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PSA Sun Safety in Outdoor Events

Here you'll find advice on keeping yourself safe in the sun this festival season!

The information found below has been provided in association with the Melanoma Fund

Outdoor crews work in the sun. The industry rarely talks about it.

 

Live events are built outdoors. Festival crews, riggers, production teams, security, welfare staff and contractors can spend 10–14 hours a day exposed to direct sunlight during build, live and breakdown periods.

 

Yet while industries routinely manage fatigue, hydration and manual handling risks, UV exposure and heat safety are still rarely treated as operational welfare issues on site.

Outdoor workers can receive significantly higher levels of UV exposure during prolonged outdoor working periods, with repeated sunburn and cumulative exposure now recognised as occupational health risks over time. Despite this, sun exposure is still widely normalised across outdoor working environments.

Event organisers and Employers

What are your responsibilities?

As UV exposure and heat risk become increasingly recognised within occupational health and safety discussions, organisations are beginning to look more closely at how sun protection, hydration, shade and welfare provision are supported operationally on site.

How to support your crew to be safe in the sun
ToolBox Talks

Including Sun Safety in your toolbox talks

Find out more

Free Sunguarding® Resources

The Melanoma Fund’s free Sunguarding® Course provides practical CPD guidance for people working in outdoor environments.

Topics include:
UV exposure and cumulative risk
Hydration and heat considerations
Practical protection measures
Behaviour-change approaches that work on site

Take the course here