Working under the sun causes 1-in-3 deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer, say WHO and ILO

Source: International Labour Organization, November 2023

GENEVA (ILO News) – Nearly one-in-three deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer are caused by working under the sun, according to joint estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The research, released in the journal Environment International , finds that outdoor workers carry a large and increasing burden of non-melanoma skin cancer and calls for action to prevent this serious workplace hazard and the loss of workers’ lives it causes.

According to the joint estimates, 1.6 billion people of working age (15 years or older) were exposed to solar ultraviolet radiation while working outdoors in 2019, equivalent to 28 per cent of all working-age people. In 2019 alone, almost 19,000 people in 183 countries died from non-melanoma skin cancer due to having worked outdoors in the sun. The majority (65 per cent) were male.

“Unprotected exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation at work is a major cause of occupational skin cancer,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “But there are effective solutions to protect workers from the sun’s harmful rays and prevent their deadly effects.”
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