With British
summertime now upon us, roof systems manufacturer, Marley, is calling
on all outdoor construction workers to use sun protection in order reduce
damage caused by increased sun exposure.
In the UK, skin
cancer rates are rising faster than in any other part of Europe and outdoor
workers are at particular risk. In fact outdoor workers have yearly sun
exposure five to ten times higher than indoor workers.
As a result, every
year, there are at least 1,500 new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer and 240
new cases of malignant melanoma linked to solar radiation through work.
In order to promote
sun safety across the construction industry, Marley is re-launching its
annual Safe in the Sun campaign, and this year its focus is on encouraging
outdoor workers to use sun cream.
Katie Prestidge, who
is leading the campaign at Marley, said: “At Marley, our Safe
in the Sun campaign has been running for 15 years, and it has been encouraging
to see over this time the construction industry has taken some positive steps
to reduce the risk of sun damage. Now, most main contractors, house
builders and large roofing companies have sun safe procedures and many building
companies also require subcontractors to wear appropriate tops on site at all
times.
“However, it is
clear that there is still an attitude of complacency in the UK when it comes to
suncream use. Our own research found that 86 per cent of construction
workers make do with a lower than 30 SPF suncream and many don’t use it at
all.”
This is backed up by
recent research which shows that almost a quarter of people do not apply
sunscreen during the summer, with men twice as likely as women to forgo sun
protection. Even when they do wear it, many people
only use around half of the amount they really need.
That’s why for this
year’s campaign Marley is focusing on the safe use of sun protection
and giving away free mini suncreams on a carabiner clip, to make it easy for
outdoor workers to use.
Gary Walpole, health
and safety manager at the NFRC, said: “Sun safety is a big challenge in the
industry and we need to change attitudes towards sun protection. Managers
and supervisors have a key role to play in changing the culture. Many main construction
businesses are already enforcing the use of sun safety procedures but they can
make it easier for workers to access water and sun cream by providing
accessible stations, so workers don’t have to go all the way to the site
offices. To reduce the amount of suncream needed, they could also follow
the Australian model of providing long sleeve, light weight PPE to keep roofers
cool and protect them from the sun.”
To help ensure the
safe use of sun cream on site, Marley has put together the following
advice for outdoor workers, the main tips are:
- Don’t leave exposed skin
unprotected. Use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 25 and remember to
reapply regularly throughout the day
- Check your suncream hasn’t
expired. If there isn’t an expiry date on the bottle, look out for a
small symbol of an open pot. This tells you how long you can use the cream
for once opened, e.g. 18 months
- Apply suncream liberally – as
a rough guide use around a teaspoon for the face and neck, six teaspoons
for the whole body
- Don’t rely on a once a day
suncream – put it on in the morning and reapply at lunchtime
- To reduce the amount of
suncream needed, consider using long sleeved, lightweight, UV-protective
PPE.
Get a
free bottle of sun cream, while stocks last, by sending your name and email
address to info@marley.co.uk. For more advice about staying safe in the
sun, visit www.marley.co.uk/.
