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Author: Laura_Brito, Contributing Editor
| Almost daily we hear information in the news papers or on television about protecting ourselves from the sun. The use of sunscreen should be used at all times when you are in the sun.
What do we do when we work at a torch? We spend hours and hours sitting and working in front of a hot fire. It is like the sun only more intense! There is even a new index for UV rays that I have found online. Here are some facts and information about UV and IR rays and exposure to these elements, many which will also pertain to our torchwork. UV radiation is the low frequency light waves produced by the sun, fire and other forms of combustion. There are three forms of UV rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC. The atmosphere is supposed to filter UV-C, These rays, although the strongest and most dangerous, are normally filtered by the ozone layer and do not usually reach the Earth, yet, these are becoming a problem due to the thinning of the ozone layer. UVB and UVA rays have shown some of the same problems which are: sunburn, skin aging, melanoma (a skin cancer), and cataracts that affect our vision. UVB rays are the carcinogenic segment that can penetrate thin cloud layers and up to three feet of water. UVA rays have been proven to cause sun related drug reactions as well as affecting people with Lupus adversely. IR radiation is essentially the penetrating heat rays coming from the sun, or in our case the torch. IR is the portion of the light spectrum beyond visible red. UV and IR rays mutate your skin cells, perhaps permanently damaging them. Of course we could not live without the sun, we need the sun for life to exist, there are some elements of the sunlight and our torches we could do without. We should all take steps to protect ourselves. |
| There is a wealth of information on sunbathers, but less information about the risk to welders on the internet. Other than the usual references to cataracts and skin cancer there is very little information on lampworkers and glory hole workers. I have pooled together the information I have gathered, and taken an educated look at the elements that pose a danger to our skin along with the steps for protecting our skin and eyes. The danger posed by the work we do with our torches may put us at a greater risk though the use of sunscreen rarely comes to mind for needed protection.
Many people think to use sunscreen when they are out in the sun for an extended period of time, but often forget to reapply the sunscreen after a few hours when it has lost it's effectiveness, and more often if a person is participating in water sports. When I went to the beach, I always made sure my children's exposed skin was covered with sunscreen. I also made them wear a t-shirt to prevent sunburn and other sun related problems. A regular t-shirt only offers a SPF protection of approximately 3 to 7. Our clothing does not protect us from UV and IR rays. They offer little protection, so you better off in the nude covered with sunscreen. Sunscreens with an SPF of 30 blocks 97% of the UV rays when applied properly, and reapplied every few hours. |
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| One late afternoon I met friends for an early dinner. We sat on the patio, and due to the cool weather the resturant provided. Sitting approximately eight feet from one of these heaters I became burned in much the same way the sun would burn my skin. The next day when I discoverd the burn I was puzzled as to how this happened. After a few days it dawned on me that the heater at the resturant had burned me, because I did not apply the sunscreen as I should have every few hours.
Repeated damage to skin causes wrinkles, a leather like appearance, and in some instances skin cancer. I take measures to protect my skin as a result of this experience and others. Commuting to work, or running errands in your car does not offer the protection from the sun that you may believe. The windshields in most cars are effective at screening UV, but the other windows in the vehicle do not give the same protection, only absorbing a small portion of the ultraviolet spectrum. Scientists used to believe that the ultraviolet light transmitted through glass (UVA) was safe. Research continues to uncover facts that this higher UV wavelength has more damaging effects than once thought. We all know that as we get older our skin naturally begins to age and sag. Scientists believe that as much as 80% of these signs of aging are due to exposure to the sun. Photo aging results in wrinkles, coarsening, dryness, loss of elasticity, and changes of the skin's pigment. Sunlight causes the elastin fibers, which are straight to become thickened and tangled, and eventually progresses into a single clump of inelastic material. This deterioration of the elastin fibers is not seen in sun-protected skin. UVA radiation is able to go deep into the skin and affect it in a manner unseen for sometime while UVB radiation usually only effects the surface. So look at your skin often, and if you see changes don't chalk it up to aging. Go to a dermatologist or your family doctor. Tell them what your daily habits are, how you protect or don't protect yourself while you are outside. This information is pertinent for the doctor to decide on treatment, and advising you on proper care for your skin. Everyone wants to have good health and longevity. As humans we are at risk of skin cancer, and advanced ageing if we do not take measures to protect our skin and eyes. As artists we encounter situations that other people do not. Lmpworkers and plien air painters need to take more precautions while working. |
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