Sunsafetyatwork.ca helps workplaces protect employees from sun exposure dangers

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Sun Safety at Work Canada, a research, policy, and practice partnership funded by Health Canada through the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, has launched sunsafetyatwork.ca to support workplaces in helping protect their employees from the dangers of sun exposure at work.

The new website supports the development of a sun safety program as part of an occupational health and safety management system.

Key features of the website:
• A six-step process to help workplaces build their own sun safety program
• A searchable resource library with over 70 free resources, some also available in French, with Spanish and Punjabi resources to come
• Two videos on sun safety – one for workers and one for employers
• An introduction to safety for outdoor workers
• Tools to tell current UV Index and humidex
• Resources for small employers and off-the-job sun safety

The health outcomes from sun exposure, a serious occupational hazard, are largely preventable, but not all employers have the resources to put in place a sun safety program.

According to CAREX Canada, approximately 1.5 million Canadians are exposed to sun at work. Outdoor workers have up to a 3.5 times greater risk of skin cancer than indoor workers – and at least 5,000 skin cancers each year are attributed to occupational sun exposure.

Sun Safety at Work Canada‘s vision is that the website will help connect employers to the resources they need to make their workplaces more sun safe.