6/24/2022 - By Tyler Otero

With this week being the official start of Summer, all turf managers have been busy preparing their turf for the battle against mother nature. Whether it's a home lawn with questionable irrigation, or that one problem child putting green that likes to “act up” come August, now is the time to make sure you have your ducks in a row to win those battles with the elements.

Protect Your Skin

One area of stress preparation that most overlook is not related to turf. It is related to you, the turf manager. More specifically, I’m talking about skincare and protection against the bright yellow thing in the sky each day. Skin cancer is a serious risk for those who spend hours each day working in the sun. Are you doing enough to protect yourself and your employees? Take a look below for a few tips to keep yourself safe while working in the sun.

The Skin Cancer Statistics

The month of May was skin cancer awareness month, so I am a little late to the party, but with the heat now in full swing, I wanted to throw out a few statistics regarding skin cancer:

• Skin canceraffects more people each year in America than all other forms of cancer combined.
• In the US, more than 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day, making it the most common type of cancer in the US.
• 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.
• Nearly 20 Americans die of some form of melanoma every day.
• Having 5 or more sunburns each year, doubles the risk of contracting skin cancer.
• With early detection, the 5-year survival rate of skin cancer is 99%.
• In the past decade, the number of new invasive melanoma cases has risen by 31%.
• Men are twice as likely to die from skin cancer compared to women.

How Do We Stay Protected?

However, it doesn't need to be all doom and gloom when it comes to skincare! In today’s world, there are many ways you can protect yourself and your coworkers against skin cancer. Here are a few helpful tips that you can use today:

• Visit a dermatologist once per year for an exam.
• Conduct monthly self-exams. (Process found here)
• Use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum SPF rating of 15 daily. Repeat applications may be necessary if your skin becomes wet from sweat or water.
• Wear sun-protective clothing covering as much exposed skin as possible. Also do not forget to wear UV-blocking sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats.
• Seek shade whenever possible.
• Install sun-shading window film on your car windows (if legal in your state).
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Final Note on Skin Cancer for Employers

As an employer, please take the time to care for your crew as well. Provide long sleeve shirts or sun sleeves as part of the uniform, have sunscreen readily available in the break room or locker room, if reasonable, and provide sun-shading roofs on maintenance equipment, such as mowers and/or transport vehicles.

And finally, have a training session at the beginning of each season with your staff on how they can protect themselves from the sun. I wish everyone a happy and healthy summer! Stay cool out there and for more information, you can visit www.skincancer.org!