With the long bank holiday weekend coming up and the hope of sunny days for the Jubilee celebrations, please remember the importance of Sun Safety.

Stay protected from the sun, particularly between 11am and 3pm.

Did you know – the sun’s UV rays are strongest when your shadow is shorter than you!

Too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or sunbeds can damage DNA in your skin cells and cause skin cancer. In the UK almost nine in ten cases of melanoma skin cancer could be prevented by staying safe in the sun and avoiding sunbeds.

The best way to stay safe in the sun and protect your skin is to use shade, clothing and sunscreen. Shade and clothing are better than sunscreen at protecting your skin.

Sunscreen shouldn’t be used to spend longer in the sun but can be useful for protecting the parts of skin not covered by clothing or shade.

Here are some Sun Safety tips:

• Spending time in the shade, especially between 11am and 3pm in the UK.
• Covering up with clothes, a wide-brimmed hat and UV protection sunglasses.
• And using a sunscreen with at least SPF15 and 4 or 5 stars. Use it generously, reapply regularly and use together with shade and clothing.

We have created a poster with some useful infographics – please print and display around your workplaces. You can find the poster in the download section of the UK News website:  Staying safe in the sun poster (805 downloads)