Dangers of exposure to direct sunlight outlined in report

Safe Work Australia Chair Tom Phillips AM recently announced a new report entitled National Hazard Exposure Worker Surveillance Report: Exposure to Direct Sunlight and the Provision of Sun Exposure Controls in Australian Workplaces.

This report has been developed from the National Hazard Exposure Worker Surveillance survey and was written by the Cancer Council Victoria. The report aims to describe the demographic and employment characteristics of workers who reported exposure to sunlight and the types of exposure controls that were provided in workplaces.

Findings of the study include:

• The likelihood of being exposed to a high level of direct sunlight were higher in male workers, smaller-sized workplaces and workers in the agricultural, forestry and fishing, construction and cultural, recreational and personal services industries.
• For workers that were exposed to sunlight, the likelihood of any form of sun protection being provided was lower among workers with a university-level education.
• In general, the larger the workplace, the greater the likelihood of workers being provided with sunscreen, protective clothing, hats or sunglasses.
• Government administration and defence and the construction industries were associated with greater likelihood of providing workers with sunscreen, protective clothing and hats.
• Workers in the health and community services and education industries were less likely to have access to sunglasses, protective clothing and hats.

Phillips said it is important that this study was conducted, as it is the first national study on workplace ultraviolet radiation exposure from direct sunlight across all Australian industries: “With the estimation that around 200 melanomas and 34,000 non-melanoma skin cancers per year are caused by occupational exposures in Australia, it is important that employers and employees realise that we all have responsibilities to reduce the risk of injury and health, which includes reducing skin exposure.”

The report can be downloaded from www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au.