UV Rays & The Window Cleaner

Do UV Sun Rays Go Through Windows? The answer is yes, usually some important UV rays do come through window glass. UVB is considered the main sunburn ray. It causes skin cancer and sun damage.

UVA - Is the UV ray in tanning beds. It penetrates the skin more deeply than UVB playing a big role in sun damage including wrinkles. It can cause skin cancer. The SPF on sunscreens tells you nothing about whether the product protects you from UVA.  Look for sunscreens labeled ‘broad spectrum’, but even then full UVA protection is more complex. Recommended are mineral sunscreens for the best, most reliable UVA protection, Zinc Oxide (not titanium dioxide) is the best dermatologist recommended sunscreen for sensitive skin.

Some modern windows block most all of the UV rays including UVA. Finding out which windows were used in the construction of your building might help knowing the protection level. It’s possible to block up to 99.9% of UV waves with today’s modern technology. The Skin Cancer Foundation has information on window UV film, click here to see it. In general, you can add sheets of UV blocking film to windows, or purchase glass that includes technology to block UV rays.

The Skin Cancer Foundation also has a list of window films that they have investigated and whose reliability they approve of. They also have a a glass manufacture that’s passed their muster too, click here see it. Beyond that, the only way to accurately test how much UV passes through your windows would be to finding someone with a radiometer that measures the UV transmittance.

For people who work in direct sunlight coming in through window glass, wearing a mineral sunscreen and clothing that blocks UV rays (sun protective clothing). If their windows claim to block UV rays, it's worth pointing out that a very tiny amount of UV still gets through. It’s possible to block 99.9% of UV rays, but even if their windows are that good, the 0.1% can add up at 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Wrinkles, age spots and skin cancer just ain’t worth it!

For exposure through windows that don’t claim to block UV rays, it's worth reapplying mineral sunscreen every 2 hours if they can’t get out of the direct sunlight.  It’s also time to get creative about trying to create shade too. That would be pretty tough in a ‘trendy’ office building with floor to ceiling windows, which is what makes this equation such a challenge.

Is Your Sunscreen Causing Cancer? The majority of sunscreens on the market today are more harmful than beneficial. Sunscreens are designed to decrease your risk of skin cancer and allow you to enjoy the sun without worry. Unfortunately, most modern day sunscreens may increase your risk of cancer and disrupt the functioning of your hormones.

What causes skin cancers? Ultraviolet radiation from UV-A and UV-B rays from sun exposure is the number one cause of skin cancer. Smoking, HPV (the virus that causes genital warts) and artificial light from tanning beds are also associated with an increased risk of skin cancer.

UV-A vs. UV-B: UV-B rays penetrate only the epidermis (the outer most layer of the skin) and increase your risk of cancer by direct photochemical damage to your DNA, resulting in mutations in your genes. These mutations contribute to wrinkling and aging of the skin by degrading elastin and collagen.

UV-A rays penetrate deeper into the dermis (the 2nd major layer of the skin) and can contribute to the development of cancer by increasing reactive oxygen species, which can, in turn, damage your DNA.Therefore, when choosing a sunscreen, you should opt for a sunscreen that blocks both UV-A and UV-B rays.

Origin of sunscreen: Franz Greiter first invented sunscreen in the 1940s. The active component consisted of zinc oxide. Zinc oxide acts as a physical barrier that sits on the surface of your skin; it offers the same protection as wearing a long sleeve shirt. Zinc oxide has been approved by the FDA and has been shown to be photo-stable against both UV-A and UV-B sun-rays. Because it is not absorbed into the skin, it is nonirritating, non-allergenic, and non-comedogenic (does not cause acne).

If zinc oxide is so effective, why is it rarely used today? Aesthetically, zinc oxide is a disaster. Because it is not absorbed into your skin like most sunscreen products, you're left with a pasty white substance all over your skin with each application.

Your typical sunscreen product: Let's first examine how your typical sunscreen product works. First, unlike zinc oxide formulations, which sit on the surface of your skin, they are partially absorbed through the skin. This means that any harmful ingredients in your sunscreen will have a systemic effect. Your typical "banana boat" sunscreen is full of parabens. Parabens may increase the rate of breast cancer and interfere with the male reproductive system. Parabens can also antagonize androgens (testosterone) and wreaks havoc on your body's hormones. Oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate are two other harmful ingredients contained in many sunscreen products. Oxybenzone has been linked to contact uticaria (hives), contact dermatitis, and degradation of the epidermis. Retinyl palmitate has been shown to increase the rates of cancer in combination with UV-A rays.

Are typical sunscreen products protective against skin cancers? Studies are conflicting. The study by Westerdahl, Ingvar, Masback, and Olsson showed higher rates of melanoma in individuals who wore sunscreen compared to those who didn't. The authors concluded that those who wore sunscreen most likely spent more time in the sun which would be the reason for the results. A meta-analysis of 9067 patients from 11 case-control studies found no association between sunscreen use and the development of malignant melanoma (the most deadly skin cancer).

