Sun, UV and Heat Emergencies

The risk of melanoma is increased by 59% for those who begin indoor tanning before the age of 35 years (Government of Canada, 2014). Multiple studies have found that this early use can increase risk of skin cancer generally by 75% (How to Promote Sun Safety, May 2017). Persons under 18 years of age are from using UV tanning equipment.

UV radiation from tanning lights is a contributing cause of skin cancer. The Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Dermatology Association as well as Health Canada strongly recommend that people do not add to their UV radiation exposure by using tanning lights. The “Indoor Tanning is Out” video warns that artificial tanning is not as safe as you think! It is especially dangerous because UV rays from sunbeds can be up to 10-15 times higher than that of the midday sun.

If your occupation involves you being exposed to UV radiation either from the sun or from artificial sources, you might talk to your Occupational Health and Safety Officer about safety measures.

The Sun Safety at Work Canada (SSAWC) supports workplaces in helping protect their employees from the dangers of exposure to sunlight.

The website supports the development of a sun safety program as part of an occupational health and safety management system. More than 70 free resources on sun safety are available to download from the website. A range of resources are also available in French, with Spanish and Punjabi.

Outdoor workers, those in construction, farming, and building care and maintenance have up to a 3.5 times greater risk of skin cancer than indoor workers, at least 5,000 skin cancers each year are attributed to occupational sun exposure.

For most people the lifetime exposure to UV rays occurs before they turn 18 years old. The sun exposure children receive while they are young, increases their risk of developing skin cancer as adults.

Sun Safety Tips for Parents

• Plan outdoor activities outside peak UV times – in other words, before 11am and after 3pm. (Daylight Savings time). Try to influence their pre-school or school to change schedules so that they are not outside during these hours. Book sports activities outside of these time zones.
• Use hats and clothing.  Broad-brimmed (8–10 cms or 3 inches) or legionnaire-style hats which cover the face, neck and ears can reduce UV radiation to these areas by about 50 per cent.
• Encourage children to play in the shade.  Plant trees or erect temporary or permanent shade structures in the places where your child plays, or move activities, eg. wading pools, into shaded areas. Remember that UV rays can be reflected onto your child even when they’re in the shade, so use clothing, a hat and sunscreen as well.
• Use an SPF 30+, broad spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen on body parts not able to be covered by hats or clothing. Apply 20-30 minutes before going outside and reapply periodically as sunscreen is easily wiped or sweated off. Use sunscreen lip balm as well.
• Use sunglasses to protect your child’s eyes. Make sure they are designed to be close-fitting around the eyes and that they block both UVA and UVB rays.
• Keep babies under one year of age out of direct sunlight.  This will also prevent dehydration and sunstroke

Schools

SunSense Certification Guide for Elementary Schools

Elementary Curriculum: Sun Safe Curriculum Supports for Schools  

Sun Safety eLearning Course – CSCF Developed for students in grades 5 & 6, 30-minute online, self guided, for a more comprehensive look into skin cancer and sun safety.

Grades Secondary Grades 9 to 12

• The dark side of tanning - males playing sports
• The dark side of tanning - female tanning on the beach

Designing for Shade on Your School Playgrounds

• Shade for Kids Workshop
• Design Ideas for Outdoor Classrooms

Shade Policy Primer for School Boards Example School Board Policy: Waterloo Region District School Board

Municipalities and Communities

Communities can have a significant impact on the amount of sun exposure that their children, in particular, have. This can happen with some planning to plant deciduous trees strategically, build shade structures where people spend time (like parks and community gathering areas) and insisting that new developments retain as many trees as possible, or plant a minimum of one good-sized tree on each of the sub-divided properties.

There is also great opportunity to work with community schools to encourage and support them to fund-raise and apply for grants to increase shade on school playgrounds.

Shade Policies (UVOntario): Incorporating Shade Policies into Official Plans and municipal documents is

Policy Guidelines: Creating Shade at Public Facilities - Policy and Guidelines for Local Government Second Edition (Queensland Government)

Shade Audit Tool - use this tool to complete an audit in one of the local parks or community spaces.  The results will inform future decisions regarding the need for more trees or shade structures, and where to most effectively place them. 

Use the UV Index Record daily to inform staff and participants of the UV rating for the day (see Appendix UV Index Record)

CAMPS can play a key role in minimizing UV exposure, by providing an environment that promotes positive sun protection behaviours.  The Screen Me™ Sun Aware™ program to protect children and teens from skin cancer by supporting camp owners, directors, and staff to implement best practices in sun safety. It is a program that can be used by residential, municipality camps and day and overnight camps across Canada. The program offers FREE RESOURCES, including staff training, UV bracelets, educational tools and more. Learn how your camp can become Sun Aware™ certified by visiting sunaware.ca.