Abstract
Exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation is the main cause of skin cancer and may well present an occupational health and safety problem. In Denmark, skin cancer is a common disease in the general population, but detailed data on solar ultraviolet radiation exposure among outdoor workers are lacking. The aim of this study was to provide objective measurements of solar ultraviolet radiation exposure on working days and at leisure and compare levels of exposure between groups of mainly outdoor, equal-parts-outdoor-and-indoor and indoor workers. To this end, UV-B dosimeters with an aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) photodiode detector were used to measure the solar ultraviolet radiation exposure of 457 workers in the Danish summer season. Presented as semi-annual standard erythemal dose (SED) on working days, respectively, at leisure, the results are for mainly outdoor workers 214.2 SED and 64.8 SED, equal-parts-outdoor-and-indoor workers 131.4 SED and 64.8 SED, indoor workers 55.8 SED and 57.6 SED. The daily SED by month is significantly different (α = 0.05) between mainly outdoor, equal-parts-outdoor-and-indoor and indoor workers and across professional groups; some of which are exposed at very high levels that is roofers 361.8 SED. These findings substantiate that exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation is indeed an occupational health and safety problem in Denmark.
Highlights
Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is rated as a group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and is a potential occupational health and safety problem [1]
This study shows that Danish mainly outdoor workers are exposed to significantly higher levels of solar UVR than indoor workers, workers with equal-parts-outdoor-and-indoorwork and all workers on working days in the summer season
The solar UVR exposure levels presented in this study are higher than previously shown for Danish outdoor workers and significantly different across professional groups on working days [2]
Summary
Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is rated as a group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and is a potential occupational health and safety problem [1]. In Denmark, knowledge of solar UVR exposure at work and recognition of work-related skin cancer as a potential occupational health and safety threat are limited [2,5]. According to a registry study by the Danish Cancer Society, outdoor workers with more than 10 years of outdoor work in Denmark have a reduced the risk of skin cancer compared to the general population [6]. This implies that Danish outdoor workers are exposed to cumulative doses of solar UVR that are lower than that of the general population, which is contra-intuitive
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