A Third of Outdoor Workers Don't Use Sunscreen

During the summer of 2018, a survey revealed that a third of outdoor workers did not use sunscreen despite the heat. As a result, there is a call to employers to ensure that their workers get high-protection sunscreen.

Reports indicate that nearly 80% of UV radiation passes through even on cloudy days.  Nevertheless, just a quarter of outdoor workers manage to use sunscreen while working in the past year. A third of them did not bother with sun protection.

A common reason among the majority of workers that refuse to use sun cream was effort. Two-thirds of the outdoor workers thought that using sun cream was stressful.  Meanwhile, employers that provide sun creams to employees represent just 13% of the outdoor worker that don’t use it.

SC Jonhson Professional took a poll of 140 outdoor workers, and they found that most were ignorant of the health risks that come with UV radiation exposure. Over 75% of the participants did not know that 1 in 5 people in the UK with a cancer diagnosis can attribute the cause to solar radiation exposure.

According to SC Jonhson Professional, employers should include sun cream to items they provide as safety and protective equipment. It is their opinion that UV radiation is treated like other safety hazards such as fire or falls.

The minimum recommendation is to offer workers the SPF30 sunscreen, awareness posters, toolbox talks and educational guides on sun protection to drive home its importance.

According to Paul Jakeway, the Marketing Director, statistics show that both employers and employees underestimate the dangers of UV rays as it pertains to outdoor workers. In truth, some had no clue regarding UV risk; others were confused as to how to keep themselves safe from the potential threat of UV radiation exposure.

Records from the recent Institute of Occupational Safety and Health study show that 240 cases of malignant melanoma and 1500 new diagnoses of non-melanoma skin cancer can be prevented should firm embrace sun safety techniques for their workers.