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.