WHO/ILO: 18,960 Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Deaths in 2019 Attributed to Occupational Sun Exposure

Nearly 19000 people in 183 countries died from non-melanoma skin cancer in 2019 due to having worked outdoors in the sun, according to joint estimates by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization published in the journal Environment International.

6 billion people of working age, defined as 15 years or older, were exposed to solar ultraviolet radiation while working outdoors that year. This figure represented 28 percent of all working-age people and was estimated using 166 million data points from 763 surveys covering 96 countries and areas across all six WHO regions, with data collected between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 2021.

Of those 18960 deaths, 65 percent were male. Nearly 1 in 3 deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer is caused by working under the sun. Occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation is the work-related risk factor with the third highest attributable burden of cancer deaths globally.

Skin cancer deaths attributable to occupational exposure to sunlight increased by 88 percent from 10088 deaths in 2000 to 18960 deaths in 2019. Occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation is associated with an estimated 60 percent increased risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer.

That risk estimate came from a WHO report of a systematic review and meta-analysis based on a pooled analysis of 25 case-control studies involving 286131 participants living in 22 countries across three WHO regions.

"Unprotected exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation at work is a major cause of occupational skin cancer," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. " "A safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental right at work," said Gilbert F. Houngbo.

Non-melanoma skin cancer refers to a group of cancers that develop in the upper layers of the skin. The two main subtypes are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The term "working age" typically refers to the minimum age at which a person is legally permitted to work in a particular jurisdiction, which in many countries is 15 years.

As skin cancer develops after years or even decades of exposure, protection must begin from young working age. Governments should establish policies providing shade, shifting working hours away from solar noon, education, training, sunscreen and protective clothing such as broad-brimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts and long trousers when the ultraviolet index is 3 or higher.

WHO, ILO, the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme launched the SunSmart Global UV App that outdoor workers can use to estimate their exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation.

Additional measures include raising awareness of when occupational exposure occurs and that it causes skin cancer, along with services to detect early signs.