CAP Talk

Operations => Safety => Topic started by: Holding Pattern on July 31, 2017, 07:11:38 PM

Title: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: Holding Pattern on July 31, 2017, 07:11:38 PM
2 days of Skyfest and I managed to get a significant amount of walking in. Ostensible temperature was 96F. I'm betting it was hotter. Hydration was emphasized with the 60+ persons we had on staff. I was applying sunblock every couple hours the first day. SPF 55 didn't seem to be enough. Also, the ground seems to have reflected quite a bit of UV, meaning I missed some spots I normally don't need to put sunblock like under my chin. Really glad I wore sunglasses.

Next time I work an airshow, SPF100, will recheck every hour.
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: Luis R. Ramos on July 31, 2017, 07:47:29 PM
Safety precautions in situations like this usually state that sun - more rightly UV rays - are reflected off light surfaces like the white runways, sand, snow, and water.

So if you are working in any of these surfaces like the OP found, do not neglect any part of your body. You will rue it!

Thanks for posting. I hope it was fun. Any ELTs?
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: THRAWN on July 31, 2017, 08:20:18 PM
Quote from: Mordecai on July 31, 2017, 07:11:38 PM
2 days of Skyfest and I managed to get a significant amount of walking in. Ostensible temperature was 96F. I'm betting it was hotter. Hydration was emphasized with the 60+ persons we had on staff. I was applying sunblock every couple hours the first day. SPF 55 didn't seem to be enough. Also, the ground seems to have reflected quite a bit of UV, meaning I missed some spots I normally don't need to put sunblock like under my chin. Really glad I wore sunglasses.

Next time I work an airshow, SPF100, will recheck every hour.

How often were you rotated into areas out of the sun? Hydration was emphasized, but what guidance was issued or used? Was diet also monitored to help with hydration? Were there cooling tents available?
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: Eclipse on July 31, 2017, 09:40:34 PM
Anything more then SPF 30 is generally just marketing - it's essentially skin lotion at that point and you might as well just spray paint yourself.

Re-application and making sure you're fully covered is the key.

Ground reflection is a legit issue.
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: Holding Pattern on July 31, 2017, 09:49:53 PM
Quote from: THRAWN on July 31, 2017, 08:20:18 PM
Quote from: Mordecai on July 31, 2017, 07:11:38 PM
2 days of Skyfest and I managed to get a significant amount of walking in. Ostensible temperature was 96F. I'm betting it was hotter. Hydration was emphasized with the 60+ persons we had on staff. I was applying sunblock every couple hours the first day. SPF 55 didn't seem to be enough. Also, the ground seems to have reflected quite a bit of UV, meaning I missed some spots I normally don't need to put sunblock like under my chin. Really glad I wore sunglasses.

Next time I work an airshow, SPF100, will recheck every hour.

How often were you rotated into areas out of the sun? Hydration was emphasized, but what guidance was issued or used? Was diet also monitored to help with hydration? Were there cooling tents available?

Lots of rotation was done. There were misting tents available as well which were a really cool feature. The C5 also provided some shade at times :D
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: ProdigalJim on July 31, 2017, 10:56:40 PM
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/153244634@N07/35491543093/in/dateposted-public/)

Me. Fort Pickett, a couple of years ago. Sprayed 50 SPF sunscreen on my head compulsively. This was the result.

On the other hand, we avoided a safety crisis because I didn't wear a hat on the flight line...  ;D
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: ProdigalJim on August 01, 2017, 10:36:33 PM
Quote from: ProdigalJim on July 31, 2017, 10:56:40 PM
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/153244634@N07/35491543093/in/dateposted-public/)

Me. Fort Pickett, a couple of years ago. Sprayed 50 SPF sunscreen on my head compulsively. This was the result.

