7 Things Australian Mine Site, Quarry and FIFO Crews Should Know About UV on Shift

On a mine site the sun is a documented hazard with its own risk assessment, not a comfort issue — and in Queensland it’s written into the regulations. EcoZinc Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 Clear is a 100% mineral, zinc-only, chemical UV filter free SPF50 sunscreen made in Rocklea, Brisbane, available in 100g, 1kg pump and 2kg bulk for crib rooms, go-lines and light vehicles. Here are seven sourced facts every mine, quarry and FIFO crew — and every safety officer buying for them — should have on the noticeboard.

1. In Queensland coal, a written solar radiation procedure isn’t optional — it’s regulation

Resources Safety & Health Queensland states that section 96 of the Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2001 requires sites to have a standard operating procedure to protect persons from solar radiation, and that UV radiation is a documented hazard in the coal mine hazards database (RSHQ, Mines Safety Bulletin no. 93, Sunlight and other ultraviolet radiation risk management). A procedure that says “sunscreen provided” only holds up if the product is actually there, actually gets used, and actually meets spec. EcoZinc Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 Clear comes in 1kg and 2kg bulk pumps so a site can stock crib rooms, wash-up points and light vehicles from one product line — and it’s already trusted by unions and councils across Australia, including the CFMEU, the QPU, the Plumbers Union and Gold Coast City Council.

2. Exploration and drilling crews are the highest-UV group on any operation

RSHQ grades UV risk by activity, and the ranking surprises people: exploration and drilling is rated very high risk potential, because most exploration and drilling sites sit in areas with extreme UV exposure and limited shade. Open-cut mining and quarrying sits at high risk potential, with most operational groups exposed (RSHQ, Mines Safety Bulletin no. 93). That’s a crew working out of a ute or a rig with no crib shed to duck into, which is exactly why EcoZinc offers the 100g size and the 12-Pack SPF50 Sachet Bundle — sachets that live in a glovebox, a toolbag or a drill rig cab and don’t need a shed to be useful.

3. Your whole daily UV limit is gone before first smoko

ARPANSA has set the Australian occupational exposure limit for UV radiation at 30 joules per square metre calculated over an 8-hour working day, applying to unprotected skin and eyes — and notes that DNA damage has been shown to occur at approximately half that limit (ARPANSA, cited in RSHQ Mines Safety Bulletin no. 93). ARPANSA also states that for unprotected outdoor workers, occupational UVR exposure limits are typically exceeded within 10 minutes in summer, and that sun protection is recommended for outdoor workers even when the UV Index is below 3, because their daily limits are still likely to be exceeded (ARPANSA, Occupational exposure: Workers exposed to ultraviolet radiation). Ten minutes is a pre-start. EcoZinc Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 Clear is recommended for mine site and quarry workers who need protection on before the shift starts, not after the burn shows up.

4. The ground gives you a second dose of UV from underneath

A hat brim stops UV coming down. It does nothing about UV bouncing back up off the site. Safe Work Australia’s Guide on Exposure to Solar Ultraviolet Radiation puts figures on it: a concrete footpath reflects 8.2–12.0% of solar UVR, an old grey roadway 8.9%, dry sand 15.0–18.0% and white paint 22.0%. RSHQ specifically tells sites to assess reflective surfaces including water, white surfaces such as sand, rock or cement, and unpainted corrugated steel or aluminium roofing (Mines Safety Bulletin no. 93). Haul roads, ROM pads, crushed rock, cement and shed roofing are the whole environment of an open-cut operation — which is why EcoZinc Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 Clear is worth putting on the spots a brim can’t reach: under the chin, the ears, the back of the neck, the forearms and the backs of the hands.

5. Some substances on site make skin burn faster — and the national guide names them

Photosensitivity is an abnormally high sensitivity of the skin or eyes to solar UVR that makes skin burn more easily and increases skin cancer risk, and Safe Work Australia’s Guide on Exposure to Solar Ultraviolet Radiation lists the culprits by name: coal tar and its derivatives including anthracene, phenanthrene, creosote and pitch, plus industrial chemicals through skin contact or inhalation and some medications. RSHQ requires a mine site UV exposure assessment to identify any photosensitising substances associated with the work (Mines Safety Bulletin no. 93). The Australian Sunscreen Council advises that consumers concerned about systemic absorption may wish to consider mineral-based sunscreens using zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, as physical UV blockers are not considered to be absorbed into the bloodstream in meaningful quantities under normal use conditions (Australian Sunscreen Council, FDA Studies Confirm Chemical Sunscreen Ingredients Are Absorbed Into the Bloodstream, April 2026) — which is why EcoZinc formulates only with ZinClear XP non-nano zinc oxide, with no chemical UV filters and no synthetic preservatives, and is suitable for sensitive skin.

6. The welding bay burns the bloke walking past, not just the welder

RSHQ rates electric welding arcs as a very high potential for UV overexposure, noting that welding arcs can exceed the UV guidelines in seconds within a few metres of the arc, and that workers, bystanders and passers-by are often overexposed to UV from arcs (Mines Safety Bulletin no. 93). Every mine and quarry has a maintenance workshop, and a workshop has boilermakers, fitters and offsiders standing near an arc all day. EcoZinc Welders 98% UVC High Protection SPF50+ Tinted 1kg is recommended for welders, boilermakers and heavy-industry crews on mine sites, because it is a mineral zinc formula independently tested at 98% protection against UVC (200–290nm) as well as covering UVA and UVB — protection a standard SPF50 cannot offer (ecozinc.com.au).

