Sun Protection for Lifeguards: Gear and Strategies for All-Day Exposure Kemp USA | August 05, 2026 Sun Protection for Lifeguards: Gear and Strategies for All-Day Exposure A recent statistic should make anyone in the guarding industry think again about their skin: 94.8% of lifeguards reported getting sunburned at least once during a single season. The youngest guards on staff were the ones most likely to see the worst burns. That stat may not seem that surprising when you consider the job itself. A lifeguard’s shift is typically during peak UV hours, pretty much daily. And while you may think that a single bad burn a season isn’t that bad, it only takes one burn to set someone up for skin cancer later in life. That’s why taking every precaution possible to protect lifeguards is important – and why it has to go beyond sunscreen protocols alone. Real sun protection for lifeguards has to work as an intentional layered system. Clothing and gear, stand shade, eye protection, and a culture that focuses on skin and heat protection all have a role. Here’s how you can build that system,