Are my only options a protective pasty white substance and a potentially harmful, but aesthetically appealing sunscreen? No! There are better ways to stay protected from the harmful effects of the sun. Enter micronized zinc oxide. Micronized zinc oxide has the safety profile of traditional zinc oxide sunscreen and is as aesthetically appealing as modern day sunscreens. When micronized zinc oxide is applied in the form of a lotion it is not absorbed into the body, does not enter the bloodstream and has no dangerous side effects unless it is inhaled. For this reason, I recommend avoiding any "spray" products containing micronized zinc oxide.

Why are micronized zinc products not as popular? It likely comes down to economics and a lack of education about skin cancers and sunscreens. Micronized zinc oxide sunscreens are more expensive and difficult to source than typical Banana boat sunscreen.

In closing, exposure to UV rays from the sun can cause premature aging and increase the risk of skin cancers. Most modern day sunscreens have many potentially harmful ingredients that should be avoided. I recommend staying hydrated, increasing your intake of omega 3 fatty acids and applying micronized zinc oxide based sunscreens to protect yourself and your family from premature aging and skin cancers.

Cold comfort for sunbathers as poll says we’re blind to burn risks: Nearly half of us don't realise that UV rays can cause damage to their skin through glass such as a window. New research has compared our sun safety behaviour to Australians who are known for being sun-savvy. It found that almost twice as many Australians wear sun cream with an SPF of 30 or higher.

In addition, more than three quarters of Australians are aware that UV can cause damage to their skin through glass such as a window, compared to just 56pc of Irish people. The research also revealed that two thirds of those living Down Under recognise that UV can damage skin while under water, compared with just over half of people living here.

Clare O'Connor, a Boots sun care expert which commissioned the research said that: "Though Ireland has far less sunshine than Australia, the sun's UV rays can still penetrate through cloud cover, and as most people in Ireland only think about UV protection when the sun is shining, they may be at higher risk of UV damage."

Meanwhile, Rosemary Scott, a health protection officer at the Irish Cancer Society said: "Skin cancer is not seem by many as an issue in this country, but this is far from the truth. It is our most common cancer." The recent SunSmart campaign run by the charity revealed that skin cancer reached over 10,000 cases annually, an increase of 81pc since 1994.

John Breen (38), a dad-of-two from Tramore in Co Waterford was diagnosed with melanoma in February 2009, and urges anyone with concerns about moles go get them checked. "I never liked the sun. I would have avoided it and used sun cream a lot," he said. In 2012, tests showed the melanoma had spread into his body so he began chemotherapy which he finished in December that year. His scans since then have showed the cancer is gone. "I feel very good," he said.

Also see: Working Through The Heat Wave

The idea that sunscreen prevents cancer is a myth. It's a myth promoted by a profit-seeking tag-team effort between the cancer industry and the sunscreen industry. The sunscreen industry makes money by selling lotion products that actually contain cancer-causing chemicals. It then donates a portion of that money to the cancer industry through non-profit groups like the American Cancer Society which, in turn, run heart-breaking public service ads urging people to use sunscreen to "prevent cancer." The scientific evidence, however, shows quite clearly that sunscreen actually promotes cancer by blocking the body's absorption of ultraviolet radiation, which produces vitamin D in the skin. Vitamin D, as recent studies have shown, prevents up to 77 of ALL cancers in women. Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/021903_sunscreen_skin_cancer.html#ixzz38DpVsU2w

 

   

Actor Gets Real Job - Window Cleaning

Get a real job. That was the thought uppermost in Dieter Brummer's mind when he starred in Home and Away. The 36-year-old, who played Shane Parrish in the Channel 7 soapie, was one of Australia's hottest heart-throbs in the 1990s. He was the Aussie pin-up boy, a one-man One Direction. Girls screamed. He was on countless magazine covers. Brummer started on Home and Away in 1992 at the age of 15 and had left by 19. He went on to appear in Channel 10's medical drama Medivac alongside Grant Bowler, Nicholas Eadie and Genevieve Picot. Then Brummer pretty much disappeared. In 2007 rumours circulated that he had become a window cleaner - quite a comedown for a bloke who used to be such a huge star.

Where has he been? "I chose to step away from the industry," Brummer says. "The adulation that a program like Home and Away can give you, especially when you are young, was pretty full-on for me. I had so much of that (fame) from the time I was 15 to 20 that I had my fill of being screamed at. "I'd think 'Relax, I'm just a normal person'. There's nothing amazing about me being an actor. I didn't get too big for my boots or too big-headed about it and believe the hype." It was more than adulation overkill. Brummer reveals that deep down he never considered acting a "real" job, even at the height of his popularity . "I wanted to prove to myself and to those around me that I wasn't only good at standing around on a set with a script in one hand being an 'actor'," Brummer says.
"I came from a blue-collar background. My father was a tradesman a medical gas fitter. I wanted to do a real job. "Acting is very subjective. Some people think you're great because of your looks." It turns out those window cleaning rumours are partly true. Brummer runs a company that does high-rise building maintenance work. Before you start thinking "poor Dieter" you should know he loves it. It fulfils something in him that acting can't. "I've always loved working outdoors," Brummer explains. "I found myself in an industry I was comfortable with and had some proficiency at so I stuck with it. I've been doing it for 10 years.