On the other hand, we avoided a safety crisis because I didn't wear a hat on the flight line...  ;D

And now, with the image (thanks dwb and Pace!):

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4327/35491543093_433c7f19f0_z.jpg)
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: THRAWN on August 01, 2017, 10:43:04 PM
No chance of cancer there....
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: Luis R. Ramos on August 02, 2017, 01:52:54 PM
Still cannot see an image...
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: vorteks on August 02, 2017, 02:01:22 PM
Is it not it OK to wear a hat for flight line work if it's attached to shirt with a cord?
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: THRAWN on August 02, 2017, 02:13:16 PM
Quote from: vorteks on August 02, 2017, 02:01:22 PM
Is it not it OK to wear a hat for flight line work if it's attached to shirt with a cord?

I'm on a flight line every day at a major international airport. Plenty of hats around. When I go to my local airport, plenty of hats around. No dummy cords, just hats....
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: Eclipse on August 02, 2017, 02:33:11 PM
The primary issue with hats on CAP (or any other GA) flightlines isn't the hat, per se, it's not like they are going to get
sucked into the same Mike Roe "OSHA?...OCEAN!" issue.

CAP members generally have very low situational awareness and are operating at or mental near capacity just doing
an unfamiliar job they were rushed through training on and only do twice a year, while still being worried about their
day jobs and "why that new guy from a weird wing is standing where I >always< stand..."

In other words, there's a very high chance when their hat flies off they will turn around and run into a 160+ horsepower
salad chopper, or cause some other similar safety issue.
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: vorteks on August 02, 2017, 02:48:49 PM
OK so what about the dummy cord solution?
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: Eclipse on August 02, 2017, 02:52:27 PM
Quote from: vorteks on August 02, 2017, 02:48:49 PM
OK so what about the dummy cord solution?

For starters they don't have those on patrol caps.
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: vorteks on August 02, 2017, 02:59:12 PM
Quote from: Eclipse on August 02, 2017, 02:52:27 PM
Quote from: vorteks on August 02, 2017, 02:48:49 PM
OK so what about the dummy cord solution?

For starters they don't have those on patrol caps.

They do if you clip one end of it to the patrol cap.  >:D
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: Mitchell 1969 on August 03, 2017, 08:25:40 AM
Quote from: THRAWN on August 02, 2017, 02:13:16 PM
Quote from: vorteks on August 02, 2017, 02:01:22 PM
Is it not it OK to wear a hat for flight line work if it's attached to shirt with a cord?

I'm on a flight line every day at a major international airport. Plenty of hats around. When I go to my local airport, plenty of hats around. No dummy cords, just hats....

I was at a major international airport for 26 years. No restrictions on hats or caps. Never had an accident attributable to one. Never had one sucked into an engine.
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: Mitchell 1969 on August 03, 2017, 08:29:29 AM
Quote from: Eclipse on August 02, 2017, 02:33:11 PM
The primary issue with hats on CAP (or any other GA) flightlines isn't the hat, per se, it's not like they are going to get
sucked into the same Mike Roe "OSHA?...OCEAN!" issue.

CAP members generally have very low situational awareness and are operating at or mental near capacity just doing
an unfamiliar job they were rushed through training on and only do twice a year, while still being worried about their
day jobs and "why that new guy from a weird wing is standing where I >always< stand..."

In other words, there's a very high chance when their hat flies off they will turn around and run into a 160+ horsepower
salad chopper, or cause some other similar safety issue.

It's a phantom risk. I never heard about it at all in over 25 years of CAP activities until some safety officer somewhere came up with "What's the worst POSSIBLE, even if not likely, thing that we can come up with about caps and hats?"

Compare that outside risk to the very real risks associated with sun and heat - why does no caps seem like the best idea?
Title: Re: Working on a tarmac for long periods of time? Double your SPF
Post by: Mitchell 1969 on August 03, 2017, 08:30:11 AM
Quote from: Eclipse on August 02, 2017, 02:52:27 PM
Quote from: vorteks on August 02, 2017, 02:48:49 PM
OK so what about the dummy cord solution?

For starters they don't have those on patrol caps.

Two words.

1) Alligator. 2) Clips.