As Skin Cancer Awareness Month shines a spotlight on melanoma prevention this May, Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) is reinforcing its commitment to worker wellbeing by addressing one of the construction industry's most overlooked occupational hazards: UV exposure.
According to HSE data, construction workers account for a staggering 44% of occupational skin cancer diagnoses, yet they currently make up only 8% of the UK workforce. With a large proportion of construction tasks taking place outdoors, prolonged exposure to the sun's harmful UV rays poses a serious and persistent threat.
A new standard for sun safety
A strong UV risk management strategy can differentiate a contractor, highlighting its commitment to best practices and excellence in worker protection. In line with this, Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) is committing to updating its Code of Considerate Practice to include skin protection as a key assessment criterion. The company will also work with the industry to champion efforts to develop a new gold standard solution for UV protection. In future, on-site health and safety contractors must demonstrate a comprehensive, proactive approach to UV risk management. This commitment will not only protect workers but also set a new benchmark for the industry.
"Enhancing prevention measures against skin cancer is a priority for CCS as we progress in refining our Code to elevate worker wellbeing standards across the UK," said Desiree Blamey, Head of Partnerships at CCS. "We believe all men and women deserve to be safe at work. We want to change behaviour to save lives.
"By encouraging better education, more visible protection, and practical daily measures, we hope to drive a real shift in how the industry manages the risks associated with UV exposure."
UV Protection best practices for construction sites
To support implementation, CCS promotes the following best practices for UV protection:
- Avoiding peak sun hours (11am–3pm) by scheduling outdoor tasks earlier or later in the day.
- Providing shaded areas for breaks to reduce direct sun exposure.
- Integrating sun safety into health and safety policies, treating UV as a workplace hazard.
- Supplying sunscreen (SPF 30+) and sun-protective PPE (e.g. wide-brimmed hats, UV-rated clothing, UV400-rated sunglasses) at no cost to workers.
- Using visual tools such as UV index boards or UV reactive technology to help workers monitor daily exposure risk.
- Promoting skin awareness by encouraging regular self-checks and early reporting of skin changes, supported by education and site-wide communication on skin cancer risks.
Supporting innovation
To help reduce the risk of skin cancer among outdoor workers, CCS is supporting the launch of UV-U-SEE— a wearable from Pablo London designed to combat melanoma risk for builders and set a new standard in health and safety on construction sites.
The UV-U-SEE system centres around ‘The Higher-Vis Vest’. This includes an integrated UV-U-SEE silicon logo that sits on the traditional high vis vest, which is filled with a long-lasting UV sensitive material. As the sun’s UV level intensifies, the logo changes from white to pink to red, alerting the wearer and fellow workers to apply sun cream and take precautions. Alongside the higher-vis vest sits UV-U-SEE sun cream from LifeJacket Skin Protection. A waterproof, non-greasy product that makes it easy to apply on site. UV-U-SEE stands out as best practice, showing the industry what true leadership in worker protection looks like.
The idea was inspired by Pablo's Joint Managing Director, Hannah Penn, whose melanoma diagnosis after her second child motivated her to improve UV safety, particularly in high-risk industries like construction.
"Melanoma is a silent killer. I was never a sun worshiper, and yet I was diagnosed," said Penn. "The construction industry is massively overrepresented in skin cancer statistics, and this technology has the power to change that—for construction workers, and beyond."
Research by Pablo, the National Federation of Builders (NFB), and CCS has revealed some concerning statistics:
- 39% of those who work on site do not consider melanoma a workplace danger.
- 1 in 4 on site workers think their employers don’t take skin cancer seriously.
- 51% have never been educated about skin cancer risks by their employer.
These figures underscore a serious gap in worker protection and highlight a clear opportunity for progress.
As Skin Cancer Awareness Month highlights the importance of skin cancer prevention, Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) is calling on construction businesses to broaden their approach to health and safety. Protecting workers should go beyond hard hats and harnesses and include safeguarding them from less visible, long-term risks like UV exposure. Effective UV risk management is a necessity, not a choice, and by championing awareness and encouraging best practices, CCS aims to drive meaningful, lasting change across the industry.
