Revised guidance for tanning salons and their customers

E038:09 01 May 2009

New advice for businesses in England and Wales about the safe operation of sunbeds has been published today by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The revised guidance - which was produced in support of the Department of Health's Cancer Reform Strategy - provides recommendations about how to safely operate ultraviolet tanning equipment, including advice about potential hazards and risk assessments.

Two key changes have been made from previous versions - HSE now recommends that under-18s do not use sunbeds and that all coin-operated salons are supervised by trained staff. A poster and leaflet spelling out advice to operators and customers have also been published. These are available to download from a number of websites and distributed free from HSE books.

The guidance also applies to premises Scotland, although operators there are bound by the Public Health (Scotland) Act 2008, which imposes other legal requirements on the use of tanning equipment.

Giles Denham, policy director at HSE, said:

"We are publishing clear advice for sunbed salon owners and their customers, which reflects international health advice and good practice.

"We understand that some people may want to use sunbeds. Our guidance is designed to ensure they have the information to minimise the associated risks. That's why we recommend that owners ensure their salons are staffed all the time, even if they are coin-operated, and that UV tanning equipment is not used by people under 18."

HSE's revised guidance brings it in line with latest World Health Organisation advice, and in making changes HSE has consulted numerous organisations, such as Cancer Research UK and The Sunbed Association (TSA).

Although the guidance is not itself enforceable, operators of UV tanning equipment must comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA) and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR).

Operators must assess the risks caused by their work activity, including risks from exposure to UV radiation and then take measures to control such risks as far as they can. They also must tell their staff about the risk assessment results and make sure staff are competent to act on any dangers.

Notes to editors

1. The revised sunbed guidelines constitute one component of the larger Cancer Reform Strategy, which is produced by the Department of Health. More information about the strategy is available from http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_091261
2. Copies of the guidance [INDG209] and information for consumers can be downloaded from the websites of HSE, the Department for Health and Cancer Research UK.
3. HSE priced and free publications are available from http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/radindex.htm and by mail order from HSE Books: http://books.hse.gov.uk/ HSE priced publications are also available from bookshops and free leaflets can be downloaded from HSE's website: www.hse.gov.uk
4. As well as falling in-line with WHO recommendations, the revised guidance has been aligned with the European Union's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) advice. It is also in line with the new legislation recently passed in Scotland, the Public Health (Scotland) Act 2008.
5. Organisations involved in revising the sunbed guidance included the Local Authorities Co-Ordinators of Regulatory Services (LG Regulation (formerly LACORS)), Cancer Research UK (CRUK), the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE), the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) and The Sunbed Association (TSA) as well as a range of central government departments.
6. Further information about research into sunbeds may be found on DH's website in the Public Health section: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/index.htm

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