Do you have a Sun Protection Plan at your Swim School?
Swim Schools are operated in all types of environments, many of which are outdoors. For this reason swim school operators must be committed to reducing the amount of UV that our employees and cliental are exposed to.
UV is dangerous because if you are exposed to too much of it, it can cause;
- Sunburn
- Skin cancer and
- Eye damage
While swim schools cannot completely eliminate the risk of UV they can be committed to controlling the risks by adopting suitable guidelines, policies and procedures. It is very important that swim school operators understand the duty of care that they have to their staff. For this reason it is very important that staff be provided with a variety of personal protective equipment (PPE) for sun protection.
This PPE equipment may include;
- Sunscreen, SPF 50+
- Hat (full Brim sun safe)
- Sunglasses
- Clothing eg Teaching shirt, rash shirt with UV protection
Employees should also be taught to apply sunscreen correctly. When using sunscreen it is always recommended to ensure that you apply;
- To a clean body
- 20 mins prior to sun exposure
- Plenty of sunscreen – approximately 6 teaspoons to cover entire body
- Reapply every 2 hours
Skin cancer found early can be successfully treated. Therefore swim schools should encourage their staff to;
- Become familiar with your skin
- Check entire body, even parts which are not exposed to sun
- Look for changes in shape, colour and size
- Seek a doctors opinion as soon as you notice anything unusual
World Wide Swim School recommends that all swim schools head over to the Cancer Council website to learn more about sun safety and policies and procedures at the following link www.cancer.org.au
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