This document provides information about the Sun Safe Workplaces (SSW) program and skin cancer prevention for outdoor workers. It discusses how SSW helps employers implement skin cancer prevention policies and earn accreditation through a 4-step online process. The benefits of the program include a healthier workforce, reduced absenteeism, and protection from litigation. Outdoor workers have higher skin cancer risks, so employers have a duty to educate workers and provide sun protection like shade, clothing, and sunscreen. The goals of the SSW charity are to raise skin cancer awareness, provide employer solutions, ensure workers have support and protection, and ultimately reduce unnecessary skin cancer deaths in the UK.

1. About Skcin &
Sun Safe
Workplaces
Anthony Hubbard
Technical Director

2.  Skcin are a national Skin Cancer Charity (based in Nottingham)
 Set up in 2006 by local family following death of their loved one
 Driven to raise awareness of UK’s most common, yet largely
preventable cancer
 Have developed many high profile campaigns & work with large
commercial organisations to ensure Sun Safety message gets to as
many people as possible!
About Skcin
The Karen Clifford
Skin Cancer Charity

4. Skcin have a strong belief in the prevention of skin cancer through
education – particularly among ‘At Risk Groups’, closely followed by early
detection!
Education, Education, Education

6. SSW - Why Should I get involved?
 UV is a known carcinogen & employees that work outdoors
during daytime hours have a higher risk of developing skin
cancer.
 UV radiation should be considered an occupational hazard for
people who work outdoors.
 Employers have a duty of care to educate their employees about
the health implications the sun can have, the importance of
appropriately protecting their skin and regularly checking their
skin for signs of change.
 Employers have a duty to ensure the provision of appropriate
protection from the sun.

7. Benefits and cost savings associated with the provision of sun
protection and appropriate education:
 Fewer absence days caused by the associated conditions of sunburn
 A healthier and better-informed workforce
 Reduced risk to employees of the UK’s most common and
fastest rising cancer, caused by long-term exposure to the sun.
 Due Diligence – by providing a healthy workplace
environment, employers can protect themselves from claims and
litigation.
SSW - Why Should I get involved?

8. The Facts
 Skin cancer is the UK’s most common cancer with 115,000 new
cases in the UK each year!
 Approx. 80% of cases are caused by over exposure to UV from
the sun or sun bed usage – so are preventable with education!
 The incident rate of malignant melanoma (MM) has doubled in the
last 10 years. Experts estimate rates of skin cancer will double
every 10-20 years if nothing is done!
 MM is the most common cancer in 15-34’s!
 Up to 80% of an individuals lifetime exposure probably occurs
before the age of 21!
 The effects of UV light is cumulative and irreversible to the eyes
and skin!

9. The Facts (CRUK 2011 Statistics)
• 13,348 people in the UK were diagnosed with MM
(37 every day!); rate increased > 5 fold since the mid 70’s
• There were 2,209 deaths from MM (6 per day!)
• 88.2% of adult MM SC patients survived their cancer for 5 yrs or
more (2005 – 2009); 83.6% men, 91.6% women
• > 102,000 cases of NMSC were registered in 2011; registration is
incomplete, with an estimated
30 – 50% BCC and 30% SCC going unrecorded
• Most common sites:
• Men – chest or back
• Women – legs

10. Skin Cancer – the Asbestosis of the 21st Century!

11. MEP’s call to action to protect
outdoor workers
• Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Europe.
• There is a growing body of research linking
exposure to UV radiation in outdoor workers to
the rapidly increasing incidence of non-melanoma
skin cancer in Europe.
• Outdoor workers are at a:
43% higher risk of basal cell carcinoma, and at a
77% higher risk of squamous cell carcinoma.

12. EU Recommendations……..
• 5 instances of AK within one year
• Field skin cancer
• 1 x SCC
• 1 x BCC
• 1x MM
What does constitute an occupational problem?

13. What do we need to consider for outdoor
workers?
 Intermittent exposure to sun light is associated with increased
risk of developing skin cancer
 Sun burn increases your risk of skin cancer.
 Over the last twenty-five years, the incidence of malignant
melanoma has increased more than for any other major cancer in
the UK. The male rates have increased almost five times, while the
female rates have more than tripled.
 The H&SAWA requires employers to identify hazards (The Sun),
evaluate risks and provide Information, Instruction, Training and
Supervision in order to mitigate risks.
 Best practice companies also provide screening.

14. Trends in MM Incidence in the UK

15. Does the sun really affect outdoor
workers?

16. Stage I Melanoma
removed

19. Unilateral dermatoheliosis, or photoageing.
William McElligott: the left-hand side of the truck driver's face was exposed to the sun,
the other shaded in the cab. Photograph: The New England Journal of Medicine

20. The Science of Suncare

21. The Star rating indicates
the Quality of protection
Wear SPF 30+ broad spectrum, 4* plus
rated sunscreen and re-apply every two
hours
The SPF indicates the
Quantity of protection

22. SPF Testing

23. SPF Testing – the NLP or MED reaction time
2 minutes
2.5
minutes
3.1
minutes
1.6
minutes1.3
minutes
1 minute

24. SPF Testing – the ‘product protected’ reaction time
20
minutes
12.8
minutes
31.2
minutes
16
minutes
10.2
minutes
25
minutes

