Use NAHB Resource to Keep Workers Safe from UV Exposure

Safety
Published

As NAHB celebrates UV Safety Awareness Month in July, it is important for home builders and general contractors to educate workers about the potential risks associated with ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and have plans and resources in place to keep them safe on the jobsite.

Why UV Awareness Matters

Ultraviolet radiation can come from both natural and artificial sources. The sun is the main source of exposure for most people — and specifically those working in construction. Overexposure to UV radiation can lead to serious health issues, including sunburn, skin cancer, premature aging and eye damage. UV Awareness Month serves as a timely reminder to protect workers against these risks.

Practical Tips for UV and Heat Stress Protection

UV intensity is typically at its strongest as temperatures begin to climb during the summer. Workers can better protect themselves from sun and UV exposure with the following recommendations:

  • Wear sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 15 and apply it to all uncovered skin, especially your nose, ears, neck, hands, feet and lips. Reapply every two hours or more often depending on the level of activity.
  • Avoid extensive periods in the sun, seek shade as needed, and limit time in the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when UV rays are the most intense.
  • Wear protective clothing that covers your arms and legs. Wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses with UV protection are also crucial.
  • Review the UV index before the beginning of each shift.
  • Avoid artificial UV sources, including tanning beds, lasers, mercury vapor lighting, halogen and fluorescent lighting.
  • Understand basic first aid and heat stress response measures, which can be found in NAHB’s Video Toolbox Talk on heat stress safety and on the NIOSH website.

Spreading Awareness to Workers

Understanding the basics of sun safety can help prevent injuries and illnesses. More information on what employers and workers can do to stay safe can be found in NAHB’s Heat Stress Safety Toolkit.

Additional Resources

OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Campaign

NIOSH Fast Facts: Protecting Yourself from Sun Exposure

National Weather Service: Protect Yourself, Family and Pets from Excessive Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation

National Weather Service: Ultraviolet (UV) Index Forecasts

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Housing Affordability

Oct 21, 2025

The Fight for Housing Affordability: NAHB Spotlights Key Hurdles

NAHB CEO Jim Tobin recently appeared on the Builder Straight Talk podcast to highlight the housing affordability hurdles builders face in the current market, and how the Federation is working at the local, state and national levels to address them.

Sponsored Content

Oct 21, 2025

Why Builders Overpay for Land and How to Protect Your Margins

Land is the single largest cost driver in any home building project. But even experienced acquisition teams sometimes overpay. This is often the result of a lack of context and outdated data.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Oct 20, 2025

Non-Conventional Financing for New Home Sales Loses Ground in 2024

Nationwide, the share of non-conventional financing for new home sales accounted for 31% of the market per NAHB analysis of the 2024 Census Bureau Survey of Construction (SOC) data. This is 1.7 percentage point lower than the 2023 share of 32.4%. As in previous years, conventional financing dominated the market at 69.3% of sales, higher than the 2023 share of 67.6%.

Economics

Oct 17, 2025

Better Growth, Larger Deficits: CBO Fiscal Outlook

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a key nonpartisan score keeper that measures the effects of policy changes by the Federal Government. With several policy changes since January of this year, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), stricter immigration, and higher tariffs, the CBO updated its economic projections through 2028.

Economics

Oct 16, 2025

Amid Market Challenges, Builder Expectations Rise in October

Even as builders continue to grapple with market and macroeconomic uncertainty, sentiment levels posted a solid gain in October as future sales expectations surpassed the 50-point breakeven mark for the first time since last January.