Outdoor workers urged to protect against sun exposure as deaths related to skin cancer on the rise
Working in the sun can be deadly - more than one person employed outdoors dies every week from skin cancer.
The Irish Cancer Society has teamed up with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to urge outdoor workers to reduce their skin cancer risk during the summer.
Congress represents 44 unions and around 750,000 workers across the country and around one in five (18%) work outdoors.
The society's cancer prevention manager, Kevin O'Hagan, said there were more than 60 deaths in 2016 that were related to sun exposure at work – more than one death a week.
Mr O'Hagan said the danger of skin cancer in the construction and farming sector has been neglected because the risk of accidental death and injury on the job is considered greater and more immediate.
However, long-term exposure to the invisible hazard of the sun's ultraviolet rays puts outdoor workers at a high risk of skin cancer, he warned:
Half of all adults experienced sunburn in the last year and third of men have experienced sunburn while working outdoors, so we are asking people to take the necessary steps to avoid sunburn and to be SunSmart at work.
Congress general secretary, Patricia King, said Congress represents more than 135,000 people whose work is characterised as being predominantly or occasionally outdoors.
As well as construction union members are employed in horticulture, quarrying, postal services, environment, tourism, recreation and education.
“Workers need to take every precaution in protecting their skin while exposed to the sun, and should be supported in doing so by their employers.
"We would also call on employers to put in place robust policies to ensure that outdoor workers, such as builders, postal workers or fishermen are adequately protected.
At a minimum, they should be following the Health and Safety Authority guidelines. We would encourage all of our members to ensure they are being SunSmart this summer.
"It could save a life," said Ms King.
Meanwhile, the Irish Heart Foundation is urging people to mind their heart as one in two people were referred to their general practitioners after availing of the national charity's free heart health check.
An evaluation of more than 20,000 people who visited their mobile health unit over the last two years revealed that one in three had high blood pressure.
It also emerged that more than two in five (41%) of those over the age of 50 who had their health checked had high blood pressure.
More than half (56%) of those tested drank alcohol. Almost one in ten (9%) were drinking in excess of the alcohol consumption guidelines and one in four were inactive five days a week, both of which can increase blood pressure.
Consultant cardiologist and medical director of the Irish Heart Foundation, Dr Angie Brown, described as “an alarmingly high rate” the number of people referred to a GP after their heart health check.
“High blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for heart attack and stroke in Ireland, and yet many people do not know what their blood pressure is or that a normal blood pressure reading is around 120 over 80,” said Dr Brown.
