in our lifetimes. The fact is, prolonged, unprotected sun exposure can damage the skin and cause pre- mature lines, freckles, sun spots, and possible skin cancer. UV (ultraviolet) rays react with a chemical in the skin called melanin. Melanin is the first defense against the sun because it absorbs the harmful UV rays before serious skin damage is done. This chemical is found in different concentrations and colors, resulting in different skin colors. The lighter a person's natural skin color, the less melanin to absorb UV and protect itself. The very best protection for skin from UV light is using a sunscreen when outdoors. This can reduce the chances of burning, but won’t allow unlimited time outside without risk of skin dam- age. Sunscreen must absorb into the skin to become effective. It’s advised to apply sunscreen about 30 minutes prior to going outdoors. Another recommen- dation is to use a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection fac-tor) of 15 to 30. An SPF of 30 can block up to 97% of the harmful UV rays. Other sun protection tips include wearing sunglasses with total UV pro- tection, wide-brimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts, and pants when outside, and avoiding direct sun exposure as much as possible during peak UV radiation hours of the day. For example, when I was on the field crew, we would begin drilling work before daylight in the sum- mer months and tried to conclude our work before the late afternoon hours. Consult your local health profession- al for more information and inform your drilling crews on this topic to keep them safe in the field. Scott Scott Cosby may be contacted via e-mail at admin@ worldwidedrillingresource.com Harmful rays from the sun penetrate the layers of the skin.