3. Sunbeds and ultraviolet radiation
This page is for sunbed salon operators and their customers. It:
- explains the legal requirements on operators to protect customers from excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation from tanning equipment
- shows how to minimise the risks
How sunbeds are regulated
Your local Environmental Health Department are responsible for monitoring and inspecting sunbed salons everywhere except those situated in local authority leisure centres, which HSE will regulate.
If you feel a salon you are using could present a risk of over-exposure, you should contact either your local authority, or HSE in the case of a leisure centre.
Age restrictions for using a sunbed salon
The Sunbed (Regulations) Act 2010 makes it illegal for under-18s to use commercial tanning equipment in England and Wales.
The Sunbeds Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 also prohibits the use sale or hire of commercial tanning equipment for under-18s.
Scotland has the Public Health etc (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009, which only permits access to over-18s.
For more information contact the Department of Health and Social Care.
How to minimise risk to your customers
The risk to the customer relates to the effective dose of UV radiation they receive, and this is a combination of the irradiance level of the tubes, the exposure time and the genetics of each customer.
The manufacturers' instructions will give details of suggested exposure times for different skin types, and also tell you about people who should be advised not to use a sunbed (skin types 1 and 2 for example).
If the dose is well managed, risks should be equivalent to those arising from sunbathing and should therefore be tolerable.
It should be noted that risk assessments to determine suggested exposure times are carried out on clean skin. It is good practice to ensure customers are advised to:
- remove all trace of cosmetics or deodorants before tanning
- avoid the use of accelerants
Further guidance
There is more guidance for salon operators on how to protect their customers in:
- a leaflet on reducing health risks from the use of ultraviolet (UV) tanning equipment
- an accompanying poster UV tanning equipment