This week, Kaitlin Cathey at Team Run Smart looked into the special care that truck drivers need to protect themselves from sun damage. She also posted her opinion about whether UV shields are worth the money and effort to drivers.
As many of our readers know, one of the most popular pictures in the press this last year was the close up of the truck driver who sustained critical damage to the left side of his face due to sun rays that constantly bombarded him through his window. Nearly every major news outlet ran the photo, along with a good list of things to keep in mind to protect you from sun damage.
Why is it so important? Our skin can be resilient when it comes to damage from mistreatment, but like any of the body’s organs, it has its limits. Once your skin crosses the threshold of irreparable damage, the only option you may have to improve it could be costly and impractical plastic surgery.
Skin cancer is very common, especially in people who work in manual labor jobs like truckers, construction workers, landscapers and painters. Fortunately it’s easy for doctors (and you) to spot, and when caught early, rarely poses a threat to your life. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat it as a casual concern.
Here’s a bit from Kaitlin’s article: “As a professional driver, you get a lot of exposure to the sun every day, and it’s mostly to the left side of your face. Even in winter, you are exposed to UVA rays all day long. Even when the sun doesn’t feel very warm, it can still be causing damage to your skin. The UV rays are not diminished by the cold temperatures at all. So when it is 20° below zero there are still harmful UV rays penetrating the skin and causing damage. When there’s snow on the ground, these rays actually reflect off the snow. Even cloudy weather does not offer much protection. Up to 80% of UV radiation can penetrate cloud cover. The Skin Cancer Foundation reported one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
So what should you do to protect yourself?”
Find out more from Kaitlin Cathey at Team Run Smart.
More truck driver health articles from CDL Life.