A SunSmart centre minimises exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation to protect staff and children from skin cancer. To achieve and maintain SunSmart recognition there are policy and practice requirements centres must meet. You can review whether your centre implements and documents policy and practice requirements before you submit a SunSmart application or alternatively, use the online application form to provide you feedback. Below you will find a link to our policy resources, which outline this criterion.
If you need assistance with implementing the SunSmart criteria, you can review the below FAQs, or contact the SunSmart team on 08 8291 4316 or email sunsmart@cancersa.org.au.
All early years centres must have a sun protection policy to comply with the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011, Regulation 168.
Department for Education childcare centres, preschools and kindergartens must have a sun protection policy in place to meet department requirements. A sun protection policy supports centres to meet their duty of care and work health and safety obligations outlined in the department’s Safety Management Procedure. The policy must be in effect in terms 1, 3 and 4 (or from 1 August to 30 April) and whenever the UV radiation level is 3 and above at other times and should outline how the centre will comprehensively address the risk of over-exposure to UV radiation. Review the department’s Intranet page on sun exposure for further details on policy and practice requirements.
Catholic Education South Australia has duty of care and work health and safety policy and practice requirements. Review internal resources for further details.
To achieve or maintain SunSmart recognition with Cancer Council, your centre is required to have sun protection policy that meets the Program’s policy and practice criterion.
Our centre already has a sun protection policy. Do we need to review it?Site leaders, together with their governing councils or parent committees, may need to update their policy, or create a new one if their current sun protection policy:
a. sun protective hats and clothing
b. shade
c. sunscreen
d. curriculum
e. planning for outdoor excursions and water-based activities
f. scheduling activities to minimise exposure during peak UV radiation times
g. role modelling and sun protection for work health and safety
h. sharing the policy with families and staff
i. sun protection for infants (if applicable).
When establishing a local sun protection policy please refer to Cancer Council SA’s sun protection policy resources and supporting information which will help you meet the Department for Education requirements as well as eligibility for SunSmart recognition. Review the department’s Intranet page on sun exposure for further details on policy and practice requirements.
Is there support and advice available for centres when they are creating or updating a sun protection policy?
Site leaders can utilise Cancer Council SA’s sun protection policy resources and supporting information when establishing a local sun protection policy. Alternatively, email a draft sun protection policy for review to sunsmart@cancersa.org.au or phone the SunSmart team on 08 8291 4316 for support.
We have a policy that addresses the wearing of hats in terms 1 and 4. Is this enough?Sun protection extends further than a ‘no hat, play in the shade’ rule. The policy must be in effect for school terms 1, 3 and 4 (or 1 August to 30 April) and at other times when the UV radiation level is 3 and above. In South Australia, the UV Index usually starts to reach 3 and above from the beginning of August, coinciding with the start of term 3. The policy will need to discuss how the centre will comprehensively address the risk of over-exposure to UV radiation using a range of measures – not just the wearing of hats. Refer to Cancer Council SA’s policy resources for further guidance.
What processes should we have in place to monitor UV levels?Implementing sun protection for all outdoor activities during policy implementation times reduces the need to monitor UV levels.
Policy implementation times for early childhood, preschools and kindergartens are:
Terms 1, 3 and 4 (or 1 August to 30 April) and whenever UV radiation levels reach 3 and above at other times.
During term 2 it is recommended to monitor daily sun protection times for your location.
Daily local sun protection times are the time of day when the UV Index is forecast to reach 3 and above. These times can be sourced from the SunSmart Global UV app, SunSmart widget, myuv.com.au or the Bureau of Meteorology website or app.
If your centre chooses to monitor daily local sun protection times all year round, have a clear process in place that educators follow. For example, each morning an educator in each room checks the daily sun protection times for your location, using the SunSmart Global UV app and records these times on a UV chart for all educators to refer to throughout the day. These times are clearly outlined for example, ‘9:00am to 5:00pm sun protection recommended’.
