Skin Cancer Awareness Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK. Over 80% of skin cancers are caused by UV radiation, which is given off by the sun’s light rays (and tanning bulbs in sunbeds).
Be skin aware: Five ways to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer Here are five easy ways you can reduce your risk of developing skin cancer: 1. Seek shade The strength of UV radiation from the sun varies throughout the day and between seasons, as measured by the UV index. When the UV index is high, for example between 11am and 3pm, the sun’s rays are very powerful and can cause skin damage. During periods of high UV index forecasts, one of the best ways to protect your skin is spending time in the shade . Visit the Met Office website to find out the UV index in your area. 2. Cover up Areas which are regularly exposed to the sun, such as your shoulders, arms and face, are at an increased risk of sunburn and UV damage. Wearing loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing made from close-weave fabrics such as polyester or rayon, offers an effective barrier against the sun’s harmful UV rays. 3. Wear a hat As an area largely exposed to the sun, it is also possible to get skin cancer on your scalp. While a baseball cap covers your scalp and some of your face, it still leaves your neck, lower face and ears exposed. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat in a close weave, light-coloured fabric offers the best protection for all of the sensitive skin around your head area. 4. Wear sunscreen When choosing sunscreen, opt for SPF 30+ with a 4 star or 5 star UVA rating to provide sufficient protection from the sun. Apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going outside and reapply throughout the day every two hours. While sunscreen can help to shield you from UV radiation, you should never rely solely on sunscreen. Always try to use sunscreen together with protective clothing and shade. 5. Invest in quality sunglasses Not just a fashion statement, good quality sunglasses can also protect the delicate skin around your eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Not sure what to look for? A small European CE mark on the frame indicates the lens meets minimum safety standards for UV protection.
As the main cause of skin cancer is harmful UV radiation, taking steps to protect your skin will help to prevent skin damage.
SkinCheck Our benefits partners, Check4Cancer, recommend staying skin safe by checking your skin, including moles, once a month. If you are concerned about the appearance of your skin or a mole, you can book a SkinCheck with one of their skin specialists today. To purchase this through My Barratt Benefits via salary sacrifice, please view the Check4Cancer microsite here. It is also available to the spouses, partners and children of employees over the age of 18 years. Knowledge and prevention is key to keeping safe in the sun. Did you know that skin cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and that 86% of Melanoma skin cancer cases are preventable?
For information, tools and links on many areas of health and wellbeing please click here to visit our My Barratt Benefits website
We would like to invite you to join our 30 minute BeSkinAware Check4Cancer webinar, which is delivered by a highly qualified skin cancer specialist nurse, on Thursday 14 July at 10.00am. Register in advance for this webinar by clicking here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the webinar. The SkinAware ‘LIVE’ webinar will cover… Education and awareness about skin cancer. Myth busting - what are the skin cancer signs and symptoms to look out for. Prevention - how to protect our employees and their families. What to do if you find something you are worried about on your skin.
Macmillan Cancer Support Most skin cancers are caused by skin damage that happens from exposure to the sun. The damage can happen over a long period of time or from getting sunburnt. People with a history of sunburn or overexposure to the sun in childhood also have a greater risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancers. If you are worried about skin cancer, you can find further information here such as risk factors and the signs and symptoms. If you have any of the symptoms listed on the signs and symptoms page, or you notice any changes in your skin, it is important to have them checked by your GP.
Remember, whether you’re living with cancer, caring for a loved one with cancer or want to know more about spotting the signs and symptoms, Macmillan are here to support you. Call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 0000 (open every day 8am -8pm) or visit www.macmillan.org.uk
Working on Site If you work on one of our sites look out for the Health and safety poster showing the effects of skin cancer. Warning this links shows graphic content Click here to view. REMEMBER - Locate and regularly visit your health and wellbeing notice board for lots of information and support, with one located on every site.
Health & Wellbeing webinars & workshops Benefits of Yoga Talk - People may think of Yoga as a form of exercise for flexible people or maybe it's something that people do to relax. In this session you'll learn how postural Yoga can benefit your brain and wellbeing. Wednesday 14 July - 10.00am Mat Yoga Practical Session (Evening) - Following on from the Benefits of Yoga Talk, this is a practical session which includes a Gentle Yoga Flow. An accessible mat based movement session to end the work day allowing you to stretch, breathe and decompress from the work day. No yoga experience necessary. Thursday 15 July - 5.30pm For information, tools and links on many areas of health and wellbeing please click here to visit our My Barratt Benefits website
Making Time - Do you ever feel like you need more hours in the day? How is your work/life balance? In our webinar ‘Making Time’ we will look at how we can find some space in our busy lives whilst remaining productive and looking after our wellbeing. Thursday 15 July - 10.00am
The Power of Thinking - Mental health is how we think, feel and behave. This 1 hour webinar will focus on thinking, including how our thinking can influence stress positively and negatively, identifying some common thinking errors we might make and learning some tips to enable us to become skilled thinkers to cope better with the challenges we face. Wednesday 21 July - 10.00am Does having a healthy diet reduce my risk of cancer? Having a healthy and balanced diet can reduce the risk of cancer. This is partly from the effect of the diet itself, but mostly by helping you keep a healthy weight or lose weight. Your overall diet (what you eat day to day) is more important than individual foods for reducing your cancer risk. For further information about how healthier diets could prevent around 1 in 20 cancers, click here to visit Cancer Research's website.
What's coming in August? August is financial wellbeing month, so look out for the launch of the new Barratt Benefits platform and Salary Finance who provide financial wellbeing to help you improve your financial situation with responsible products and educational resources.
Help and support
For information, tools and links on many areas of health and wellbeing please click here to visit our My Barratt Benefits website