SEPTEMBER 2017 | 3
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
SUN CREAM STIGMA
A BURNING ISSUE
Melanoma skin cancer incidence
rates have increased by an alarming 119% in
the UK since the early 1990s and according
to a recent study, construction has been
identified as the industry sector in the UK
whose workers are most at risk.
Now, new research by Wickes has re-
vealed some startling statistics and unset-
tling attitudes to sunburn and skin cancer
amongst tradespeople who work outdoors.
The research of 500 tradespeople found
that many are unaware of the dangers of
not protecting their skin and ill-informed on
how often sun cream should be applied.
Worryingly, one in ten (9%) admitted that
they don’t wear sun cream because they’re
worried that their workmates would laugh at
them, whilst 91% of respondents were una-
ware of how much sun cream was required
during a typical 12-hour summer’s day.
15% were convinced
‘ they’d
only need to apply
it once to be protected
for the full 12 hours
’
Over a quarter (26%) believed that only
two applications would suffice, and 15%
were convinced they’d only need to apply it
once to be protected for the full 12 hours.
In fact, it is recommended that sun cream
should be applied 30 minutes before being
exposed to the sun, and re-applied every
two hours thereafter; meaning that sun
cream should be applied up to six times
during a 12-hour shift.
As a result, Wickes announced that it will
be offering free sun cream to tradespeople
as part of a new trial. Available in stores
nationwide, members of the trade can pick
up a free tub of Brickie’s Bronze (30SPF),
Plasterers Pink (30SPF) or Apprentice White
(30SPF) while stocks last.
Matthew Gaunt, Head of Brand & Com-
munications at Wickes comments: “It is clear
that there’s a real need here and we want to
help tradespeople working outdoors get to
grips with this issue.
“We hope that by trialling Wickes Trades-
man’s Suncream in our stores, it helps raise
awareness of an important issue within the
industry, as well as making protection from
the sun’s rays more accessible to tradespeo-
ple in the UK.”
According to the Institution of Occupa-
tional Safety and Health (IOSH), getting
burnt just once every two years can triple
the risk of melanoma. Over half (52.8%) of
tradespeople surveyed admitted to getting
TEAMING UP WITH THE TERRIERS
Yorkshire-based trade fab-
ricator and VS specialist Quick-
slide has announced the con-
tinuation of its partnership
with Huddersfield Town into a
fourth year, as the club joins the
Premiership for the first time in its
history.
Quickslide works with the
club, nicknamed The Terriers, on
community projects including
sponsorship and support for local
football teams and using the club
as a forum to communicate with
other local businesses, suppliers
and community leaders.
Quickslide chairman Adrian
Barraclough, who has developed
the partnership, says that Dean
Hoyle, chairman of Hudder sfield
Town and a lifelong supporter
of the club, has an outstanding
record of commitment to the local
community. “As a local business
many of our staff live in the area
and are supporters of the club too.
Our partnership with Huddersfield
Town therefore benefits both our
business and our people and there
are tremendous benefits for the
whole community.”
After signing the new agreement
with the club’s senior commercial
manager Tracy Nelson, Quickslide
marketing director Tom Swallow
echoed his chairman’s words
adding: “It’s also great for our
customers and staff to come and
watch the football of course, and
this season we will be watching
the top teams in England.”
https://www.quickslide.co.uk
burnt at least once every year whilst work-
ing, with those based in London by far the
worst offenders at almost 1.5 x the national
average (72%), and a further 17% experi-
encing sunburn on the job at least ten times
every year.
Dr Lesley Rushton, Department of Epide-
miology and Biostatistics, Imperial College
London comments: “We have estimated that
around one construction worker every fort-
night will get a melanoma caused by sun
exposure at work.
“Occupational solar exposure is often
overlooked but it is so important that
tradespeople are well informed about the
potential implications of being sunburnt,
and that they take the necessary steps to
minimise their risk.”
www.wickes.co.uk
INSTALLER BOOSTS
BUSINESS WITH
REAL ALUMINIUM
An installer has increased
its aluminium business by 50%
after making the leap to REAL
Aluminium. Sherborne Windows is
reaping the rewards of Customade
Group’s complete aluminium
solution after becoming one of the
first installers in the UK to adopt it
when it was launched a last year.
Chris Long, managing director of
Sherborne Windows, explains: “We
are very pleased to have increased
our spend on aluminium by 50%
compared to the same period last
year. There is a rapidly rising de-
mand in the domestic market for
aluminium and we have been able
to take advantage of these positive
trading conditions because we
have a robust supply chain in
place and access to full sales and
marketing support to help us
achieve growth.”
Sherborne began installing
aluminium glazed roofing systems
from Atlas Glazed Roof Solutions,
which is also part of the Custo-
made Group, some time ago and
recognised that REAL Aluminium
could help the company achieve
growth in aluminium.
Tel: 01453 826884
Visit: www.real-aluminium.co.uk
Email: [email protected]