Two sides of the same story ... US truck driver Bill McElligott.

The damage the sun can do: One side of Bill McElligott's face is 66-years-old, the other side is 86-years-old, and his photo will shock truckies, cabbies and professional drivers. Mr McElligott is 66-years-old and the drooping, wrinkled, rutted and prematurely aged left side of his face is the result of sunlight pouring through the window of the trucks he drove for 28 years through Chicago, USA. His damaged face has led to the Cancer Council of New South Wales advising professional drivers to think about getting their vehicles' windows tinted to reduce sun exposure. Mr McElligott's plight was revealed when he went to a medical clinic after his grandchildren kept asking why his face was so different on one side. "We are used to seeing photo damage by the sun, photo aging, every day, but I ws taken aback when I saw how one-sided this was,'' Dr Jennifer Gordon, a dermatology expert who treated Mr McElligott, told The Daily Telegraph from Texas.
Dr Gordon said Mr McElligott spent so much time in his truck and car that his left side was exposed to UVA rays which can penetrate glass and cause the majority of photo-aging, unlike UVB rays, which cause sunburns. "UVA can penetrate window glass, which makes his vocation as a truck-driver important,'' she said. "Although UVB was traditionally thought to be the wavelength that did all of the damage, we now know that UVA leads to skin cancer development as well, but also is the culprit for photo-aging - the change in texture and wrinkling you see. "This is likely because UVA penetrates more deeply into the skin, so although you don't often get sunburnt or develop a tan after exposure to UVA, it causes damage that over time leads to ageing -and can lead to skin cancer.''
He said he often drove with the windows down in summer because his trucks did not have air-conditioning. The Cancer Council of New South Wales said Mr McElligott's face, suffering from what doctor's officially call unilateral dermatoheliosis, was a stark reminder of the damage the sun can do, even while sitting behind the wheel. "It's a shocking image and it shows that you are not out of danger of the effects of the sun by being in a truck or car,'' Cancer Council of NSW skin cancer prevention manager Vanessa Rock said. "There is an argument that tinting windows helps cut the exposure too. I think it would be good if truckies, cabbies, couriers and the like thought about tinting their windows within legal safety restrictions. "You should also be wearing broad spectrum sunscreen which protects against both UVA and UVB even if you are driving all day, and re-apply it every two hours, and wear long sleeves.''

Jumper not window cleaner: A dramatic scene played out at Albuquerque City Hall Monday night.  A suicidal man was on the roof, perilously close to the edge of the building, 12 stories up. All the while the Albuquerque City Council was meeting in the same building just a few floors below. It started just before 5 p.m. and lasted a nail-biting two hours.  A man, who police have not identified, sat on the south wall, 12 stories up.  Police negotiators met him on top of the building in an effort to try to keep him from jumping.  Police down below shut down several square blocks to make sure no one got close to the building. In the end, a negotiator with the crisis negotiation team was able to talk him down off the wall.

The exact reason the man went up there is unknown, but we do know police believe he possibly gained access because he was mistaken for a window washer. "It was an accident some kind of confusion, somebody thought he was a window washer when he wasn't, somehow snuck in and gained access to roof," says Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Officer Nelson Sanchez. The suicidal man will not be arrested or charged for the cost of the police response.  The Albuquerque Police Department said it is going to review security procedures to make sure something was not overlooked.

Man found with can of pepper spray thought it was deodorant (Plymouth, UK): A man found with a can of pepper spray thought it was deodorant, a court heard. Jose Guillen, aged 37, was left the canister by a friend and only realised what it was when someone sprayed it, Plymouth magistrates were told. His solicitor said he put the spray in his van ready to take to the police station – but officers came to his home and found the can first. Guillen, of Blandford Road, Efford, admitted possession of a weapon for the discharge of a noxious substance on February 28.
Elaine Keen, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said officers found the aerosol can near the driver's side door of the van. Stephen Walker, for Guillen, said he was guilty of "technical possession" of the pepper spray. He added a friend, whose name he gave to police, left the can at his address. Mr Walker said: "He did not believe it was what it was."
He added the friend's father sprayed the can because they thought it was deodorant. Mr Walker said: "Quite a noxious substance came out and affected them." He added Guillen, a self-employed window cleaner, put the canister in his van and intended to take it to the police. But Mr Walker said someone "vindictively" tipped off the police about the can. Magistrates fined him £180, ordered that he pay £85 costs and £15 victim surcharge.