Long-term SunSmart supporter, Moreland City Council is placing a priority on sun protection for outdoor workers as part of the Victorian WorkCover Authority’s Health and Safety Week (20–31 October).
It is estimated that around 200 melanomas and 34,000 non-melanoma skin cancers in Australia are caused by occupational exposures to ultraviolet (UV) radiation every year.[i]
Moreland City Council employees recently took part in the SunSmart Workplace Education Program, which covered a range of topics including understanding skin cancer and UV; health and safety; how to create a SunSmart workplace; prevention and early detection of skin cancer; and vitamin D.
“Prevention education is the key to fighting skin cancer and we are always looking at new ways to spread the message to our staff. Moreland Council is proud to be working with SunSmart, which is at the forefront of the problem and is providing us with the latest in educational programs,” Moreland Mayor Cr Lambros Tapinos said.
This is the fourth year that Moreland Council employees have taken part in the Workplace Education Program.
“It’s great to see that Moreland City Council is taking practical steps to protect their employees from UV and we would encourage other workplaces to do the same,” said SunSmart Manager Sue Heward.
“In Victoria, Occupational Health and Safety legislation mandates that all employers should take steps to reduce the impact of known health risks for their employees, such as overexposure to UV while at work.”
“A recent study revealed that although 95 per cent of Australian outdoor workers currently use some form of sun protection, just nine per cent are considered to be fully protected from UV.[ii] Skin cancer is a serious health risk for outdoor workers, and this research shows that there is still work to be done to fully protect workers.”
The cost of a one-hour SunSmart Workplace Education Program session is $500. Sessions held outside the Melbourne metropolitan area incur additional charges. SunSmart also offers additional free resources for workplaces which include information sheets and brochures on how to protect employees from UV radiation from the sun.
For more information or to book a Workplace Education session visit sunsmart.com.au or email sunsmartworkplace@cancervic.org.au.
[i] Fritschi L, Driscoll T. Cancer due to occupation in Australia. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health 2006; 30(3): 213–9.
[ii] Carey RN, Glass DC, Peters S, Reid A, Benke G, Driscoll TR, Fritschi L. Occupational exposure to solar radiation in Australia: who is exposed and what protection do they use? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 2014; 38(1): 54–9.