More than 140 of Maribyrnong City Council’s outdoor workers have been sporting eyecatching orange water backpacks, as part of Council’s Sun Protection Policy for Council staff. Council’s works centre outdoor staff, local laws and traffic officers, and school crossing supervisors received the water packs last February.
Called ‘hydration packs’, the water packs are small backpacks with a 1.5 litre pouch where water is stored. A drinking tube is attached that has a pressure valve for water intake to ensure staff keep sufficiently hydrated. The backpacks are orange and grey with reflective fabric for visibility on the road.
Maribyrnong Mayor, Councillor Michelle MacDonald, said Council’s Sun Protection Policy for outdoor workers contains a number of strategies to reduce their exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and conditions caused by heat exposure, including heat exhaustion and sunstroke.
“The policy includes guidelines for staff working in extreme heat – when temperatures rise above 35 degrees Celsius,” she said. “We’re keen to do what we can to make sure all our staff are able to work in safe conditions, and don’t take any unnecessary risks with their health.
“Part of the policy refers to the recommended quantity required to prevent dehydration and to ensure optimum health and wellbeing while working in or performing manual handling tasks in hot weather.”
Mayor MacDonald said since the water packs were introduced last summer, the feedback from staff using them has been very positive.
“They are particularly popular with our Parks and Gardens Team, who consistently work outdoors,” he said. “Some staff have even been getting innovative – not only are they using the packs for water, they are also using them for juice and cordial to keep energised.”
Other initiatives introduced under the Sun Protection Policy include new uniforms, with long sleeved shirts, trousers and wide brimmed hats now compulsory, in addition to other standard personal protective clothing.
“Some staff get quite warm while working outside, especially with full cover clothing,” Mayor MacDonald said. “Staff use the water packs for drinking from, as well as the occasional dousing of water on their necks and foreheads.”
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun causes skin and eye damage and is also the main cause of skin cancer in Australia.
One out of two Australians will develop skin cancer at some stage in their lives, with skin cancers accounting for around 80 per cent of all new cancers diagnosed each year in Australia. There are three main types of skin cancer named after the type of cells they start from. These are: Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) – known as common skin cancers — and melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer.
Outdoor workers, both full time and part time, have a higher than average risk of BCC and SCC because they often spend long periods of time in the sun, over many years of their working life.
For further information contact Jennifer Legge at Maribyrnong City Council on (03) 9688 0247.