Discourage educators from using the live UV Index on the app, which some centres report checking multiple times throughout the day. The live UV Index reading isn’t reliable to determine whether sun protection is needed as this is impacted by cloud cover and changes every 5-10 minutes. Cloud cover will not block or eliminate UV completely. UV can pass through cloud cover.
What are peak UV times of the day? What is the difference between peak UV times of the day and daily local sun protection times?
Peak UV times of the day are when the UV is highest during the daytime and differ from the local sun protection times issued by the Bureau of Meteorology, which change daily.
During policy implementation times, aim to schedule outdoor activities outside peak UV times of the day, where possible. Alternatively, consider holding activities in well shaded areas. Sun protection may still be required outside of these hours.
Peak UV times are:
The policy will need to apply to all persons entering the workplace or involved in an activity (onsite and offsite) including but not limited to all staff, visitors, volunteers, children, families, contractors, and others.
Who is responsible for enforcing the policy?Families, governing councils and, staff are encouraged to work closely together to ensure their local sun protection policy is implemented and supported.
Why does the sun protection policy need to address sun protection for staff?According to the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act 2012, employees, and employers, along with visitors, volunteers, and contractors, are required to have a shared responsibility regarding sun protection. All adults also have a responsibility to role model sun protection behaviours to children in their surroundings.
Teachers and educators who work outside for all or part of their day (including yard duty) can receive up to ten times more UV than someone who works solely indoors, which can drastically increase their risk of skin cancer. As part of WHS, staff are required to take measures to protect their skin when the UV is 3 and above. These include:
For more information on your responsibilities as an employee or employer visit the South Australian Legislation website and access the Work Health and Safety Act 2012.
Does our centre need to address sun protection in term 3 in addition to terms 1 and 4 given the weather is often milder in term 3? What is recommended in term 2?
It doesn’t have to be a hot, sunny day for UV radiation to damage your skin. The sun sends out different types of radiation – visible light that we see as sunlight, infrared radiation felt as heat and UV radiation that we can’t see or feel on our skin. People often confuse infrared (heat) and UV radiation. It is not the heat that causes sunburn and skin damage, it is the UV radiation that damages our skin and can increase our risk of skin cancer and premature ageing. A UV level of 3 or higher is strong enough to damage our skin and eyes.
In South Australia, the UV radiation level is usually 3 and above from the beginning of August until the end of April. Therefore, Cancer Council SA and the Department for Education recommend that a local sun protection policy is implemented in terms 1, 3 and 4 (or 1 August to 30 April) and whenever the UV is 3 and above at other times. However, if your location is in or south of Kingston SE and Naracoorte due to lower latitude, during August your centre can choose to implement sun protection only when the UV is 3 and above. Procedures must be implemented to ensure sun protection times are monitored daily.
The UV radiation level can also be 3 and above in term 2, depending on your location. Times of the day when UV is 3 and above are known as ‘sun protection times’. It is recommended that staff monitor daily local sun protection times to know if sun protection is recommended in term 2. If your centre is in or north of Elliston, Cowell, Port Broughton, and Burra it is particularly important to monitor daily local sun protection times during term 2 (May, June and July) due to higher local UV levels from being closer to the equator.
Staff can find the forecast UV level and daily local sun protection times from a number of different sources, for example:
Our centre is located in an area that is much cooler and cloudier than the rest of the state. Do we still need to have sun protection in term 3 or at other times when the weather is mild?
It doesn’t have to be a hot, sunny day for UV radiation to damage your skin. The sun sends out different types of radiation – visible light that we see as sunlight, infrared radiation felt as heat and UV radiation that we can’t see or feel on our skin. People often confuse infrared (heat) and UV radiation. It is not the heat that causes sunburn and skin damage, it is the UV radiation that damages our skin and can increase our risk of skin cancer and premature ageing. A UV level of 3 or higher is strong enough to damage our skin and eyes.
Even on a cool or cloudy day the UV levels can reach and remain 3 and above. Cloud cover will not block or eliminate UV completely. UV can pass through cloud cover.
