SunSmart advice for employers of outdoor workers

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Advice for employers

Outdoor workers are identified as a high risk group for the development of skin cancer. Due to the nature of their occupation they can be exposed to between 2-3 times more solar UV radiation than indoor workers.

How employers of outdoor workers can take part and be SunSmart  

• Include SunSmart advice as part of health and safety programmes.    
• Remind employees regularly about the importance of protecting skin from the sun’s UV rays when working outdoors by, for example, displaying posters, providing leaflets, social media and email communications.   
• Ensure that managers and supervisors act as positive role models by being SunSmart themselves.
• Develop a solar UV protection policy to record how your workplace will manage solar UV exposure risk at work. This may involve doing a risk assessment and providing resources such as clothing, shade and sunscreen.

Resources for employers

It is recommended that workplaces develop a Skin Cancer Prevention Framework to protect outdoor workers from UV radiation from the sun in the workplace. This framework will help to strategically address skin cancer prevention in the workplace and to plan prevention activities. It will show the commitment to protecting workers from skin cancer by reducing UV solar exposure and adhering to skin cancer prevention best practice in the workplace.

Carrying out an audit to assess your organisation's sun protection activities for skin cancer prevention can help to inform planning and monitoring.   Audit tool for skin cancer prevention in outdoor workers

This sample questionnaire will record employee knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, current behaviours in skin cancer prevention and levels of sunburn.

Additional tools and resources for skin cancer prevention in outdoor workers