Central Safety Group Melbourne

Here Comes the Sun

Date & Time: Tuesday 12 November 2024, noon

CSG Hybrid Lunchtime Presentation - via zoom or in the room

Speaker: Dominic Melling, OHS Unit Coordinator, Victorian Trades Hall Council & Shannon Jones, Programs and Priority Populations Manager, SunSmart, Cancer Council Victoria

Topic: Here comes the sun

Summer brings with it increased risk of skin cancer, heat exhaustion and heat stroke in the workplace.
This session will raise awareness of risks from exposure to heat, and discuss the roles and requirements of employers and employees in dealing with these.
General dangers from working in high temperatures, both indoors and outdoors, will be discussed by Dominic Melling, OHS Unit Coordinator at Victorian Trades Hall Council.....Read more

Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 11 November 2024.  When booking, please ensure you select the November Event from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP.

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Here comes the sun

What a timely presentation this was, especially as we were enjoying a lovely 25 degree day in Melbourne. It seemed like quite a benign day, but Shannon Jones from Sunsmart soon disabused us of that idea: the UV index was 8, which meant that the exposure standard would be exceeded after only 10 minutes in the sun. This was just one of the eye-opening nuggets of information throughout both Shannon's and Dominic's presentations.

Shannon explained the difference between temperature and UV and how the former is no indication of the latter. For instance, a couple of years ago in January, there was a day of 38 degrees when the UV index was 9.9; two days later the temperature was 21 degrees, but the UV index was 10.5. Because UV radiation can't be seen or felt, one needs to be aware of the UV index. One way is via one of Sunsmart's many free resources, the Global UV App: https://www.sunsmart.com.au/resources/sunsmart-app.

Shannon also provided guidance on protective clothing, including a hint on how you can easily check your clothing's protective qualities. She emphasised how clothing is more important than sunscreen and encouraged us to "get to know your skin".

Dominic Melling focussed on heat exposure, both outdoors and indoors. The effects are more than those that immediately come to mind, such as heat stress and heat stroke. Extreme heat can also affect motor skills as well as increase irritability. There is also evidence in the construction industry to show how a rise in temperature correlates to a rise in WorkCover claims.

Dominic pointed to a number of resources, but said that the WorkSafe Victoria 2-page guidance note is a good place to start: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/working-heat.

Both presentations were so full of information that the video of the event is highly recommended. There is a minor glitsch around the 43-minute mark, but it doesn't affect your viewing.

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