In South Australia, the UV radiation level is usually 3 and above from the beginning of August until the end of April, coinciding with terms 1, 3 and 4. However, if your location is in or south of Kingston SE and Naracoorte due to lower latitude, during August your centre can choose to implement sun protection only when the UV is 3 and above. Procedures must be implemented to ensure sun protection times are monitored daily.
Our staff and/or families are concerned about sun protection and vitamin D. How can our centre get the balance right?
The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation is both the major cause of skin cancer and the best natural source of vitamin D. Therefore, it is important to find a balance between the risk of skin cancer from too much sun exposure with maintaining vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and muscles, and for general health. The best source of vitamin D for your body is from exposure to the UV radiation from sunlight. Sensible sun protection does not put people at risk of vitamin D deficiency but there are times when it is important to be in the sun without protection.
When the UV Index is 3 or above (August to the end of April in South Australia), most people maintain adequate vitamin D levels just by spending a few minutes outdoors on most days of the week even when wearing sun protection. Prolonged sun exposure does not cause your vitamin D levels to increase further but does increase your risk of skin cancer.
In May, June and July, when the UV level typically falls below 3 in South Australia, Cancer Council recommends spending time outdoors in the middle of the day with some skin uncovered to support vitamin D production. Being physically active also helps boost vitamin D levels.
Although most people get enough sunlight to make adequate vitamin D during their day-to-day outdoor activities there are some groups who may not make enough for a variety of reasons.
People who belong to one of these groups at risk of vitamin D deficiency or if families are concerned about their child’s vitamin D levels, encourage them to consult their GP.
Vitamin D levels can be checked with a blood test, and a GP can advise on options, such as supplementation, depending on your individual circumstances.
The children and families at our centre are not supportive of the sun protection policy. What can we do to educate our community?
Sometimes children and families can be resistant to procedures for a variety of reasons. It might be worth finding out why they are resisting as there could be a simple reason or miscommunication behind it.
Regularly promoting sun protection through assemblies, newsletters, communication apps, social media, displays, curriculum and role modelling, particularly at the start of term 1 and again in term 3, will bring expectations front of mind. Cancer Council has a range of free curriculum, information and promotional resources that centres can download or order.
The SunSmart team at Cancer Council SA can visit and speak with staff, governing council members and parents/caregivers about the importance of sun protection. Staff and families are encouraged to contact the SunSmart team on 08 8291 4316 or email sunsmart@cancersa.org.au if they have questions regarding sun protection.
Our staff, governing council and/or volunteers are not supportive of the sun protection policy. What can we do to educate our community?
Sometimes staff, governing council members and/or volunteers can be resistant to procedures for a variety of reasons. It might be worth finding out why they are resisting as there could be a simple reason or miscommunication behind it.
Regularly promoting policies through staff meetings, staff handbooks and displays, particularly at the start of term 1 and again in term 3, will bring the policy front of mind. Cancer Council has a range of free information and promotional resources that centres can download or order.
Encouraging staff to access up to date information on sun protection and training opportunities can assist with knowledge gaps. The Department for Education has online training accessible via Plink. For non-government centres the online Generation SunSmart professional learning training is freely accessible. The SunSmart team at Cancer Council SA can visit and conduct free professional learning sessions regarding sun protection. Centres can contact the SunSmart team on 08 8291 4316 or email sunsmart@cancersa.org.au if they have questions regarding sun protection.
Can Cancer Council SA visit our centre and present to children?Cancer Council SA is unable to present to children about sun protection. Instead, we can provide centres with a range of resources and teaching materials to support classroom and learning activities. These are available to download and print, or order from the resources section of our website.
Can Cancer Council SA visit our centre and speak with staff, parents and/or the governing council?Yes. The SunSmart team at Cancer Council SA can provide free information sessions for staff, parents, parent committees and governing councils to help them to understand the importance of sun protection and how to address it at their centre.
To book a free information session for your staff and parents, contact the SunSmart team on 088291 4316 or email sunsmart@cancersa.org.au.
What curriculum and promotional resources do Cancer Council provide?Cancer Council has a range of resources that are free to download or order from our website, including curriculum resources.