To mark Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) said it is addressing the risks that UV exposure poses to construction workers.
According to HSE data, construction workers account for 44% of occupational skin cancer diagnoses and currently make up 8% of the UK workforce. With a large proportion of construction tasks taking place outdoors, the CSS noted that prolonged exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays poses a serious and persistent threat.
The CCS stated that a strong UV risk management strategy can differentiator a contractor, highlighting its commitment to best practices and excellence in worker protection. In line with this, the Scheme is updating its Code of Considerate Practice to include skin protection as a key assessment criterion. The CCS added that it will also work with the industry to champion efforts to develop a new gold standard solution for UV protection.
Desiree Blamey, head of partnerships at CCS, said: “Enhancing prevention measures against skin cancer is a priority for CCS as we progress in refining our Code to elevate worker wellbeing standards across the UK. We believe all men and women deserve to be safe at work. We want to change behaviour to save lives.
“By encouraging better education, more visible protection, and practical daily measures, we hope to drive a real shift in how the industry manages the risks associated with UV exposure.”
CCS has recommended the following best practices for UV protection:
- Avoiding peak sun hours, between 11am and 3pm, by scheduling outdoor tasks earlier or later in the day
- Providing shaded areas for breaks to reduce direct sun exposure
- Integrating sun safety into health and safety policies, treating UV as a workplace hazard
- Supplying sunscreen, with SPF 30+, and sun-protective PPE at no cost to workers, such as wide-brimmed hats, UV-rated clothing, UV400-rated sunglasses
- Using visual tools such as UV index boards or UV reactive technology to help workers monitor daily exposure risk
- Promoting skin awareness by encouraging regular self-checks and early reporting of skin changes, supported by education and site-wide communication on skin cancer risks
The CCS is supporting the launch of UV-U-SEE, a wearable from Pablo London designed to combat melanoma risk for builders.
A statement said the UV-U-SEE system centres around ‘The Higher-Vis Vest’. This includes an integrated UV-U-SEE silicon logo that sits on the traditional high vis vest, it cited, which is filled with a long-lasting UV sensitive material. As the sun’s UV level intensifies, the logo changes from white to pink to red, alerting the wearer and fellow workers to apply sun cream and take precautions. Alongside the higher-vis vest sits UV-U-SEE sun cream from LifeJacket Skin Protection.
The idea was inspired by Hannah Penn, Pablo’s joint managing director, whose melanoma diagnosis after her second child motivated her to improve UV safety, particularly in high-risk industries like construction.
Penn added: “Melanoma is a silent killer. I was never a sun worshiper, and yet I was diagnosed. The construction industry is massively overrepresented in skin cancer statistics, and this technology has the power to change that—for construction workers, and beyond.”
