JULY 2019 | 3
News
Installer News is
sponsored by FENSA
ARE YOU COVERED
THIS SUMMER?
Most of us have experienced the odd sun burn in our
lifetime, and if you work outdoors, it’s likely that this
has been experienced whilst on the job too. A painful
sunburn just once every two years can triple the risk of
the deadliest form of skin cancer; malignant melanoma.
Alarmingly, around 44% of
occupational melanoma deaths
can be attributed to those in the
construction sector, with over
exposure to sunlight, and there-
fore UV radiation, carrying serious
health risks 1 .
1700 people are diagnosed with
skin cancer caused by occupa-
tional sun exposure in Britain
every year, making skin cancer the
most common type of cancer in
the world - the need for adequate
protection is obvious. With a huge
percentage of time spent outdoors,
exposed to high levels of UV radi-
ation, it is vital that outdoor and
mobile workers are aware of the
risks. For example, your car or van
windows offer little protection;
UVA rays can still penetrate glass.
Undoubtedly a perk of the job
for most outdoor workers, sunny
summer days are on the way. But
with temperatures rising and the
UK seeing hotter summer months,
UV protection at work should be a
priority. To look into this further, a
recent survey ran by Swarfega sug-
gested that the gravity of the situa-
tion is not filtering down to worker
attitudes and behaviours, despite
the shocking statistics above.
Just 1 in 4 workers surveyed
wore protective sun cream during
the summer of 2018 – despite
it being one of the hottest sum-
mers on record with higher than
average hours of sunshine also
recorded. Those who did use it
used more due to the exception-
ally hot weather, but what about
those who went without? Most of
these respondents claimed that it
was just too much effort.
Does more need to be done to
raise awareness? With a relative-
1
2
The 5S approach
to Sun Safety
ly small number of respondents
being aware of how serious the
dangers of UV radiation at work
were, it seems that this may be the
case. 72% said they were unaware
that as many as one death and five
new cancers per week can be at-
tributed to occupational exposure
to UV radiation.
Furthermore, only 16% of survey
respondents said that they would
wear sun cream on cloudy days,
despite the majority admitting
that they knew UV rays could still
pass through cloud – in fact, over
90% of UV can pass through even
light cloud and potentially cause
sun burn 2 . On the other hand, just
13% of respondents stated that
they would not use sun cream on
holiday demonstrating awareness
of the dangers of UV radiation,
but not the risk posed whilst on
the job.
When it comes to employer
protection, it is common knowl-
edge that UK employers are
legally required to ensure that
workers do not suffer harm or
injury at work 3 , but what may
be less widely known is that this
extends to UV protection. When it
came to employer provision, 83%
of non-wearers surveyed were
not provided with any sun cream
products at work.
With more summer months up
ahead, it is evident that under-
standing around the severity of the
risks of UV radiation and effective
preventative measures needs to
be improved. The survey findings
do show that outdoors workers
are aware of UV damage to an
extent, but that wider provision
and awareness can help encour-
age more people to cover up on
the job.
https://www.bc-legal.co.uk/bcdn/602-238-occupational-uv-radiation-claims-2018-update
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/sun-uv-and-cancer/am-i-at-risk-of-sunburn-0
3
The good news is that skin can-
cer is one of the easiest to avoid –
it’s estimated by IOSH that 90% of
skin cancer deaths could be pre-
vented 4 . Swarfega recommend that
employees adopt the 5 S approach
to sun safety:
1. SLIP on sun protective cloth-
ing – Encourage workers to
keep covered up. Clothing can
be one of the most effective
barriers.
2. SLOP on sun cream – Apply
a broad spectrum, minimum
SPF30 sun cream 20 minutes
before initial exposure and
re-apply every 2 hours or
more frequently if sweating
heavily. TOUGH by Swarfega
Sun Protection Cream is the
perfect product for outdoor
workers.
3. SLAP on a hat and neck
protection – Where possible
choose a hat with ear and
neck protection.
4. SLIDE on some sunglasses –
Slide on a pair of high-quality
wrap-around sunglasses to
protect the eyes.
5. SHADE from sun where pos-
sible – Encourage workers to
take breaks or work in a shad-
ed area wherever possible,
especially from 11am-3pm.
For more information on
workplace skin care and UV
protection, contact Swarfega
today on [email protected], or
see more on the TOUGH range
here: www.toughbs.com.
http://www.sbclaims.co.uk/legal-articles/occupational-skin-cancer
4
IOSH No Time to Lose Campaign