Aussie tradies aren't protecting against skin cancer

Tradies in Australia aren’t making enough of an effort to protect themselves from the sun even though they are statistically exposed up to 10 more times to ultraviolet radiation (UV) than the typical indoor worker.

New research found by YouGov has been released as part of a SunSmart campaign from the Australia Government and Cancer Council, and shows that almost a 1 in 4 tradies rarely wear sunscreen during the summer months.

The statistics for the winter months are even worse, with the number climbing to almost 1 in 2 (46%).

Most worrying is that of the tradies interviewed for this report, 58% of them have colleagues that have skin cancer. The report found that 89% of the tradespeople surveyed spend time outdoors on a typical workday, and more than 40% of them spend over 4 hours working outside. The Australian Government and Cancer Council are urging tradies to do more to protect themselves from UV when working outdoors.

Sun Safety is a priority with it being a requirement in the majority of Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS), these can be provided from companies to their staff directly through Trade Trak.

Chief Executive of Cancer Council Australia, Dr Tanya Buchanan, stated that Australia has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world, and for tradies who are spending the majority of their workday outdoors this risk is even greater.

A free SunSmart Tradie Toolbox has been developed for tradies to refer to before they head onto job sites and throughout the day, with SunSmart messaging that can be quickly and easily downloaded and displayed next to safety signage on job sites.