Tailored Sun Safety Messages for Outdoor Workers

Sajjad S Fazel; Shelby Fenton; Nicole Braun; Lindsay Forsman-Phillips; D Linn Holness; Sunil Kalia; Victoria H Arrandale; Thomas Tenkate; Cheryl E Peters

doi:10.1016/j.shaw.2023.01.001

Tailored Sun Safety Messages for Outdoor Workers

Saf Health Work. 2023 Mar;14(1):43-49. doi: 10.1016/j.shaw.2023.01.001. Epub 2023 Jan 16.

Authors

Sajjad S Fazel¹, Shelby Fenton^{1

2}, Nicole Braun³, Lindsay Forsman-Phillips², D Linn Holness^{4

5

6}, Sunil Kalia^{7

8}, Victoria H Arrandale^{5

9}, Thomas Tenkate¹⁰, Cheryl E Peters^{1

2

7

11

12}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N2, Canada.
² CAREX Canada, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
³ Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, Regina, SK, S4W 0G3, Canada.
⁴ Occupational Medicine Division, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5B 1W8, Canada.
⁵ Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, ON, M5T 3M7, Canada.
⁶ Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H2, Canada.
⁷ BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1G1, Canada.
⁸ Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4E8, Canada.
⁹ Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X3, Canada.
¹⁰ School of Occupational and Public Health, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada.
¹¹ Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada.
¹² British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada.

Abstract

Background: Messaging surrounding skin cancer prevention has previously focused on the general public and emphasized how or when activities should be undertaken to reduce solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure. Generic messages may not be applicable to all settings, and should be tailored to protect unique and/or highly susceptible subpopulations, such as outdoor workers. The primary objective of this study was to develop a set of tailored, practical, harm-reducing sun safety messages that will better support outdoor workers and their employers in reducing the risk of solar UVR exposure and UVR-related occupational illnesses.

Methods: We adapted a core set of sun safety messages previously developed for the general population to be more applicable and actionable by outdoor workers and their employers. This study used an integrated knowledge translation approach and a modified Delphi method (which uses a survey-based consensus process) to tailor the established set of sun safety messages for use for outdoor worker populations.

Results: The tailored messages were created with a consideration for what is feasible for outdoor workers, and provide users with key facts, recommendations, and tips related to preventing skin cancer, eye damage, and heat stress, specifically when working outdoors.

Conclusion: The resulting tailored messages are a set of evidence-based, expert- approved, and stakeholder-workshopped messages that can be used in a variety of work settings as part of an exposure control plan for employers with outdoor workers.

Keywords: Knowledge translation; Occupational health; Outdoor workers; Skin cancer; Sun safety.