MIA urges sun safe practices at work this National Safe Work Month

As daylight hours and UV levels increase and National Safe Work Month comes to a close – when employers and workers across Australia commit to creating safe and healthy workplaces – organisations and individuals are still being urged to put a spotlight on sun safety at work.

Improving sun safety at work was a vital melanoma prevention measure identified in the State of the Nation in Melanoma Report, commissioned by Melanoma Institute in 2022.

According to the Australian Work Exposures Study, 22% of Australian workers are exposed to UV radiation at work, yet only 8.7% of outdoor workers were classified as fully protected from the sun.

Melanoma Institute Australia’s (MIA) Co-Medical Directors, Professor Georgina Long AO and Professor Richard Scolyer AO are using their 2024 Australian of the Year platform to call for urgent community action to prevent melanoma – this includes changing these workplace safety statistics.

‘There is nothing healthy about a tan. Nothing. Our bronzed Aussie culture is actually killing us,’ Professor Long said in the pair’s 2024 Australian of the Year acceptance speech.

‘We must elevate sun-safety to equal status as other life-saving safety measures like seatbelts and helmets,’ added Professor Scolyer.

Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world, with one person diagnosed with melanoma every 30 minutes and one person dying from the disease every 6 hours. It is the most common cancer affecting 20–39-year-old Australians.

Also advocating for improved sun safety in the workplace is Andrew Camfield, a melanoma survivor who shared his skin cancer journey as a warning to 400 tradies from Blacktown City Council at an early morning Toolbox Talk on 29 October 2024.

‘I want them to understand that if I can get melanoma, they can too,’ said Andrew. ‘We’re all susceptible to melanoma, and should all be responsible for ourselves, our colleagues, and the next generation when it comes to sun safety.

‘Starting the conversation is what I can do on an individual level, and hopefully employers will then do their best to change rules and culture. We all have a role to play in preventing Aussies from getting melanoma.’

Andrew is part of MIA’s Speakers’ Hub – a network of melanoma patients, survivors and their families who share their personal melanoma stories to raise awareness. Speakers are available to attend community and corporate events.

The Mayor of Blacktown City, Brad Bunting, who is attended this event said, ‘Blacktown City Council values the safety and wellbeing of all our workers. We are proud to support this vital message on sun safety. Melanoma is a serious threat to the health of our community, and we must all take responsibility, whether as individuals or employers, to be safe in the sun. Together, we can create a safer work culture, and ensure that no one in our community faces unnecessary risk from preventable diseases like melanoma.’

Please enjoy our gallery of pictures from the day. 📷 Photos 1-5 supplied by Blacktown City Council.