Timed to coincide with Skin Cancer Awareness Month, SIG Roofing has announced a partnership with charity SKCIN, while J&A Phillips Builders Merchants is launching a ‘Sun Safety On-Site’ campaign.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, and the facts surrounding it are alarming. It is the UK’s fastest-rising cancer, and annually, there are over 230,000 cases of non-melanoma and 17,500 cases of melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer) diagnosed. It is one of the biggest killing cancers in the 15-34 age group. Statistics also reveal that it is killing more people here than in Australia, which high UV coefficients.

Studies carried out at Herriot Watt University estimate that an outdoor construction worker in Britain could accumulate sufficient solar UV exposure over 30 to 40 years of work to more than double their risk of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).

Construction Management Magazine also finds that construction workers constitute 44% of all occupational skin cancer diagnoses and 42% of occupational skin cancer deaths each year.

Up to 90% of skin cancers, however, are preventable by adopting simple sun-safe habits to your daily routine. Skin cancer is the only cancer we can physically see developing in its early stages, and if detected, diagnosed and treated early enough, almost all cases are curable.

Learning about the risks associated with UV exposure, how to prevent skin cancer, and how to spot early signs and symptoms are therefore critical. The Federation of Master Builders encourages businesses to implement a sun safety policy that includes training, provision of sun protection equipment, and regular reminders for workers to prioritise sun safety.

It is this need of awareness and education, particularly in men and particularly in jobs exposed to regular sunlight, that made SKCIN a perfect charity partner for SIG Roofing, according to the company.

SIG Roofing has therefore signed up for this charity partnership to raise awareness through education at scale through its branch network. The company will be encouraging its employees to take part in the training on sun-safe practices, as well as how to recognise the early signs of skin cancer, and the importance of conducting regular self-examinations. It is also installing sunscreen stations that dispense SPF30+ sunscreen in all branches, free for staff and customers.

Chris Lodge, MD of SIG Roofing, explained: “When we saw that SKCIN was launching a sun-safe workplace accreditation programme for employers of outdoor workers, there was no hesitation that we would look to implement this for our colleagues as some of the facts exposed are shocking.

“Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is responsible for a staggering 90% of all skin cancer cases, which places outdoor workers in one of the highest-risk groups for developing the disease. The predominance of males across the UK outdoor workforce is another concern as statistics reveal that the incidence of skin cancer is growing at twice the rate in men than women, and men are 69% more likely to die from the disease.

“SIG Roofing employs staff that work outdoors in our yards all day across our 107 branches nationwide, and they engage daily with roofers, largely males, who spend long periods of time exposed to UV. We hope that cumulatively all these initiatives will help make a difference.”

Kathryn Clifford, Co-Founder of SKCIN, responded: “We are delighted that a national business like SIG Roofing is one of the first to sign up to our new ‘Sun Safe Workplaces National Accreditation Programme’ https://www.sunsafeworkplaces.co.uk/. The business engages daily with hundreds of higher-risk roofers, largely male, with whom they can share knowledge. We are looking forward to seeing the rollout of sunscreen stations across their branches and delivering the vital training to their employees over the coming weeks.”

‘Sun Safety On-Site’

Meanwhile, J&A Phillips Builders Merchants, a family-run business based in Newport, and Solar Buddies, a multi-award-winning sunscreen applicator business, are collaborating on a ‘Sun Safety On-Site’ campaign aimed at construction workers.

The online and in-store campaign, which will focus on promoting sun safety awareness within the UK construction and building industry, comes in response to recent data highlighting the high incidence of skin cancer attributable to sun exposure in the construction industry.

Through the initiative, J&A Phillips will be the first builders merchants in the UK to stock the sunscreen applicators, which are already available at Asda, Morrisons, Tesco and Boots.

Michael Birch, Director of J&A Phillips, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Solar Buddies on this important initiative. As a company deeply rooted in the construction industry for over 40 years, we understand the risks our customers face when it comes to sun exposure. This campaign is about taking proactive steps to protect our customers and raise awareness about the importance of sun safety.”

Kelli Aspland, Co-Founder of Solar Buddies, added: “Our mission at Solar Buddies has always been to make sun safety accessible and convenient. We believe this collaboration with J&A Phillips will allow us to reach more people in the construction industry and make a real difference in promoting sun safety. The goal of the campaign is to educate construction workers about the risks of sun exposure and encourage behaviours such as seeking shade, covering up, and regularly applying sunscreen, particularly between the hours of 10am and 4pm, when the sun is at its strongest.”