Skin Cancer and Outdoor Working

Quite rightly last week there was a lot of media coverage about the link between the use of sun beds and cancer. Coincidentally I met up with a branch member who had just been diagnosed with facial skin cancer.

He has been an estate based housing caretaker for the past 15 years. If paying 50p per minute to lie on a sun bed is “carcinogenic to humans” and “on a par with smoking and exposure to asbestos” then sweeping and cleaning outdoors in the sun for several hours a day is obviously a matter of concern.

As the branch health & safety officer I have asked to see if the caretaking risk assessments cover this danger from skin cancer. This is mandatory under the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR). I suspect it does not and will be sending a note to all our safety reps to ask their housing organisations for sight of their risk assessments and to make sure that they properly protect not only caretaking staff from this risk but any other members who spend their time predominantly outside – direct repair staff, enforcement officers, gardeners etc. I think that organisations are also legally obliged to check that sub-contractor staff they use also has such risk assessments in place.

Of course fine sounding risk assessments that are written by consultants and just sit on shelves unread are useless. Risks assessments need to be written by trained line manager and fully consulted upon with employees and trade union safety reps and then implemented and monitored.

Risk assessments should include protective measures such as suitable clothing (broad brimmed hats and a uniform which has high sun protection and is “breathable”); supply of fresh water; rest breaks; regular health screening; awareness training and provision of sun block (at least factor +15). Maybe even consider sun glasses? As this is under the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations (PPE) it should be provided free of charge to all employees.

Although the basic principle of health & safety at work is to try and design out the risk whenever possible and use PPE only as a “last resort”. So the top preventive priority should be a change to working practices. For example during summer ensure that only the minimum amount of exposed outdoor working takes place when the sun is at its highest i.e. 11am-3pm. During this time caretakers could sweep and clean internal stairs and furniture or check communal lights. In the early morning they should sweep and litter pick outdoor areas.

Obviously staff that are known to be vulnerable will also have specific assessments (done in co-operation with advice from occupational health?).

This is a good web site recommended by HSE.