A cross-Canada knowledge transfer and exchange workplace intervention targeting the adoption of sun safety programs and practices: Sun Safety at Work Canada

Senior managers’ awareness of sun protection policy predicts implementation of worksite sun safety in a randomized trial

“…Social‐ecological models suggest that comprehensive worksite sun safety policies will positively influence occupational sun protection by motivating employers to provide training, personal protection equipment, and regular reminders to take precautions. However, past research shows that collective commitment and efficacy by management are needed for implementing and sustaining such policies . Informing senior managers about occupational sun protection policies may have helped to gain their commitment for actions on workers’ sun safety, especially communication about sun safety.…”

“…Occupational policy initiatives are an important aspect of community‐based efforts to prevent skin cancer, given outdoor workers’ increased risk for skin cancer attributed to their chronically high doses of solar UV and frequently inadequate on‐the‐job sun protection . Any such efforts must be sure to include communication that broadly informs workplaces’ senior management about new sun protection policies to insure the policies are actually implemented and provide support for sun protection behaviors by outdoor workers to reduce UV exposure and skin cancer risk.…”

“…Sun safety aligns with workplace initiatives to prevent injury, improve well‐being, address concerns over heat stress and climate change, and develop systematic assessments, responses, and evaluations of workplace hazards . Sun protection should be promoted at work because many outdoor workers fail to practice sun safety .…”

“…Sun protection should be promoted at work because many outdoor workers fail to practice sun safety . Studies have shown that workplace education can improve workers’ sun protection …”

“…For example, a comprehensive approach is illustrated in a recent study that reports that a number of factors can affect the uptake of sun safety controls in the workplaces. These components include: (a) the workplace context (eg, organizational structure, organizational safety culture, and readiness to change); (b) the role of knowledge transfer and exchange produced by the intervention (eg, the use of knowledge brokers, the engagement of the workers, and the type of resources provided by the intervention); and (c) the external context (eg, regulations regarding solar UV and heat protection in the workplace, the regional climate, and UV averages as a proxy for average UV exposure) …”