May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, reminding everyone— especially those who work outdoors— to protect themselves from the sun’ s harmful rays, and reduce their risk of developing skin cancer.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, exposure to UV radiation while at work raises a person’ s risk of nonmelanoma skin cancers by 60 percent.

Nearly one in three deaths from nonmelanoma skin cancer is related to exposure associated with working outdoors, according to research conducted by the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization. Of these deaths, 65 percent of people were male, mostly older men whose skin had been damaged by years of chronic UV exposure while on the job.

Additionally, in the U. S., about 50 percent of outdoor workers reported getting sunburn, according to a survey by the Amer- ican Academy of Dermatology( AAD). A person’ s risk for melanoma doubles if a person has had more than five sunburns.

According to the AAD survey, one in 10 outdoor workers has had sunburns severe enough to cause blisters, a rate double that of the general population. And nearly 80 % of outdoor workers got a tan or darker skin as a result of sun exposure.

“ Sun damage is cumulative, so people who spend hours working outside every day are at a higher risk for developing skin cancer,” said Deborah S. Sarnoff, M. D., president of The Skin Cancer Foundation.“ It is imperative that outdoor workers practice rigorous sun protection while on the job. The Skin Cancer Foundation also recommends that employers take steps to educate the workforce about the dangers of sun exposure and support sun-safe habits in the working environment whenever possible.”

6 OPE + May 2026 www. OPE-Plus. com

OPE+ May 2026 | Page 6

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, reminding everyone— especially those who work outdoors— to protect themselves from the sun’ s harmful rays, and reduce their risk of developing skin cancer.