The CWU health, safety and environment department has been running high-profile sun safety awareness campaigns annually and this year, Royal Mail and CWU have joined up with the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) to launch the 2015 'No Time to Lose' campaign which focuses on raising awareness and preventing occupational cancers such as skin cancer.

Welcoming the initiative, Dave Joyce said:

"We have been requesting that Royal Mail adopt an agreed sun protection policy, for some time and this campaign launch is a big step in the right direction - but there's still a lot of work to do on this issue.

As the summer months approach and the mercury rises so too do the health risks associated with exposure to the sun and heat."

Reminding members to be 'sun smart and skin safe', Dave added:

"We're launching this new Sun Safety campaign this year to raise awareness about the risks from sunlight exposure and harmful UV rays. With over 70,000 new skin cancer cases in the UK every year and 2000 deaths, we don't want our members to become victims.

We've got 100, 000 members working outside every day and with changes like new delivery methods in Royal Mail, it means that postal workers will be spending more time out in the sun and during peak hours between 11am and 3pm."

"We want members to avoid sunburn which doubles the risk of skin cancer and realise that a sun tan is not a sign of health - it means the skin is damaged and storing up future problems," said Dave, pointing out that the advice is very simple but vital:

• Cover Up - wear your uniform or company clothing - the fabric provides UV protection
  
  
• Wear a broad-rimmed sun-hat and sun glasses
  
  
• Put on a good quality Sunscreen Cream rated at SPF 30 or more 15-30 mins before going out
  
  
• Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and take brakes in the shade
  
• Finally - be skin safe - check any moles, spots, sores and skin changes and get them checked out by a GP. Melanoma skin cancer is curable if detected early."

Speaking at this morning's launch, Royal Mail director, Jon Millidge stressed that "workers should go home from work in same condition that they came"; whilst, Jan Chmiel, CEO of IOSH said: "Stay safe in the sun and let's put an end to work related cancer."

The 'No Time to Lose' campaign will see the three organisations work together to promote healthy and safe working practices through a number of initiatives such as 'z-cards' - a wallet card that expands into an information sheet containing useful advice and tips for keeping safe whilst on the job.

You can download the Sun Safety card by clicking on the pic above or by using the E-Library to download this and other resources regarding sun safety for outdoor workers.

Source: CWU

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