NHS England has relaunched its skin cancer prevention campaign, 'Cover Up, Mate', which encourages outdoor workers to cover up against harmful UV rays.

Again, the focus of the campaign is on the construction and agricultural workers, gardeners and sports players, who may find themselves outside for substantial amounts of time during the summer. 

Statistics provided by NHS England show that in the South West of England, 88% of women and 86% of men with malignant melanoma are diagosed during the early stages of the disease. 

Unfortunately, not all cases are able to be treated and in 2016 mortality data in the South West showed 168 male and 113 female deaths due to skin cancer.

Debbie Stark, deputy director of NHS Healthcare at Public Health England, said: "Although exposure to some sunlight is good for boosting vitamin D levels, people should not overdo it. People who spend more than 15 minutes in the sun on any given day should apply sun protection factor 15 or higher."

Worldwide, skin cancer is the most common cancer, with non-melanoma skin cancer accounting for about 30% of all newly diagnosed cancers.

Article taken from IOSH Magazine, July 2019 issue.