As the weather gets colder, heat doesn’t become too much of an issue for many workers. However, if you find yourself doing a lot of work outside, you still need to be careful about sun exposure. Too much exposure can be dangerous, even when you don’t feel the heat…
Sun Exposure: Keep Yourself Safe
Sunscreen
When most people think of protecting themselves from sun exposure, they think about sunscreen or sunblock. Contrary to popular belief, these aren’t actually the same thing! While they both protect your body from harmful UV rays, the way that they do so is actually quite different.
Sunscreen works by mixing in with the skin and absorbing the UV rays that your skin would usually absorb. Meanwhile, sunblock creates a layer over the skin and reflects the rays back away from the skin. However, either one will work for your needs. Just be sure to get ones which are waterproof and broad-spectrum for the best protection.
Sunglasses
Sun exposure isn’t just harmful to the skin. It can also cause damage to the eyes as well. The UV rays can potentially cause temporary, but very painful, burns to the eye surfaces. Plus, directly looking at the sun can cause some serious damage to the corneas. That’s why you’ll also want to keep your eyes safe from the sun as well as your skin.
The best way to do this is through sunglasses. The specialized lenses on the glasses will help reduce the amount of UV rays that reach your eyes. Plus, it’ll make it much easier to see and work in the sun than before. Hats can also be useful to keep the sun out of your eyes as well as for shielding your head.
Taking breaks
Even if you take steps to protect yourself from sun exposure, you should still take breaks from the sun every now and again. While things like sunscreen can help, they will eventually wear off. Plus, your body will get exhausted if it’s in the sun for too long. That’s why you’ll want to be sure you give yourself some time away from the sun.
Ideally, the best place to go is somewhere indoors, but finding a nice, shaded spot can work as well. Here, you can take a moment to rest and reapply any sun protection. Plus, this is also a good time to get yourself something to drink, like some water.