Apple Magazine - Summer 2017

APPLE
SUMMER 2017 40

The sun beats down, bouncing off the shimmering waters of the Glenmore Reservoir in southwest Calgary. At the nearby Calgary Canoe Club, coaches and instructors protect themselves from from ultraviolet radiation (UVR) by wearing shirts, hats, sunglasses and sunscreen.

“Sun protection is really
important for us given our
environment. When we’re out
on the open water, there’s no
shade, there’s no hiding from
the sun,” says club manager
Lynda Roberts. “We have to
be proactive.”
The club has adopted the
Be Sunsible program from
Alberta Health Services’
Cancer Prevention Legacy
Fund (ACPLF), which
promotes sun safety for
outdoor workers.

Outdoor workers are exposed to six to eight times more UVRs than indoor workers. And this makes them more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with skin cancer.

“Be Sunsible is a step-by-
step program that provides
workplaces with tools and
resources to inspire and
empower employers and
outdoor workers to adopt
sun safety best practices,”
says project coordinator
Steven Quantz.

The Calgary Canoe Club is one of eight companies piloting Be Sunsible in Alberta. The Town of Devon also adopted Be Sunsible in March. When Maryanne Sagan, Devon’s health and safety coordinator, orients new workers, she shows them a Be Sunsible video and hands out information about the sun’s hazards.

“For several years, the town has offered sunglasses and sunscreen as part of our normal personal protection equipment for outdoor workers,” Sagan says.

“Through Be Sunsible,
Quantz says Be Sunsible
is getting good marks from
workplaces with outdoor
workers. ACPLF looks forward
to expanding its reach across
Alberta.

“There’s a need to raise awareness of UVR as an occupational hazard and equip workplaces with the tools and resources to protect their workers.”|a

To learn more about sun exposure at work, visit besunsible.albertapreventscancer.ca.

BE SUNSIBLE: SUN SAFETY
FOR OUTDOOR WORKERS

Protecting employees from ultraviolet rays

WRITTEN BY VALERIE BERENYI PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHAEL INTERISANO From left: Calgary Canoe Club employees Cooper Howling, Gavin Jaeger Freeborn, Graham Schiebel and Brooke Whitwell are more protected from ultraviolet radiation thanks to the Be Sunsible program.