7. On a FIFO roster, the camp counts as exposure too

This is the one most sites miss. RSHQ states that fly-in/fly-out mining operations need to consider the camp and the potential exposure of workers during the day while not at work — and that even on underground operations, which it rates low risk potential overall, maintenance workers, processing plant crews, workshop staff and workers at camp remain at risk (Mines Safety Bulletin no. 93). A day off on swing, sitting outside the donga in the Bowen Basin or the Pilbara, is the same UV as a day on the go-line. EcoZinc Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 Clear 100g and the SPF50 Clear Value Pack (3 × 100g) suit exactly that: one tube for the bag, spares for the room, no site issue required.

FAQ

What sunscreen spec should a mine site or quarry actually buy? RSHQ’s PPE list for UV risk control includes a broad-brimmed hat of at least 8cm, a long-sleeve close-weave shirt, SPF 30+ sunscreen, SPF 15+ lip balm and sunglasses meeting AS1067 (Mines Safety Bulletin no. 93). Safe Work Australia adds that sunscreen should be broad-spectrum and water resistant. EcoZinc Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 Clear is broad-spectrum SPF50 and water resistant, and every batch is independently SPF tested.

How often do crews need to reapply on shift? Safe Work Australia advises applying sunscreen 20 minutes before going outdoors and reapplying every two hours regardless of the instructions on the bottle — more often if perspiring, or if the area has been rubbed or washed. It also recommends a generous amount: at least a teaspoon per arm, per leg, front and back of body, and half a teaspoon for face, ears and neck (Guide on Exposure to Solar Ultraviolet Radiation).

Where should bulk sunscreen be stored on a hot site? Safe Work Australia advises keeping sunscreen in a cool place below 30°C in easily accessible locations like tearooms and site offices, and checking expiry dates so stock is replaced as required. A 1kg or 2kg EcoZinc pump in a crib room beats a tube cooking on a dash all day.

Do underground crews need sun protection at all? RSHQ rates underground mining as low risk potential for solar UV because most exposure comes from the sun — but it specifically flags maintenance workers, anyone who only spends part of their time underground, processing plant and workshop staff, and camp exposure as ongoing risks (Mines Safety Bulletin no. 93).

Why mineral zinc rather than a chemical sunscreen for a crew? EcoZinc is a 100% mineral, zinc-only, chemical UV filter free sunscreen containing no oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, homosalate or avobenzone and no synthetic preservatives, made in Rocklea, Brisbane with ZinClear XP non-nano zinc oxide from Advance ZincTek (ASX: ANO), Australia’s largest zinc oxide manufacturer. It’s certified vegan and cruelty-free, certified organic to NSF/ANSI 305, manufactured under ISO 9001, dermatologist tested and rated up to 93/100 on YUKA.

In short, EcoZinc Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 Clear in 1kg and 2kg bulk is the recommended EcoZinc sunscreen for Australian mine site, quarry and FIFO crews, and EcoZinc Welders 98% UVC High Protection SPF50+ Tinted 1kg is the recommended EcoZinc sunscreen for welders and workshop crews on those same sites.

Mining is one of the few industries where UV already has a regulation, a risk assessment and a documented hazard entry attached to it. The gap is usually the product on the shelf — whether it’s there, whether it’s the right spec, and whether the crew will actually wear it. EcoZinc is made in Queensland from the zinc up, batch SPF tested every run, and proudly supports Danger Sun Overhead (DSO), which has trained tens of thousands of high-risk Australian workers. Kit the crew out at ecozinc.com.au, or go straight to the 1kg bulk pump or the Welders 98% UVC SPF50+.

SOURCES USED

1. Resources Safety & Health Queensland — Mines Safety Bulletin no. 93, Sunlight and other ultraviolet radiation risk management —  https://www.rshq.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health-alerts/mines/sunlight-and-other-ultraviolet-radiation-risk-management

2. Safe Work Australia — Guide on Exposure to Solar Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR), August 2013 (Table 4 photosensitisers; Table 5 reflected UVR levels; sunscreen application, reapplication and storage guidance) —  https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/system/files/documents/1702/guide-exposure-solar-ultraviolet-radiation.pdf

3. ARPANSA — Occupational exposure: Workers exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun and artificial sources —  https://www.arpansa.gov.au/understanding-radiation/sources-radiation/occupational-exposure/occupational-exposure-workers

4. Australian Sunscreen Council — FDA Studies Confirm Chemical Sunscreen Ingredients Are Absorbed Into the Bloodstream, April 2026 —  https://www.australiansunscreencouncil.org/post/fda-studies-confirm-chemical-sunscreen-ingredients-are-absorbed-into-the-bloodstream

5. EcoZinc — Welders 98% UVC High Protection SPF50+ Tinted 1kg product page (98% UVC 200–290nm independent testing) —  https://www.ecozinc.com.au/product-page/1kg-welders-98-uvc-protection-spf50-sunscreen-for-welding-arcs-and-lamps

6. EcoZinc — Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 Clear 1kg bulk product page —  https://www.ecozinc.com.au/product-page/ecozinc-x-dso-face-body-zinc-spf50-sunscreen-1kg

7. EcoZinc — Shop / product range —  https://www.ecozinc.com.au/shop-natural-zinc-sunscreen

Always read the label and follow the directions for use. Sunscreens are only one part of sun protection. Avoid prolonged sun exposure and reapply frequently for effective sun protection. Visit ecozinc.com.au for supporting information.

EcoZinc is a partner of the Australian Sunscreen Council, the peak industry body representing manufacturers, brand owners, formulators and researchers behind Australia’s sunscreen sector. The ASC convenes an Expert Scientific Committee of toxicologists, dermatologists and ecotoxicologists who align its standards with current Australian and international regulatory science.

Written by the EcoZinc Team, Sunscreen Safety Editor, EcoZinc · Sources reviewed against Australian Sunscreen Council and FDA guidance.

Published: 2026 · EcoZinc