Sunburn  

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers and can be deadly.  The three main types are squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and the most aggressive type, melanoma.  The prevalence of skin cancer increases with sun exposure, burning or tanning.

Ninety-five percent of skin cancer can be cured if detected early. Therefore, individuals such as lifeguards who have significant sun exposure should have regular screening for skin cancer, at least once per year.

New moles, changing moles, or scaly, crusty, raised skin lesions should be evaluated by a qualified physician.  Enlargment, notching, itching, bleeding or color change in a pre-exisiting mole is a warning sign.

Avoidance of sun exposure especially during peak times of the day is helpful in reducing skin damage and cancer risk.  This can be accomplished by appropriate shelter at guard stations, tightly woven long sleeve clothing, wide brimmed hats, and frequent and thorough use of water resistant sun screen.  Sunscreen should be a minimum SPF 30 or greater. I t should be applied 15 to 30 minutes prior to sun exposure and should be used even on cloudy days as UV light penetrates clouds and causes skin burning.  Sun screen should be applied with extra care to the lips, ears, nose, shoulders and head. It should be re-applied every 2 – 3 hours or more often if swimming, or sweating profusely.

Lifeguards and other personnel who experience significant skin cancer may not in some instances be able to continue employment in outdoor activities. This situation may have a substantial financial impact on the individual and the organization.

The UV rays in sunlight can also seriously damage the eyes.  Sun damage can contribute to cataracts, macular degeneration, corneal damage, and pterygiums.  Eye protection should consist of good quality sunglasses in addition to shade and hats.  Sunglasses should offer 99 - 100% protection from UVA and UVB light as well as screening out 75 - 95% of the visible light.  They should be breakage resistant with brown, grey, green, or amber lenses. Wraparound style and polarization are advised to help reduce glare and eye fatigue, but must not obstruct peripheral vision.