Skin cancer

What is skin cancer?

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. While most skin cancer is not to do with work, there are well-recognised causes for those that are linked with occupation. The most common causes of work-related skin cancers are:

ultraviolet light (mainly from natural sunlight, not exclusively to do with work, but is significant for those who work outdoors);
ultraviolet light from sunbeds (where there may be a risk for sunbed operators and their employees). Please refer to our guidance on sunbeds^[60] for further details.
some chemicals (such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs] from coal tar, pitch and unrefined mineral oils);
ionising radiation (eg from radioactive substances and X-rays).

Some substances can get in through the skin and cause cancers in other parts of the body.

What does it look like?

There is a range of signs linked with skin cancer eg a scaly patch of hard skin, a red lump or spot, an ulcer, a new mole, or a patch of skin which bleeds, oozes or has a crust.

Link URLs in this page

Skin at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/index.htm
Overview - Employers, employees and traineeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/index.htm
Overview - What are work-related skin diseases?https://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/whatare.htm
Dermatitishttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/dermatitis.htm
Urticariahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/urticaria.htm
Skin cancerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/cancer.htm
Sun exposurehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/sunprotect.htm
Overview - Latex allergieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/latex.htm
Selecting latex gloveshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/latex-gloves.htm
How does exposure happen?https://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/exposure.htm
Overview - How can they be prevented?https://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/prevention.htm
Gloveshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/gloves.htm
High-risk jobshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/highrisk/index.htm
What does the law say?https://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/law.htm
Overview - H&S and medical professionalshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/index.htm
Overview - Causes of skin diseasehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/index.htm
Causes of Contact dermatitishttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/dermatitis.htm
Causes of Contact urticariahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/urticaria.htm
Causes of Acneshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/acnes.htm
Causes of Cancershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/cancers.htm
Causes of Leucoderma (Vitiligo)https://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/leucoderma.htm
Structure and functions of the skinhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/structure.htm
Skin infectionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/infections.htm
Overview - Causative agentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/agents.htm
Skin irritants and sensitisershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/agentstable1.htm
Causes of contact urticariahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/agentstable2.htm
Agents that cause skin cancerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/agentstable3.htm
Managing exposure riskshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/managerisk.htm
Legal requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/legal.htm
Information for inspectorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/inspectors.htm
Training resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/trainingresources.htm
Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/information.htm
Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/publications.htm
Postershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/posters.htm
Overview - Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/index.htm
Photographic chemicalshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/photographic.htm
Tiler: Ted's storyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/tiler.htm
Hairdressing: Maxine's storyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/hairdressers.htm
Hairdressing: Julie's storyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/julie-hair.htm
Hairdressing: Marie's storyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/marie-hair.htm
Latex allergies - Nursinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/alison-nursing.htm
Latex allergies - Radiographyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/pip-radiographer.htm
Latex allergies - Dental practicehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/julie-dental.htm
Catering industryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/catering.htm
Meat processinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/meatprocessing.htm
Paint manufacturinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/paint.htm
Fabric coaterhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/fabric.htm
Image galleryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/imagelibrary.htm
Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/statistics.htm
Researchhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/research.htm
Presentationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/presentations.htm
Videoshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/videos.htm
Linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/links.htm
Overview - FAQshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/faq/index.htm
General questionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/faq/general.htm
Hairdressing FAQhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/faq/hairdressing.htm
Catering FAQhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/faq/catering.htm
Cleaning FAQhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/faq/cleaning.htm
Dental practice FAQhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/faq/dental.htm
guidance on sunbedshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/radiation/optical/sunbeds.htm
Skin checks for dermatitis (Free poster)https://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/assets/docs/skindermatitis.pdf
Keep your top on: INDG 147https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg147.pdf
COSHH Essentialshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/index.htm
HSE Bookshttps://books.hse.gov.uk/
The National Eczema Societyhttp://www.eczema.org/
Cateringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/catering/index.htm
Constructionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/index.htm
COSHHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/index.htm
Health serviceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/index.htm
Printinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/printing/index.htm