Breaking: How Working In The Sun Killed 19, 000 People- WHO

Would you believe that working in the sun could be so devastating, to the extent of killing 19,000 people?

Well, that is the worrisome statistic from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The two global agencies have thus issued a warning on the risk of extended exposure to the sun, saying it gives a disease condition they call non-melanoma skin cancer.

 By their estimation, nearly 1 in 3 deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer is caused by working under the sun, even as 1.6 billion people of working age (15 years or older) were exposed to solar ultraviolet radiation while working outdoors in 2019 equivalent to 28% of all working-age people.

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The report said that in 2019 along, almost 19 000 people in 183 countries died from non-melanoma skin cancer due to having worked outdoors in the sun.

The majority (65%) were male, the report, and about four years after, this figure is believed to have risen progressively to an even more worrisome level.

“Unprotected exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation at work is a major cause of occupational skin cancer,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“But there are effective solutions to protect workers from the sun’s harmful rays, and prevent their deadly effects.”

In a country like Nigeria for example, where several thousands per city get exposed daily working outdoors, the situation is believed to be serious.

Hawkers, truck pushers, roadside traders, commercial motorcylists, masons, plumbers and marketing executives to name some work long hours outdoors, exposed to the coercive sun.

The WHO and ILO estimates also establish occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation as the work-related risk factor with the third highest attributable burden of cancer deaths globally.

Danger of exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation

They say that between 2000 and 2019, skin cancer deaths attributable to occupational exposure to sunlight almost doubled (increasing by 88% from 10 088 deaths in 2000 to 18 960 deaths in 2019).

“A safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental right at work,” said Gilbert F. Houngbo, ILO Director-General.

“Death caused by unprotected exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation while working is largely preventable through cost-effective measures. It is urgent that governments, employers and workers and their representatives work together in a framework of well-defined rights, responsibilities and duties to reduce the occupational risk of UV exposure. This can save thousands of lives every year.”

The agencies thus call for more action to protect workers from hazardous outdoor work in the sunlight.

According to them, since skin cancer develops after years or even decades of exposure, workers must be protected from solar ultraviolet radiation at work from young working age onwards.

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Also, governments should establish, implement and enforce policies and regulations that protect outdoor workers from sun-induced skin cancer by providing shade, shifting working hours away from the solar noon, providing education and training, and equipping workers with sunscreen and personal protective clothing (such as broad-brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirts and long trousers).

Protective measures should be implemented when the ultraviolet index, a scale rating the amount of skin-damaging ultraviolet radiation, is 3 or higher.