Prevention Beat

July 3, 2008

Did you know...?

July is UV Safety Month

Warm summer days and outdoor activities expose you to the sun's rays, also called ultraviolet or UV rays. A sunburn or tan results when UV rays damage your unprotected skin and may lead to skin cancer. The same UV rays that damage your skin can also harm your eyes.

The wrinkles and other skin changes we think are caused by aging usually occur from getting too much sun. Recent estimates report that 40 to 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have skin cancer at least once. Being exposed to the sun may be the most important factor in why people get skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, there are more than 1 million skin cancers diagnosed each year in the United States. The most serious form of skin cancer is melanoma, which is diagnosed in more than 60,000 people each year and causes several thousand deaths. Most forms of skin cancer can be cured. When used on a regular basis, sunscreen and other sun-safe practices can reduce your risk of developing skin cancer. Even dark-complexion people can develop skin cancer. Nothing can completely undo sun damage, but the skin sometimes can repair itself. Taking a few simple sun-safe steps can help delay skin changes and prevent skin cancer. It is never too late to protect yourself from the harmful effects of the sun.

If you are an outdoor worker, such as a mail carrier, landscaper, construction worker or farmer, you have an increased risk of skin cancer. Learn the level of UV rays before you go to work. The Environmental Protection Agency's Ultraviolet (UV) Alert System sends an alert when the level of solar UV rays is predicted to be unusually high and provides action steps that you can take to avoid being exposed to harmful rays.

Regardless of the UV Index, the following sun safety measures are always encouraged:

· Wear sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of UV radiation. To learn more about how you can protect your eyes from harmful UV rays, visit the American Academy of Ophthalmology Web site at www.aao.org.

· Generously apply sunscreen and lip balm with a sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher and UVA and UVB protection at least 20-30 minutes before going outside. Apply at least one ounce of sunscreen every time and reapply every 2 hours or after swimming or sweating.

· Wear protective clothing such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants made of tightly woven fabric, and a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. Wear a hat that protects your ears, face, temples, and neck from the sun.

· Take a break in the shade when you can, and remember that the sun’s UV rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

· Use extra caution when near water, snow, concrete and sand as they reflect the damaging rays of the sun.

· Check your skin often for changes in the size, shape, color or feel of birthmarks, moles and spots. Such changes may be a sign of skin cancer. To learn more about skin examinations, visit: www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/skin_examinations.html#Self-Examination.

· Avoid artificial sources of UV exposure, such as tanning beds.

For more information about sun safety visit the Sun Safety Alliance web site at: http://www.sunsafetyalliance.org/education_materials.html.

For information on preventing skin cancer, visit the American Academy of Dermatology’s SkinCancerNet Web site at www.skincarephysicians.com/SkinCancerNet/index.html.

*Please feel free to forward this information to any member of management in your company who would benefit from it.*

To learn more about services OHS-COMPCARE has to offer, contact our Client Services Team at (816) 561-2105 (option 1) or by e-mail at customerservice@ohscompcare.com. You can also visit us at www.ohscompcare.com.

Why choose us? Because OHS-COMPCARE gets your employee in and out quickly. Throughput standards average 60 minutes for physician visits and average 20 minutes for a nursing or drug screen visit.

OHS-COMPCARE has eight (8) area clinical facilities:

Blue Springs Clinical Facility	Independence Clinical Facility	Johnson County Clinical Facility	St. Joseph Clinical Facility
801 NW St. Mary’s Drive	19000 E. Eastland Center Crt, St. 200	10415 Lackman Road	904 Edmond Street
Blue Springs, MO 64104	Independence, MO 64055	Lenexa, KS 66219	St. Joseph, MO 64501
816-224-9121	816-478-9299	913-495-9905	816-233-7702
	After Hours Available

KCMO/Broadway Clinical Facility	KCMO/Front Street Clinical Facility	Wyandotte County Clinical Facility	Grandview Clinical Facility
1650 Broadway	6501 East Commerce, Suite 110	1333 Meadowlark Lane, Suite 200	13830 S Us Highway 71
Kansas City, MO 64108	Kansas City, MO 64120	Kansas City, KS 66102	Grandview, MO 64030
816-842-2020	816-483-5550	913-596-2774	816-761-4664