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The NSW Government will introduce mandatory safety requirements for commercial tanning units, including new age and skin type restrictions. 

Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Carmel Tebbutt, said the provisions would be contained in the new Radiation Control Amendment (Tanning Units) Regulation. 

“This new regulation is part of a national approach to addressing community concerns about health risks associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation from tanning units,” Ms Tebbutt said. 

“Industry self-regulation was not working. Late last year we exhibited a draft regulation for public comment and as a result of the feedback we have strengthened the provisions.  

 

“Younger skin in particular is more sensitive and that’s why we are introducing a minimum age for people to use these machines.

 

“People who are under 18 years old or have fair skin will no longer be able to use tanning beds, and people who are still eligible to use them will receive more accurate information about health risks and the operation of the units will be supervised. 

“The use of solariums can pose a considerable health risk and this is an issue we take seriously.” 

The new regulation will impose a range of safety requirements on how tanning units are used, including: 

 

• a requirement that clients be 18 years or over and not have fair skin; 

 

• appropriate training by operators; 

 

• assessment of skin type conducted by a trained operator; 

 

• the use of written consent forms; 

 

• restrictions on the amount of UV radiation exposure individuals are to receive in any one session; 

 

• restrictions on the frequency of exposure (not within 48 hours of a previous session); 

 

• the supervision of sessions by a trained operator; 

 

• the display of warning notices; 

 

• the keeping of records (signed consent forms, maintenance and servicing of tanning units, the sale/transfer of tanning units, training undertaken by operators, skin assessments undertaken and details of tanning sessions); 

 

• no representations or claims about non-cosmetic health benefits from use of a tanning unit or that that use of a tanning unit is safe from risk; and 

 

• no representations or claims that tanning sessions can be provided more often or at a higher dosage than allowed under the regulation. 

 

Businesses wishing to provide solarium services will be required to register up-to-date information, including the name, location and contact details of the business and number and type of tanning units used, with the Department of Environment and Climate Change. 

Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) Jodi McKay said solarium use was not a safer alternative to sun tanning. There is no such thing as a safe tan. 

“Solariums emit ultraviolet radiation up to five times stronger than the sun and there is clear evidence of the link between solariums and skin cancer,” Ms McKay said. 

“These tough new mandatory safety requirements will help protect those most vulnerable, young people and people with fair skin, from excessive exposure to UV rays and ensure a better understanding of the associated health risks .” 

Ms McKay said tanning was frequently perceived by the public as less deadly than it actually is and this misconception can translate into complacency and dangerous tanning behaviour. 

“Melanoma is responsible for 30 per cent of all cancers in young people aged 15-30 in NSW, but it’s entirely preventable,” she said. 

Details of the Amendment Regulation will be placed on the DECC’s website with a link to the NSW Health and The Cancer Institute websites.  

While the Regulations are a step in the right direction Jay Allen still feels that the only way to stop these killing machines is to ban them!

http://www.cancerinstitute.org.au/cancer_inst/news/pdfs/2009-05-11_strengthening-safety-requirements-for-tanning-units.PDF

Solariums are enclosed sun beds built with light tubes that release radiation from above and below your body. Solariums release UVA and UVB radiation.

Are solariums safe?

A solarium tan is not a safe tan. Solariums are not a safe way to tan and can result in serious damage to your skin. Just like the sun, solariums emit UVA and UVB radiation, which can damage skin and cause skin cancer. UV radiation from solariums can be just as intense, if not more so, than natural light.

Solariums that advertise ‘mini' or ‘high performance' tans that colour your skin in less than 10 minutes do this by exposing you to high levels of UV radiation. You are not reducing your risk of skin cancer by being in the solarium for a shorter period of time.

Think about the risk

If you are considering using a solarium, think carefully about all the risks. Solarium operators should provide you with correct information about the risks and ask you to sign a consent form before you proceed.

If you are unclear about the risks, or feel uncomfortable with what the operator tells you, we strongly advise that you don't go ahead.

Australian Standards has released guidelines for solariums that restrict operators from advertising their product as being safe or healthy and bans use of solariums by children under the age of 15.

DOWNLOAD  Information sheet - Solariums the facts [57KB]

NSW Government enforce stricter solarium regulations

Under new regulations, enforceable from 1 January 2009, NSW solariums will be banned from admitting very fair skinned people and under-18s; the frequency of visits will also be limited.

Watch the TV AD from Anti-Solarium campaigner Clare Oliver who lost her fight with melanoma.

 

 

 

 

Watch the touching 60 Minutes story on the last days of Clare Oliver. Discover other users of solariums who have been diagnosed with melanoma.

Dying for a tan

 

FACTS:

People who used sunbeds had a 15% increased risk of melanoma. The risk was further increased among those who had first used a solarium before the age of 35 - a significant 75% increased risk.

No solarium can provide a safe tan. Adverse health affects associated with ultraviolet radiation including skin cancer and premature skin aging have been well documented in international and national reports for many years.

 

For all the findings of their 2005 study click here:

Dying for a tan