Skin screening for outdoor workers
Outdoor workers accumulate far more solar UV than the general population, and they are among the least likely groups to book a skin check. This page covers who is most exposed, why traditional screening misses them, and how a QR-code screening round reaches crews where they actually are.
- Scan from a site poster — no login, no booking
- QRScan from a site poster — no login, no booking
- Typical time to complete a check on a phone
- 3 minTypical time to complete a check on a phone
- Anonymous to the employer
- 100%Anonymous to the employer
- Link validity from purchase
- 12 moLink validity from purchase
Which workforces carry the most UV exposure
The common factor is not just hours outdoors, it is repeated exposure across years, often on the head, neck, ears, forearms and hands — the sites where occupational skin cancers most often appear.
- Construction, civil works and roading crews
- Agriculture, horticulture, viticulture and forestry
- Marine, ports, fishing and aquaculture
- Utilities, telecoms and linespeople
- Grounds, parks, landscaping and council field teams
- Delivery, courier and logistics yard staff
- Sports coaches, lifeguards, event and hospitality terrace staff
Why traditional screening misses these crews
Swipe the table sideways to see all columns
| Barrier | Why it stops outdoor workers | How screening packs address it |
|---|---|---|
| Appointments | Losing half a day of paid work to see a GP | Scan on-site in minutes, no booking |
| Cost | Private skin checks are out of pocket in most markets | Employer or funder pays once, per scan |
| Privacy | Concern that a health result reaches the employer | Anonymous participation, no individual results shared |
| Location | Mobile crews, remote sites, rotating shifts | One link and QR code that works anywhere |
| Culture | "It's just a spot" — checks feel unnecessary | Low-friction check normalises the behaviour in the crew |
Running it on site
Print the QR poster
Site huts, canteens, changing rooms, vehicle cabs, depot noticeboards and the back of toilet doors. Put it where people already stop.
Use a toolbox talk
Two minutes at the start of a shift, phones out, everyone scans in the room. This single tactic drives most of the uptake in a typical round.
Pair it with sun-safety kit
Run it alongside a sunscreen, hat or long-sleeve push so the message is about protection as well as detection.
Repeat before peak season
An annual round before the high-UV months keeps the behaviour alive and gives you a year-on-year participation metric.
What crews are told to look for
- A new spot, or an existing one that has changed in size, shape or colour
- A sore that does not heal within a few weeks
- A spot that itches, bleeds or crusts repeatedly
- Anything on the head, neck, ears, forearms or hands that looks different from the rest
Say the referral line out loud
Any screening tool, ours included, is a prompt to act — not a diagnosis. If a spot is changing, bleeding or not healing, the worker should see a clinician regardless of what the check returns.
Fitting it into your safety system
Occupational UV sits alongside noise, dust and vibration as a cumulative exposure. Treating it that way makes the programme easier to justify and easier to repeat.
Most organisations attach the screening round to an existing structure: a safety week, a wellbeing day, an induction pack, or the annual sun-safety refresher. That avoids creating a new process nobody owns.
- Reference UV exposure in your risk register and toolbox talk schedule
- Add the QR code to induction packs for new starters and subcontractors
- Extend the link to subcontractors and labour-hire crews on your sites
- Log participation counts as a leading indicator, not the individual results
Funded and donated screening
Charities, foundations, industry bodies, unions and individual donors buy packs and donate the scans to groups they support — outdoor workers, community sports clubs, rural populations or event attendees. Participants stay anonymous and the funder simply shares the link or QR code.
Frequently asked questions
Related business support
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Costs, pack sizes and credits
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Mobile clinic vs digital screening
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Screen the crews with the highest exposure
One link, one QR code, anonymous participation — designed for site huts, depots and vehicle cabs, not clinic waiting rooms.