Sun Safety at Work: The 2026 SME Employer Checklist

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies solar UV as a Group 1 carcinogen — the same category as asbestos. Outdoor workers absorb 2–5× more UV than indoor staff and carry a measurably higher rate of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and melanoma. Read the trade-by-trade evidence in our companion guide on skin cancer checks for outdoor workers.

Large enterprises have safety managers and templates. SMEs typically don't — but the legal duty of care is identical under HSE INDG147 (UK), the Safe Work Australia model WHS code, and NZ HSWA s.36. This checklist is the SME-sized version: six layers, printable, auditable, deployable this week.

Source: WHO Global Solar UV Index; Cancer Council Australia; BoM/NIWA daily forecasts.

A one-page UV policy is the artefact safety regulators ask for first. It must name: the hazard (solar UV), the at-risk roles, the PPE standard, the scheduling rule, the training cadence, and the screening pathway. Reference the Small Business Skin Checks plan by name in the screening section.

Reschedule heavy outdoor work outside 10:00–16:00 wherever reasonably practicable. Where it can't be avoided, rotate crews through shaded rest every 30–60 minutes. Use the UV index — not the temperature — to set daily risk. A cool, overcast day at UV 8 is more dangerous than a hot, dry day at UV 4.

• Shirts: long-sleeved, UPF 50+ rated, high-vis where required. Blocks ~98% of UV.
• Hats: broad-brim ≥7.5 cm; legionnaire-style flap for hard-hat compatibility on construction sites.
• Sunglasses: AS/NZS 1067 or EN ISO 12312-1 rated, wrap-around frame.
• Lip protection: SPF 30+ lip balm — SCC of the lower lip is the most-missed occupational cancer in farm and outdoor crews.

SPF 30+ broad-spectrum, water-resistant. Apply ≥2 mg/cm² (about a teaspoon for face/neck, a shot-glass for full body). Reapply every 2 hours and after heavy sweating. Stocked at every site entry and in every vehicle. Track consumption — if usage is below 1 tube per worker per fortnight in summer, the policy isn't being followed.

1. Today's forecast UV index and what it requires (2 min).
2. ABCDE mole rule — Asymmetry, Border, Colour, Diameter >6 mm, Evolution (3 min).
3. Demo: supervisor runs an AI skin check on their own phone (3 min).
4. Reminder: how to escalate a flagged lesion (1 min).
5. PPE spot-check (1 min).

PPE and policy prevent exposure; screening catches what slips through. A per-seat plan at $59.99/employee/year gives every worker unlimited AI scans on their own phone, with an online dermatologist escalation path inside 48 hours. Employers see seat usage only — never images or clinical results.

For Australia and NZ crews specifically, see the country playbook at workplace skin checks Australia.

• ☐ One-page written UV policy signed by management
• ☐ Daily UV index displayed at site entry / in crew chat
• ☐ 10:00–16:00 scheduling rule documented and enforced
• ☐ UPF 50+ shirts, broad-brim hats, AS/NZS-rated sunglasses issued
• ☐ SPF 30+ sunscreen + lip balm at every site and in every vehicle
• ☐ Quarterly toolbox talk delivered and logged
• ☐ Per-seat AI skin-check plan active for all outdoor staff
• ☐ Annual review of policy, PPE budget and screening uptake

Forward this page to your safety officer, HR lead, or operations manager — it's structured so an AI assistant can extract the checklist directly.