SC Johnson Professional’s UV survey: solutions and training

It was found that health and safety professionals recognised the gap in employees’ knowledge yet felt unequipped to address it. One in two organisations surveyed carried out no training on when and how to use UV protection, and just 37% of them stated that they themselves had had the correct training to equip them to implement UV protection programmes in their organisations. 

Training emerged as a key finding from the 2020 survey. Of those health and safety professionals with a majority of employees working outdoors, 1 in 3 said that they did not have enough information to brief workers on the dangers of UV exposure and 41% stated that they wanted clearer regulatory requirements to help them with this. 43% of professionals wanted better data and information on the risks posed by UV radiation in the UK.

Taking these insights on board, SC Johnson Professional have developed a suite of easy-to-use training resources, specifically designed for employees who work outdoors and for health and safety professionals to implement as part of a skin care training programme. 

Ideal for raising awareness around the risks and advising on best practice, the training includes a range of resources. Toolbox Talks help health and safety professionals to deliver quality, informative training, and videos illustrate real-life case studies and simple facts to bring home the reality of over-exposure. The training highlights the ‘5 S approach’ – slip, slop, slap, slide and shade – an approach which can significantly contribute to the prevention of excessive UV exposure.

Alan Murray, CEO at the British Safety Industry Federation, commented: “The research carried out by SC Johnson Professional clearly shows that more awareness and training is needed when it comes to UV protection at work here in the UK – both for health and safety professionals and people that work outside. Employers have a duty of care to provide UV protection to their workforce, and the best way to ensure this is implemented is via health and safety professionals.

“Along with skin care provision, other forms of protective clothing and methods of working, it is crucial that we provide good quality training and information to health and safety professionals, so they are fully equipped to train employees and to raise awareness more generally.”

At this time of year in particular, it is key that more awareness is raised around both the potential dangers of over-exposure to UV radiation, as well as the importance of educating workers. A painful sunburn just once every two years can triple the risk of the deadliest form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma - it is crucial that health and safety professionals are aware of these risks and are equipped to best prevent their workforce from harm or injury in the workplace.

Find out more about SC Johnson Professional’s products or download training material here:

https://www.debgroup.com/uk/UV?utm_source=HSM&utm_medium=Editorial&utm_campaign=UV&utm_content=IND022

In February 2020 skin care experts SC Johnson Professional surveyed health and safety professionals on UV practice and protection in their workplace, building on worker research conducted over the previous two years. Striving to deliver enhanced training and end user support, as well as looking to raising awareness of this important issue, SC Johnson Professional’s research aimed to learn more about general UV awareness in industry, what protection was provided to employees, if and how training was implemented and what health and safety professionals were looking for in terms of best practice guidance.