Everybody loves a bit of sunshine! The BBQs come out, days are spent at the beach and we can enjoy evening walks and beer gardens. Unfortunately, this can also result in dehydration, sunburn, heatstroke and skin cancer if the necessary precautions are not taken.
Following the recent Bank holiday weather, we have highlighted a few easy ways to protect yourself whilst enjoying the sunshine to ensure you can get the most out of your summer.
Suitable clothing
When the temperatures rise, the correct clothing can be key to keeping you cool whilst also acting as a barrier from UV rays. An ideal summer wardrobe should include:
- A wide-brimmed hat that provides shade to the face, neck and ears.
- Light-weight clothing that is light in colour and loose fitting.
- Sunglasses with wraparound lenses or wide arms that are marked with either the European Standard ‘CE’ Mark, UV 400 or the British Standard Mark.
Appropriate shade
During the suns peak position in the sky (on an average UK summer day this is usually between 11:00am and 15:00pm) the UV rays are at their strongest. Spending time in shaded areas or inside throughout this period can lesson the risk or burning.
It is wise to take into consideration when sitting in a sheltered are that sun can still penetrate glass.
Sun Cream
During the summer sunny months sun cream should become your best friend and you skin will later thank you for it.
When searching for you sun cream ensure that the label includes:
- A sun protection factor (SPF) of a minimum of 15 to protect against UVB
- A minimum of a four-star UVA protection
- UVA protection
When applying sun cream ensure that you are thorough in doing so and include earlobes, tops of feet and the back of your neck. Sun cream should be re-applied hourly and following any periods of time in water. The majority of sun creams marked ‘water-proof’ are actually only ‘water resistant’ so should also be reapplied after and time spent in water.
Charlotte Mobbs, Administrator at Valentine Occupational Health Limited.
