Sun and UV Exposure Protection
Construction and general industry · Ver en español
Talking points
- Construction workers receive 5-10 times more UV radiation than indoor workers. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and outdoor workers are at significantly higher risk.
- Apply SPF 30+ broad-spectrum sunscreen to all exposed skin every 2 hours — more often if sweating heavily. Cover the ears, neck, and back of the hands, which are commonly missed.
- Hard hat brims and neck shades provide physical UV protection. Wide-brim hard hat attachments block sun from the ears and neck without interfering with safety equipment.
- UV-protective safety glasses or sunglasses protect the eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration. Long-term UV exposure to unprotected eyes causes cumulative and irreversible damage.
- Wear long sleeves and long pants when practical. Lightweight, moisture-wicking UPF-rated fabrics provide sun protection without increasing heat stress significantly.
Ask the crew
Who has sunscreen on right now — and do we have neck shades for our hard hats?
Standards this talk is built on
- Section 5(a)(1)
A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.
Run this talk with your crew and keep the record
In Jobsite, workers sign in on their phones in English or Spanish, and you keep who attended, when, and where, with every other talk your crew has had.
Using an AI assistant? Jobsite's free MCP server serves this library, with OSHA rule text, no sign-in: https://jobsitecerts.com/api/mcp/public (/mcp)
Sign-in sheet
Print this page to collect signatures, or run the talk in Jobsite and workers sign in on their phones.
| Name | Signature | Date |
|---|---|---|
© Jobsite. Free to read aloud, print and use in your own crew's safety meetings. Republishing, reselling or bulk-copying these talks is not permitted.