Farmers and gardeners should take a lesson from lifeguards. No, not a swimming lesson. A lesson in skin care.

Outdoor workers don't usually pay as much attention to skin care products as constantly oiled sunbathers do. But they should.

More than 700,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year, with another 300,000 cases going undiagnosed.

Many of those could have been prevented with proper skin care and precautions, says Gail Hanula, a project coordinator for a cancer education program with the University of Georgia Extension Service.

AFor every 100 people who die from skin cancer in the general population, 130 to 180 agricultural workers die from skin cancer, Hanula says.

AThey are obviously a high-risk group," she says. "Yet they often have less health insurance and less coverage for preventive care.

The main cause of skin cancers in Georgia is overexposure to the sun. So skin protection is an important defense. The body's natural defense against ultraviolet rays is a pigment in the skin called melanin.

ASome people have more melanin than others, Hanula says. The melanin in light brown or tanned skin provides only as much defense as a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 4. The melanin in dark black skin provides as much as SPF 10.

With the summer sun beating down on farm workers, gardeners, athletes and beachcombers alike, Hanula has some simple ways to protect yourself from the sun:

* Stay out of the sun, if you can, during peak hours from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

* Wear protective clothing. A woven hat with a three-inch brim all the way around, long-sleeve shirts, pants and sunglasses will help.

AI know it's hot outside, she says, but a white, 100 percent cotton, long-sleeve shirt reflects the sun's rays. The shirt will also allow ventilation.

* Wear sunscreen. If you must be out in the sun, wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. Apply it about 30 minutes before you go out. Pay special attention to the ears, nose and lips. Apply it regularly.

AYou have three choices of sunscreen, Hanula says. Sports sunscreen is designed to take the sting out of sweating and wearing sunscreen. 'Waterproof' provides 80 minutes of protection while sweating or swimming before you need to reapply. And 'water-resistant' provides 40 minutes of protection while sweating or swimming.

* Don't work on a tan, either in the sun or in tanning parlors. Short bursts of exposure or burning are linked to malignant melanomas.

* Anytime you handle pesticides or dangerous chemicals, wear protective equipment and clothes.

AExamine your skin regularly, Hanula says. ANotice any change in skin condition. If you see something peculiar, call your doctor immediately.

A research project called Georgia's Harvesting Healthy Habits is helping experts learn more about skin cancer among farmers.

It is carried out by the Georgia Department of Human Resources, in cooperation with the UGA Health Communication Center in the Department of Speech Communication.