Protección contra la radiación solar en trabajadores de empresas peruanas: Prácticas y cuidado personal, 2016

BACKGROUND: Nowadays solar radiation has shown extreme levels in different Peruvian cities, it's important to measure the care of populations exposed to this condition. OBJECTIVE: To determine the practices and personal care of protection against the solar radiation that workers have in Peruvian companies. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Analytic transversal study made in 14 cities of Peru in 2016, that asked about the care that workers have against solar exposure, the questions were taken from a previous validated poll. Besides, it was asked about the protection measures that were given in their work center, the differences per worker type and the knowledge of relevant topics. RESULTS: There were included 4299 subjects that had solar exposure while working, 68% (2921) were men, the median of age was 31 years old. Depending on the type of work that was made there was a huge difference according to the indirect exposure (p < 0.001), the direct exposure (p < 0.001) and the years of direct exposure from work (p < 0.001). More than a half used protection implements against solar radiation, in the vast majority it was acquired by the same worker (range between 53-71%) and weren't given the capacitation for the use of these implements. The major source of information was internet (59%) and the 84% of surveyed workers did not know of the regulatory law's existence. CONCLUSION: There is a vast quantity of workers that do not have an adequate solar protection, which is a concern of occupational health that could generate repercussions on the long term.