Abstract: Introduction: one of the main causes of skin cancer is exposure to ultraviolet radiation, there being in our environment several occupations that have implicit sun exposure especially field work (agriculture and livestock), street sales, sportsmen, police, military and transit agents, teachers, drivers of different means of transport, among others. The incidence of melanoma-type skin cancer in Colombia has an age-standardized rate (SAD) of 3.1 x 100,000 males and 2.9 x 100,000 females, while for other forms of skin cancer, which generally exclude or only partially include basaliomas, APRC is 6.3 x 100,000 men and 3.8 x 100,000 women.In our country, 97% of all skin cancers originate in the epidermis and are represented by basal cell carcinoma (70%-75%), squamous cell carcinoma (20%-25%) and melanoma (5%-10%). Objective: To characterize exposure to ultraviolet radiation in workers engaged in outdoor work and the appearance of skin cancer. Materials and Methods: A systematic review of literature from 2009 to 2019 was carried out, using the Pubmed, Scielo and Elsevier databases, in the English and Spanish languages, using the search terms [skin cancer cancer[, a cancer[cancer[, On the other hand, the European Commission has published a report entitled 'Environmental risks'. All revised and included articles were in full text. Results: Most of the studies evaluated show a relationship between the use of protective elements and the prevention of skin cancer in outdoor workers, one of the main tools of prevention is the training of workers and the encouragement of the use of protective elements. The main measures used by the workers included: drinking water (78%) and peak caps (73%). Sunscreen (76%) and sunglasses (58%) were significantly more likely to be used by younger workers (<45 years) (Sunscreen 82%, P <0.05; Sunglasses 64%, P <0.05). The use of sunscreen was positively correlated with the work and knowledge of users about skin cancer (r s = 0.345, P <0.001). Conclusion: As part of the systematic review, it is evident that outdoor workers have a higher risk of acquiring skin cancer and there is a strong relationship between the hours of exposure and the type of work they perform (roofers, construction workers, entered others), in turn the use of personal protective elements and work in the shade reduce the risk. Palabras Clave: : “skin cancer”, “cáncer”, “outdoor work”, “ultraviolet rays”, “exposición a Riesgos ambientales”.
