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Ultraviolet (UV) Protection

Every day, sport and physical activity is enjoyed by many Victorians. It takes place in a variety of settings, including outdoors, which exposes individuals to a range of different conditions including ultraviolet (UV) radiation. During sport, players, officials and spectators can be exposed to excessive levels of UV radiation that can cause skin and eye damage, sunburn and skin cancer. While many people already take steps to protect themselves from the sun, it is important that clubs also work to minimise the risk from UV exposure during sport.

There are many factors that can increase the likelihood of exposure to UV levels including:

  • time of day (typically higher between 10am and 2pm / 11am and 3pm Daylight Savings Time)
  • time of year (typically higher from mid-August to the end of April)
  • cloud coverage (can still be high on a cloudy day)
  • altitude (increases with altitude)
  • reflective surfaces (water, snow, sand, grass can increase exposure)
  • location (higher UV levels can be experienced across different geographic locations)

The good news is that the damage caused by UV exposure is easily preventable if individuals and organisations take measures to reduce the risk factors that expose us to UV radiation.

Individuals can reduce the risk of UV exposure by adopting protection measures that reduce the risk of harmful UV to their skin and eyes.

Sporting organisations can make it easier for their players, volunteers, spectators and community to adopt these UV protection measures by encouraging good UV protection behaviour, promoting and creating awareness around the risk of harmful UV exposure, and then adopting UV protection strategies within their clubs to ensure the best measures are taken to minimise the risk of UV exposure.

During 2011 to 2015, Victoria’s nine Regional Sporting Assemblies supported over 200 rural and regional community sporting clubs to provide an environment that supports and encourages appropriate UV protection behaviour, as part of the VicHealth Healthy Sporting Environments Program. This program supported clubs to implement practical actions, supported by resources (fact sheets, templates, guidelines, and websites) and examples from within sport.

“Many clubs consider UV protection easy to implement due to high existing levels of community awareness” (Healthy Sporting Environments evaluation)

 

The sun produces sunlight that we see, infrared radiation (heat) that we feel and ultraviolet (UV) radiation that can’t be seen or felt. UV radiation has the potential to damage our skin and eyes as well as cause various skin cancers.

Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Two in three Australians will get some form of skin cancer before the age of 70 with more than 2000 skin cancer deaths per year (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015).

The intensity of UV radiation is measured using a UV index scale.

Exposure to unprotected UV at levels measured at moderate or above can result in both short term and long term impacts:

  • Skin damage
    • Sunburn
    • Tanning
    • Premature ageing
  • Eye damage
  • Skin cancer
    • Melanoma
    • Squamous and Basal cell carcinomas

UV damage is a result of overexposure to UV radiation, highlighting the importance as to why sun protection is vital, particularly during outdoor sport which exposes individuals to UV for extended periods of time.

UV damage accumulated during childhood and adolescence is strongly associated with an increased risk of skin cancer in later life.

NOTE: A few minutes of sun exposure during low UV levels can assist with vitamin D levels, a hormone that contributes to bone and muscle health. For more information on Vitamin D, click on the links below.

What is Vitamin D

The Benefits of Vitamin D

“Skin can be sunburnt in as little as 11 minutes on a clear summer’s day in Victoria” (SunSmart)

 

“Skin cancer causes more deaths than transport accidents every year in Australia” (Australian Bureau of Statistics)

Through this resource, Vicsport and VicHealth are helping Victorian sporting organisations provide UV protection across all sport settings to reduce the health risks of UV exposure.

Sporting organisations aim to provide safe and healthy environments to its members. This resource helps organisations learn how to protect players, spectators and volunteers from harmful UV exposure. This includes shade development, policy and by improving UV protection knowledge, attitudes and behaviours within the club.

The information and guidance within this UV protection resource is based on the SunSmart program, which is backed by evidence-based research. SunSmart is a renowned UV protection and skin cancer prevention program that has been jointly funded for almost 30 years by VicHealth and Cancer Council Victoria, a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for UV radiation.

To find out more information about SunSmart and UV protection for your sport please click on the following links

“SunSmart’s mission is to reduce skin cancer incidence, morbidity and mortality through a targeted prevention and early detection program.”

SunSmart provides advice for sports including links and downloads to SunSmart sports policy, guidelines, factsheets, a shade audit and interactive tools, posters and videos.

Many Victorians would be familiar with SunSmart’s important sun protection message that has been delivered by Sid the Seagull since the 1980’s to Slip! Slop! Slap! and more recently to Seek! and Slide!

Victorian educators shine as they help children Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide - SunSmart

Click on the following links to see a range of resources available on the SunSmart website to assist your sporting organisation in implementing UV protection: