Exposure to UV radiation should be avoided or limited by the use of:

• protective enclosures
• screens or filters on the equipment

Except for in certain cases, these enclosures, screens or filters should not be modified or removed and reflective surfaces should be kept away from the UV source. If these measures are not sufficient, you should wear UV-filtering face shields, lab coats and gloves

UV transilluminators

UV transilluminators are used for viewing gels and cutting DNA samples. During these tasks the user may need to look closely at the plate and will possibly need to remove the UV-filtering shield.  In these situations a protective face shield and long-cuffed laboratory gloves must be worn so that neither the skin nor the eyes are exposed to the UV radiation. See ‘Safe use of UV transilluminators (PDF , 92kb)’ for further details.

Training: Users of transilluminators must be trained to understand the nature of the UV hazards and instructed on correct operating procedures to control risk.

Warning signs: A warning sign should be attached on all UV transilluminators.  An example warning sign, used on transilluminators where the protective shield can be removed, is shown below.

All those working outdoors (e.g. fieldworkers) should ensure that they are wearing comfortable, UV-protective clothing and apply sun screen once every 4 hours. The level of protection needed will depend on your skin type: the fairer you are, the higher the factor of your sun screen should be.

You should be aware that your clothing is often rated for the protection it gives against UV radiation in the same way that sunglasses are. Public Health England provides more information on these aspects of protection.

Those working at high latitudes should ensure that they have the correct protective equipment, such as goggles and UV-resistant clothing, and always wear it when exposed to the sun.