Free course helps indoor workers balance vitamin D with skin cancer risk

Cancer Council today (July 5th) launched a free online education resource to address recent confusion around how much sun you need to produce sufficient vitamin D and how much will increase your risk of skin cancer. 

The course is aimed primarily at indoor workers whose typical pattern of minimal sun exposure during the working week and high recreational sun exposure on sunny weekends or summer holidays can put them at risk of vitamin D deficiency, while also increasing their risk of skin cancer. 

Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Each year more than 1850 Australians die from this almost entirely preventable disease. In Australia we need to balance the risk of skin cancer from too much sun exposure with ensuring we have adequate levels of vitamin D, which is needed to help keep bones and muscles strong and healthy. 

‘Working indoors - a SunSmart balance for vitamin D and skin cancer protection’ is the first course available on Cancer Council’s eLearning platform.

Anyone can take the course, however it’s designed to be included in organisations’ OH&S programs supporting the health and wellbeing of their workforce. 

Cancer Council Australia CEO, Professor Ian Olver, said it was in all employers’ interests to strive for a healthy and productive workforce.  

“Just as organisations responsible for outdoor workers need to put in place measures to protect against sunburn and skin cancer, those responsible for indoor workers should encourage them to get sufficient sun during the week to help with vitamin D levels, while warning them not to over-compensate for working inside all week by getting too much sun on weekends or holidays.

“This free resource is easy to access, interesting, informative and benefits employers and employees alike.”    

The course is the first on Cancer Council’s new eLearning platform. New courses will be added progressively over the next 12 months and beyond. 

The free online course ‘Working indoors- a SunSmart balance for vitamin D and skin cancer protection’ is available now at http://elearning.cancer.org.au/