25. Calculating the SPF
2 minutes
2.5
minutes
3.1
minutes
1.6
minutes
1.3
minutes
1
minut
e
Unprotected
20
minutes
12.8
minutes
31.2
minutes
16
minutes
10.2
minutes
25
minutes
Protected
1.6 minutes
16 minutes
= SPF 10

26. 0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
290 300 310 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400
Wavelength (nm)
RelativeUV-Absorbance
5 >0.9
UVB UVA
1
0.2 to
< 0.4
3
0.6 to
<0.8
2
0.4 to
<0.6
40.8 to<0.9
Sunscreen Protection Profiles and Star Ratings
0
<0.2

27. Why is SPF 30 recommended by the MHRA?
Skin
Sun Cream in test (2mgcm-2) SPF 30
UV Light

28. Why is SPF 30 recommended by the MHRA?
Skin
Sun Cream in use (1mgcm-2) SPF 15
Half the protection!
UV Light

29. Question: is there any difference between a SPF 15,
SPF 30 and a SPF 50 product?
An eminent consultant dermatologist said: Not really,
because the products absorb similar amounts of UV.
The facts are:
SPF 15 absorbs 93.3% of UV light
SPF 30 absorbs 96.7% of UV light
SPF 50 absorbs 98% of UV light
So , was he right?
NO,
he wasn’t.
But why?

30. Question: is there any difference between a SPF 15,
SPF 30 and a SPF 50 product?
An eminent consultant dermatologist said: Not really,
because the products absorb similar amounts of UV.
The facts are:
SPF 15 absorbs 93.3% of UV light
SPF 30 absorbs 96.7% of UV light
SPF 50 absorbs 98% of UV light
So , he wasn’t right
Transmits 6.7%
Transmits 3.3%
Transmits 2%
>3x

31. Sun Safe Workplaces - Homepage

33. What do employers need to do?

34. Screen at the start of employment
1.UV Assessment

38. Screen at the start of employment
2. Lesion Assessment

40. Screen at the start of employment
3. Full Body Scanning

43. What do employers need to do?
• Screen at the start of employment
• Understand their duty of care and risk assess each
role
• Provide Information, Instruction Training &
Supervision (SSWP)
• Follow the required safety strategy
• Remove from the sun
• Provide shade
• PPE (manage specification and provided foc)
• Clothing
• Sunscreen
• Provide annual screening
• Continually review the risk assessments

44. SSW - Starting out
 Gaining a SSW accreditation as easy and
hassle free as possible
 4 Step-Online Interactive process, with free
resources and audit trail to track progress
 Before you start you can read our 4 step
guide to gaining your accreditation
 Then click ..GET STARTED!

45. SSW - Registration

46. SSW – Interactive Guide

47. SSW – Step 1: Risk Assessment

48. SSW – Step 2: Sun Protection Control

49. SSW – Step 3: Employee Education

50. SSW – Step 4: Sun Protection Policy

51. SSW – Final Screen

52. SSW - Certification
have been awarded Sun Safe Workplace Status for implementing a Sun Safe Workplace Policy by:
• Completing an assessment of the solar UVR exposure risk to employees
• Implementing and maintaining appropriate sun protection control measures
• Training employees about solar UV radiation, the prevention and early detection
of skin cancer and how to work safely in the sun
• Monitoring programme effectiveness
We recognise that as an employer of outdoor workers we have a duty of care
to ensure that our employees are educated appropriately with regard to the dangers
of over-exposure to solar UVR and are adequately protected against
the sun’s harmful rays during work hours.
Charlotte Fionda, Project Co-ordinator, Sun Safe Schools Richard Clifford, Trustee, Skin; Registered Charity No:1150048
Name of Company / Organisation
1st May 2013 - 1st May 2014

53. Overview of Resources
Comprehensive Employers Guide

54. Sun Protection Policy

55. Iselimination or reduction of risk by use of administrative controlspossible?
Options/ Actions: Timeframe:
Short term:
Medium term:
Long term:
Iselimination or reduction of risk by use of personal protective equipment practical?
Options/ Actions: Timeframe:
Short term:
Medium term:
Long term:
Thisisnow arisk assessment and control plan for the worksite.
Thisdocument should be f led and kept in asafe place for reference.
The control measuresthat have been identif ed should be transferred
into your organisation’soverall protection policy to form the section on
how the hazard will be controlled.Are-assessment should be performed
once improvementshave been implemented.
SunSafeWorkplaces-Skincancerandoutdoorworkers-SampleUVriskassessment
UV Risk Assessment

56. Employee Information

58. SSW - Support of Industry Groups

59. Skcin passionately believe in bringing about a significant change to
reduce the number of unnecessary deaths in the UK.
We want to raise the awareness of the issue and provide solutions to
enable employers to make informed choice as to how their workforce
interact with the sun in a safe manner.
We want to ensure that employer understand the issues, their
potential future litigation risks and how they may mitigate these risks
We want to ensure that outdoor workers are provided with suitable
information, support and protection to enable them to safely work
outdoors.
Summary

60. Thank-You!
Questions?
www.sunsafeworkplaces.co.uk
anthony.hubbard@skcin.org

61. Questions and comments welcomed