Here comes the sun - but unlike that old Beatles song, it might not necessarily be alright.

Outdoor workers, according to information from the Ottawa-based Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA), are at a greater risk for developing skin cancer because of their regular exposure to the sun's rays for long periods of time.

To combat the problem - the sun's ultraviolet radiation penetrates the skin and harms the DNA within the cells of the skin - the CDA recently held a series of 11 events across the country primarily aimed at outdoor workers.

At the same time, it launched its new sun safety for outdoor workers program, which includes a 50-page manual, DVD, brochure and posters as it moves to educate employers and employees about the dark side of the sun.

Daniel Alexander, Business Edge
Dr. Cheryl Rosen of the CDA and Environment Canada's Angus Fergusson check out the sun.

"Outdoor workers, whether full-time or part-time, make up a significant segment of our working population," says Dr. Cheryl Rosen, national director of the CDA's sun awareness program and a dermatologist at Toronto Western Hospital, noting that more has to be done so they are properly protected.

The CDA says information it has shows that only one in four outdoor workers use sunscreen on their face and just one in five use sunscreen on the rest of the body.

"I'm not surprised that people still need to be informed about the dangers of the sun because knowledge doesn't always equal a change of behaviour. Take tobacco as an example," says Rosen.

But she is hopeful that skin cancer prevention programs targeting outdoor workers will eventually lead to behavioural changes and ultimately decrease their risk factors.

For Vancouver lifeguard Paul Botkin, who has 32 years of experience out in the sun, skin cancer is now on his radar screen.

"Working the beaches in 1976, guys were topless. As for sunscreen (back then), you've got to be kidding me," says Botkin.

His attitude today, however, is completely different. "I just ran a skin cancer screening clinic ... handing out (sunscreen) samples," he says. "As a shop steward, I'm concerned with safety. If you hand it out (sunscreen) you make them aware."

Lifeguards working for the City of Vancouver - as Botkin does - now generally use sunscreen and a lot of it.

"At a minimum, a new lifeguard is given a baseball cap, issued long-sleeve heavy cotton shirts - you don't burn anywhere near as badly through them - and are told to wear sunglasses. For the head, we have pith helmetsv (safari-type hats) in the guard shack."

Lifeguards are also allowed to wear broad-brimmed hats for fuller face protection. And while the city doesn't provide sunscreen, "they encourage us to use it," says Botkin, who finds that when he finishes his daily shift he is nowhere near as exhausted from the sun at almost 60 years of age today compared to when he was out there decades ago in his 20s.

"And we're also being encouraged to wear shoes - there's quite an increase in foot cancers. We're also worried about needles in the sand and broken glass," says Botkin.

Shock and awe is one of Botkin's best tools for the clinics he hosts. He says the younger lifeguards really pay attention when the reconstructive surgeon he brings in starts out with the line, 'I'm the guy you don't want to see.' But even so, the shift to sun safety has been slow.

"I have 20-year-olds going in there. They don't have cancer but I want them to think about it," adds Botkin.

Skin cancer is a serious problem, says the CDA. There are three main kinds of skin cancer: Basal cell skin cancer, squamous cell skin cancer and melanoma.

Although most skin cancers are not a serious threat, they must be removed by surgery or other treatment methods, which can result in pain and disfigurement. But melanoma - if left untreated - can spread to other parts of the body and lead to death.

That's why the CDA is casting a Canadawide net with its sun safety program. "We've written up a new manual and there are a lot of different educational tools in it," says Rosen.

But while lifeguards may generally come to mind as those most at risk, construction workers, gardeners, letter carriers and virtually any employee who spends a lot of time in the sun falls into the new program's target audience.

An example of the type of tips the CDA is trying to get out to outdoor workers includes the following:

* Apply sunscreen to all exposed areas of skin before going outdoors.

* Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, which is a broad-spectrum approach in order to protect against both UVB and UVA radiation. Reapply at midday or after heavy perspiration or towelling.

* Use wide-brimmed or legionnaire-style hats to protect the face, ears and neck. Baseball caps offer very little protection for these areas.

For employers:

* Change work schedules to limit staff exposure during the peak sun times of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

* Use the midday period for indoor office or administrative work your outdoor staff would normally need to do.

* Encourage workers to start earlier in the day when the sun is not at its peak.

* Provide structures for sun protection.

* Supply items necessary for personal sun protection, such as sunscreen and lip balm with an SPF of at least 30. Sun-protective clothing and hats should be made available.

* For construction workers, simple neck flaps that fit under the back of hard hats will protect the neck area from sun exposure. Front-brim attachments are also recommended.

* Encourage supervisors to model sun-safe behaviours.

* Use the UV index to raise awareness about sun exposure levels and personal sun safety.

The UV index, created by Environment Canada scientists in 1992 and later adopted as the world standard, is an important tool for both outdoor workers and their employers, adds Angus Fergusson, a senior program meteorologist and UV expert for Environment Canada.

The UV index is a measure of the intensity of the sun's UVB radiation - UVA is higher in the spectrum but the danger from it is not as strong.

"UVB does the damage, it can do a lot more damage than UVA," says Fergusson, who took part in the CDA's sun safety session in Toronto.

A UV index rating of between 1 to 3 is considered as low, but the danger from the sun rises to moderate if the index is between 3 and 5 - at that point one should start taking sun protection if they'll be out in the sun for more than 30 minutes.

At levels of 5 to 7, the rating is high and there is a need for full protection - put on a hat, sunscreen, wear protective clothing, sunglasses and limit time in the sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

With a UV index of between 8 to 10, "that's a very high category," says Fergusson. "You need to take extra precautions. The sun will damage your skin very quickly. Avoid the sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and take full precautions."

Fergusson says businesses should have a policy that if workers are outdoors for more than 30 minutes in the sun and the UV index goes above 3, they should be applying sunscreen. That policy should add the clause of wearing protective clothing when the index hits a level of 5.

While the sun's radiation is strongest during the summer months, the CDA recommends protective measures from early spring right through to the fall. People often get sunburns in late April and May because the weather is cool and they don't think the sun is strong enough to burn if they can't feel its heat.

Protection is also important in winter because the snow's surface will reflect a fair share of the sun's ultraviolet radiation. Fresh white snow can increase the amount of UV radiation you receive by up to 85 per cent, says Environment Canada.

Bright Ideas.

The Canadian Dermatology Association is focusing on sun safety for outdoor workers during its 2007 national sun awareness campaign, which is now underway.

Skin cancer is largely preventable, the association says. Protection methods include:

* Try to limit the amount of time you work outdoors in the sun during 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

* Seek shade from buildings, trees, canopies, etc. as much as possible, especially during lunch and coffee breaks.

* Wear a wide-brimmed hat - more than eight centimetres or three inches - not a baseball cap.

* Wear clothing that covers as much of the body as possible. Fabrics that do not let light through work best. Make sure clothing is loose and comfortable.

* Apply an SPF-30 or higher to all exposed areas of skin before you go outside. A broad spectrum sunscreen protects against both UVA and UVB exposure.

* For more information about implementing a sun safety program in the workplace, check out www.dermatology.ca/outdoorworkers/index.html

(Laura Severs can be reached at laura@businessedge.ca)