Creating a sun-safe workplace – six practical steps for employers
Skin cancer isn’t just a concern for summer holiday packing lists – it’s a reality that needs to be addressed in the everyday reality for UK workers at home, on the road, in the office, and abroad.
Yet for businesses with employees who work outside or spend a lot of time on the move, it can be a workplace risk that all too easily slips under the radar.
The long-term consequences of this can be serious. Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, with most cases linked to UV radiation¹.
Employers have an important part to play in recognising where work increases sun exposure, ensuring protection measures are accessible. If you can raise awareness in the workplace, employees can carry this through to their personal lives as well.
Here are six steps employers can take to create a more sun-safe workplace.
1. Learn about exposure risk
UV rays are often misunderstood – they aren’t only present during heatwaves, holidays, or when using tanning beds.
For some roles, such as those in construction, agriculture, delivery or logistics, and roles based in hotter countries, the sun risk will be obvious. For others it can be less so, particularly for jobs that involve travelling between sites or attending outdoor events.
Once employers appreciate that it’s not just a consideration for employees at weekends or when they’re on annual leave, it becomes easier to decide what practical support may be needed.
As part of their health and safety responsibilities, employers should consider how an employee’s role and work location may expose them to UV rays and take steps to reduce the risk of harm.
2. Make sun safety part of day-to-day health and safety
Education shouldn’t only be on the risk of UV rays themselves – reminding employees how to adequately apply sunscreen in addition to wearing the appropriate clothing will support a positive shift in prevention awareness.
The simplest approach for most employers is to build sun protection into the health and safety steps they already take, from making it part of team briefings and new starter advice to reviewing risk assessments for all outdoor roles.
Although it can often feel too commonplace or seasonal to count as a workplace risk, it deserves a place in health and safety discussions.
3. Keep sun safety on the agenda
Sun safety is often only talked about in the workplace when temperatures soar or heatwaves hit the news.
Employers will then send a reminder, and people will pay attention for a few days, but once the weather cools down, the subject fades away again.
Keeping awareness ticking over throughout the year will usually work better. People don’t need to hear the same message every week, but they need to hear it often enough for it to stick.
British Safety Council guidance makes a similar point, arguing that sun safety precautions for outdoor workers should become the norm rather than the exception.
In practice, this may simply mean raising it at sensible times during the year and making it part of wider health and wellbeing conversations.
4. Encourage people to act on concerns early
Part of the employer’s role is helping to create a workplace where people don’t feel they have to sit on a health concern and second-guess themselves before acting.
Employees don’t always do this straight away. Someone may notice that a mole has changed or that a patch of skin looks different but then leave it for weeks because they’re not sure whether it’s important enough to mention, or perhaps they’re worried about time away from work and do not want to make a fuss².
The HSE advises workers to check their skin and seek medical advice promptly if they notice anything unusual, such as changes in shape, size or colour, or any itching or bleeding³.
Helping employees know what to look for through everyday communications could save a life - simple methods such as a mole-changing warning signs poster in the office toilets, a prompt in an email campaign, or general awareness as part of safety training.
Employers can also support by making sure employees know what help is available through the employee benefits they provide. Employees who are navigating a skin cancer concern can receive mental wellbeing support through an employee assistance programme (EAP), or they could receive faster appointments through a Private Medical Insurance (PMI) policy. Employers can also purchase standalone cancer screening and cancer support services for their employees.
Some health cash plans and group income protection policies include a digital skin assessment tool where a dermatologist can assess an employee’s concern and assist with private prescriptions or further specialist referrals.
5. Make it easier for people to protect themselves
If employers want people to take sun safety seriously, it helps to make the practicalities as simple as possible.
For outdoor and mobile workers, this often comes down to thinking about how their day is organised.
Is there somewhere shaded to sit during breaks? Can people access drinking water easily when they are out on site or on the road⁴? Is sunscreen available where it is most likely to be used? Are uniforms and dress expectations sensible for outdoor work?
In addition, there's a cultural consideration here, with the British Safety Council suggesting that some workers still don’t fully recognise the risks of UV exposure. It claims that in some workplaces sun protection is still regarded as a personal choice rather than something employers and employees should both take seriously.
Making protection easy to find and use helps to show that it's an integral part of safe working practice.
6. Make skin awareness part of wellbeing culture
Skin cancer awareness tends to land better when it sits alongside other conversations about prevention and wellbeing, rather than being treated in isolation.
A lot of employers will talk about mental health, physical wellbeing and the importance of spotting problems early – skin health fits naturally into the same conversation.
For SMEs especially, this doesn’t have to mean a formal campaign. Often it will just come down to straightforward messages, repeated often enough and backed up by managers who take the issue seriously and know where to signpost for support.
The important point is to create a workplace culture where long-term health is seen as important and where practical support – including wellbeing initiatives or health-related benefits that make it easier for employees to get advice or treatment – is considered a normal part of being a responsible employer.
Getting the basics right
It doesn’t need to be complicated for employers – an overarching culture that fosters positive health and wellbeing prevention and awareness can save lives.
In many cases, the most effective steps are the most straightforward – understanding the risks, raise awareness, making sun safety part of everyday management, removing practical barriers and making sure employees know how to access support if they have concerns.
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