Published: 16 June 2026 Category: Safety, PPE, Trade Health Image: 05_reference-images/2026/06/2026-06-16/07-marley-campaign-urges-outdoor-workers-to-treat-sun-prot-1.jpg Image credit: Marley / Professional Builders Merchant (reference only)
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Title tag: Marley Safe in the Sun 2026: Why Outdoor Workers Should Treat Sunscreen as PPE Meta description: Marley has launched its 2026 Safe in the Sun campaign urging outdoor construction workers to apply SPF daily as essential PPE. Here is what the campaign covers and why it matters. Slug: marley-safe-in-sun-2026-sunscreen-as-ppe-outdoor-workers
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Marley has launched its 2026 Safe in the Sun campaign, with a message that is straightforward but still widely ignored on UK construction sites: for outdoor workers, sunscreen is PPE and should be treated as such.
The campaign targets roofing trades, groundworkers, landscapers, and anyone who spends significant time working unshaded and unsheltered. The UK's reputation for overcast weather masks a genuine UV risk: on clear summer days, UV index levels in the south of England regularly reach levels categorised as high to very high by the Met Office. Outdoor workers who would never leave site without gloves or hi-vis regularly work full days in summer without any sun protection.
Marley's position is that this needs to change at an industry level, not just as individual advice. The campaign frames daily SPF application as part of site safety culture, alongside hard hat compliance and PPE checks.
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What the data says about outdoor workers and skin cancer
Outdoor workers face a significantly higher lifetime UV exposure than office-based workers. The Health and Safety Executive notes that prolonged exposure to UV radiation from the sun is a cause of skin cancer, and that outdoor workers are at increased risk. The UK has around 16,000 new cases of melanoma skin cancer diagnosed each year, with outdoor occupational exposure identified as a contributing risk factor.
The practical reality is that many trades accumulate years of UV exposure before the risk catches up with them. Unlike a cut or a fall, which produce an immediate signal that something went wrong, sun damage is silent and cumulative. By the time a suspicious spot appears, the exposure has been building for years.
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What Safe in the Sun recommends
Marley's campaign guidance aligns with standard dermatological advice: SPF 30 minimum on all exposed skin before going outside, reapplied every two hours during outdoor work. This includes neck, ears, forearms if sleeves are rolled, and the back of hands.
Hat use for face and neck shade, and lightweight UPF-rated workwear for covered areas, are recommended alongside sunscreen rather than as substitutes.
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