Levels of Occupational Exposure to Solar Ultraviolet Radiation in Vancouver, Canada.
BACKGROUND
Outdoor workers are at high risk of exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR), a known human carcinogen. In Canada, no objective measures of UVR exposure are available for occupational settings.


METHODS
The Outdoor Workers Project collected UVR exposure data among outdoor workers in Vancouver, Canada during the summer of 2013. Objective measures of exposure were taken for one week using calibrated electronic UVR dosimeters. Additional data was collected from workers on skin cancer risk factors, family history of skin cancer, and job type; as well as meteorological data for sampling days. Marginal models were constructed to examine the worker, job and meteorological determinants of UVR exposure levels, as measured in standard erythemal dose (SED).


RESULTS
Seventy-eight workers were recruited, of which 73 had at least 1 day of measured UVR exposure for this analysis. Participants were mostly male, young and Caucasian. Mean exposure (corrected for repeated measures) was 1.08 SED. Exposure measures were highly variable even in the same workplace, ranging from 0.01 SED to 19.2 SED. Younger age, working in land-based construction, and sunnier weather forecasts led to higher levels of UVR exposure.


CONCLUSIONS
Exposure levels capable of causing sunburn were common in this study of outdoor workers, in a location not typically associated with high sun exposure.
.School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2nd Floor, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada; .Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, 5411 - Herzberg Laboratories, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S5B6, Canada; cepeters@mail.ubc.ca.
Cheryl E
CE
Peters
.Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Cancer Care Ontario, 3rd Floor, 525 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G2L3, Canada; .Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada;
Paul A
PA
Demers
.Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 835 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4E8, Canada;
Sunil
S
Kalia
.Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall 11516, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A1S6, Canada.
Anne-Marie
AM
Nicol
.School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2nd Floor, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada;
Mieke W
MW
Koehoorn
D000328:Adult; D001955:British Columbia; D060389:Construction Industry; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014887:Weather; D017132:Workplace
exposure assessment; occupational groups; radiation