Occupational Heath Authorities Tell Us How To Beat The Maltese Sun In Melanoma Awareness Month
With May being melanoma awareness month, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) has given us some tips and tricks on how to stay healthy under the Maltese sun.
Living through Malta’s notoriously hot summer, we are no strangers to the risks that come with toiling in the scorching heat.
Now that temperatures are soaring, and with the prospect of the odd heatwave looming not too far on the horizon, the OHSA has re-issued its annual document, ‘Working in the Sun and Heat‘.
The guide helps duty-holders identify risks associated with working in hot climes, and the measures that need to be taken to stay healthy.
“Heat-related illness is preventable and requires the employer’s commitment in providing the most effective controls,” they wrote in a press release.
“The best strategies for working safely outside are avoiding sun exposure and regulating how workers operate in the heat.”
In their document, the OHSA earmarked professions that are at the highest risk of facing heat-related illnesses. Outdoor professions such as those farmers, builders, beach-workers, and gardeners.
It wasn’t only those professions that required attention. Jobs carried out indoors where humidity is a concern are just as dangerous. This often means kitchen, farm or laundry workers need to be given their due care.
What could be done for personal safety?
Ultimately, what we do on a personal level to keep safe is the most crucial part of the whole process, the OHSA maintains.
Hydration is paramount. But keeping track of the UV index and making use of equipment such as tents, sunscreens, shades or large umbrellas may also be necessary.
Lightweight cotton clothes, as well as hats and long trousers, are also important. They advise against staying bare-chested under the sun. If it is difficult for you to do so, then you may want to use sunscreen, and keep an eye out for new marks on your skin throughout the summer.
To learn more about safety guidelines to keep any heat-related illnesses away come summer, all you need to do is click here.
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