Tanning salons are constantly coming under pressure from organisations such as Cancer Research and the Department of Health. Generally at this time of year people are getting ready for their annual holidays, and in some cases this means a trip to their local tanning salon. With the rising number in confirmed cases of skin cancer the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has consulted with Cancer Research and The Sunbed Association (TSA) and made some changes to the guidance notes concerning tanning salons in England and Wales.
The main changes are that any person under the age of 18 should not be permitted to use the sun bed equipment and that coin operated beds must be supervised by trained staff. These changes are for reference only, as they are not enforceable. If you are the owner of a tanning salon you must comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulation (MHSWR).
It will be your responsibility to carry out risk and safety assessments for the control of UV radiation to your employees and clients who use your equipment. A risk assessment does not have to be complex document, it should work around the steps.
- Find out all the hazards.
- Who will be affected and how.
- What risks are connected with UV and how to minimise them.
- Record and monitor all your findings-act on them (5 employees or more)
- Review your risk assessment regularly, update if necessary.
Remember using tanning (UV) equipment will expose staff and customers to UV radiation which can cause ill health both short term (sunburn) and long term (skin cancer). If you use a tanning salon and are under the age of 35 your chances of getting skin cancer are greatly increased.
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