Safe Work Australia has released new solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) fact sheet.
Exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a risk for anyone who works outside. Solar UVR is not only a hazard when working in direct sunlight, it can also be reflected off certain materials, such as concrete, metal, snow and sand. PCBUs must do everything that is reasonably practicable to eliminate the risks associated with workplace solar UVR exposure.
Safe Work Australia has announced the development of a fact sheet on the risks of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure at work.
Raising awareness of the dangers of UVR for anyone who works outside is important, given the high rate of skin cancer in Australia. Around two in three Australians will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer before the age of 70*. Exposure to solar UVR is a risk for anyone who works outside. Solar UVR is a hazard when working in direct sunlight as well as when light is reflected off certain materials.
Safe Work Australia latest fact sheet contains information on identifying when UVR exposure may be a hazard, and ways to assess and manage the risks associated with exposure.
Download and share the fact sheet in your workplace today by visiting www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/doc/managing-risks-solarultraviolet-radiation.
*Data source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), Skin cancer in Australia, AIHW, Canberra, 2016.
For more information on exposure to solar UVR visit safeworkaustralia.gov.au/resources-and-publications/guidancematerials/guide-exposure-solar-ultraviolet-radiation