It seems like a no brainer, but proper sun protection is often more complicated than simply lathering on the sunscreen. For cannabis farms and grow operations, it can mean investing in protection that will protect against all types of radiation—not just UV rays. Whether your grow operation is outdoors or indoors, there are precautions you need to take as a company to make sure that your employees are protected against harmful radiation from the sun and grow lights. Investing in protective clothing, headwear, and eyewear now will save the future of both you, and your employees.
Types of Radiation
We’ve all heard about UVA and UVB rays, the types of sun radiation that can cause things like sun burns, but those are just the tip of the iceberg. Most cannabis workers that work directly with the plants are also exposed to Visible and IR rays in addition to UV. The problem with these types of radiation is that they may not always cause a direct response such as a sunburn, so the harmful environment goes undiagnosed and the harmful radiation is never addressed.
UV light (100nm-400nm) is the type of radiation that causes health issues like skin cancer, melanogenesis, cataracts, and can increase the signs of premature aging, it’s not the only threat to the health of your workers. IR rays (700nm-1400nm) increases the risk of soft tissue damage from long term exposure. Workers that are in the sun or are around grow lights for long periods of time are particularly at risk for this type of damage. But what about Visible light (380nm-750nm)? This spectrum has historically been labeled non-deleterious, or non-harmful. Yet, recent studies have proven that visible light is directly linked to the production of free radicals (free radicals are found in almost every known form of cancer)…like UV, affects melanogenesis…like UV, causes premature aging…like UV, damages your cells DNA…like UV, but also causes skin disease and disrupts your circadian rhythm, which controls your natural sleep patterns. Essentially, what we all thought was true a few years ago…visible light is not harmful…has turned out to be false.
It’s a lot to take in, but all of this basically points to the idea that investing in proper light radiation protection today..will save you and your employees tomorrow. We are not just talking about saving their health, which should be paramount, but also saving the future of your business. Properly protecting the industries workers today means avoiding potential financially crippling lawsuits and litigation tomorrow. We cannot control what workers do off the clock, but while they are working, they are our responsibility, and they must be properly protected.
RayWear
Luckily, RayWear can help make that job easier. RayWear’s clothing is the only fabric on the market that exists to protect against all three types of radiation. The company was founded on the ethos that proper protection against the harmful rays from the sun and grow lights should be easily accessible and fairly mindless. Not only do products like sunscreens not promise to protect against all forms of radiation, but you have to reapply the product every couple of hours in order to fully protect yourself (even more if you’re sweating a lot or are exposed to water).
Designed with workers in mind, RayWear’s fabric is something you must personally experience to fully comprehend. The fabric was meant to act like a second skin, providing maximum protection from all relative radiation, while being so light and comfortable that you forget you have it on. Rarely do workers want more PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), but with RayWear, workers have a hard time taking the gear off. Come experience the future of grow-gear for yourself and feel the difference. RayWear…growing is your passion, protecting you is ours.
