Rank: Forum user 
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I have a colleague who, followng a major surgical intervention, is on immunosuppression medication. This medication increases the risk of skin cancer. It has been suggested that a UVA/UVB film would offer good protection. Have you done this? - what did you use? - what were the drawbacks?
Any and all help very much appreciated.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Work clothes and a solid cab roof would be enough for me - I think you're over-reacting.
BTW laminated glass blocks 90%+ UV radiation. Construction plant may already have that for safety and security?
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 1 user thanked Ron Hunter for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Cab glass will block a substantial amount of UVB radiation but is relatively ineffective against UVA. UVA can also cause skin cancer. There are two skin cancers that can become malignant. Melanoma is the one that in the U.K. we tend to major on. Squamous cell carcinomas actually are believed to kill as many in the USA as malignant melanomas. However, squamous cell carcinomas have a much lower profile in the U.K. and, as far as I can find out, there are few data on the incidence of these here. But is the potential to develop skin cancer solely as a result of UV radiation. There are other possible causes of skin cancer and it may be that these that you should be concerned with. What exactly was colleague told?
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1 user thanked chris.packham for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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I would advise the employee to apply sun lotions. We supply it to some of our employees, my mother-in-law who recently has skin cancer, but now has the all clear, has been advised to wear a minuim factor 30, even during the winter months and while in the house. She now applies it as advised
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Rank: Super forum user
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...SCC...account for 5-11% (as it is a grouping of three types) based on 2013 figures...
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Rank: Forum user 
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Personally I would be risk assessing the possible side effects of immunosuppression medication, as you definitely do not want anyone prone to trembling hands or frequent loss of concentration operating a digger/360.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Originally Posted by: jmaclaughlin  Personally I would be risk assessing the possible side effects of immunosuppression medication, as you definitely do not want anyone prone to trembling hands or frequent loss of concentration operating a digger/360.
Use of immunosuppression medication does not cause trembling hands or loss of concentration as a rule. My doctors have just recommended that I use high factor sunscreen and have recommended specific brands. Having cancer is hard enough to deal with without people making judgements about your ability based on little or no information.
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Rank: Forum user
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It has done, in the past, on three separate occasions, thankfully near misses, 1 trembling hands, 2 loss of concentration. Outcome for 2 was deployed on other duties, because they declared their medication, the third was not used again (agency worker) as they had not declared.
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Rank: Super forum user
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...some immuniosuppresants can give you tremors and anxiety when taken oraly...it does depend on the type and dose..
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Rank: Super forum user
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I work with Cranes, so from personal experience from living in Australia and working in Iraq the best option is always to wear long sleeves and long trousers, especially on contruction sites, no matter the weather. When you don't need to wear a hard hat, wear a soft cotton hat - not a baseball cap, as the ears are not protected. Use sunscrean on the hands or gloves when working.
If the option is available working on plant, have a cab, if smoked glass is available so much the better, even retrofitted smoky perspex (easy to buy this on the internet) otherwise use anything to provide hard shade. Anybody can be uncomfortable and at risk of further skin cancers, Edited by user 19 February 2020 23:11:57(UTC)
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Rank: Super forum user
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Wearing clothing to protect against UV is the best option where exposure cannot be controlled by other means. However, please ensure that it does actually protect. Some clothing can actually enhance the damaging effect of UV. Some manufacturers will provide a UV rating for their clothing. Make sure it is adequate, not just to prevent burning but also the development of what we call free radicals in the skin. According to research from a German University if generation of free radicals is to be achieved - and these are responsible for squamous cell carcinoma that apparent kills around 8,000 workers in the USA each year - a very high level of protection, equivalent to a skin protective cream factor 50 with 5 star UVA rating is needed.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Please correct typo in my posting. It should, of course, read "avoided" not "achieved"!
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