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Audit
Direct & indirect UV radiation
UV radiation reaches us in two ways: directly and indirectly.
  • Direct UV radiation travels in a straight line from the sun.
  • Indirect UV radiation is reflected or scattered - it reaches us from any direction and can reach us even when we’re in the shade.
Indirect UV radiation is usually less intense than direct UV radiation, but it still contributes to skin and eye damage. The combination of direct and indirect UV radiation greatly increases the risk of skin and eye damage.

UV radiation reaches us in two ways: directly and indirectly. Indirectly, it can be reflected or scattered by the atmosphere, clouds, terrains and materials

Indirect reflected UV radiation bounces off surfaces such as walls, pavement, sand, water and snow. In general:
  • hard surfaces such as paving will reflect higher levels of UV radiation
  • than softer surfaces such as grass or soil
  • smooth surfaces such as metal sheeting and smooth trowelled concrete reflect higher levels of UV radiation than coarse or varied surfaces such as timber cladding, roof tiles or brick paving.
Indirect scattered UV radiation is deflected by water droplets in clouds and other particles in the atmosphere such as dust – it comes from every direction. Protecting from scattered UV radiation involves reducing exposure to the sky. If you can see a lot of blue sky, scattered UV radiation is reaching you.