The Australian Government's primary authority on radiation protection is encouraging consumers to look for sun protection labels on clothing and shade products, such as ARPANSA swing tags.
This is particularly relevant as Australia heads towards summer with the UV Index regularly at 3 or above across the country.
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency's (ARPANSA) ultraviolet radiation assistant director, Lydiawati Tjong, says ARPANSA swing tags provide assurance to consumers that sun protection products perform as described on the label.
'Since launching this service in 1992, almost 95 million swing tags have been attached to clothes and shade fabrics,' Ms Tjong said.
'We only issue swing tags to products that meet Australian standards and have been thoroughly tested as providing sun protection in our independently accredited laboratory.
'When purchasing a product that has our swing tag, customers can have peace of mind that they are being protected from overexposure to the sun.'
ARPANSA's ultraviolet radiation exposure assessment assistant director, Dr Stuart Henderson, says prolonged exposure to UV can lead to skin cancer, premature aging and eye damage.
'It is important that consumers have confidence in sun protection products as they play an important role in preventing adverse health effects from UV exposure,' Dr Henderson said.
'Choosing products that have been tested for UV protection helps provide confidence that they will work effectively.
'Australians need to be vigilant with their sun protection, especially from around September to April. Those in northern parts of Australia will likely need to use sun protection all year.'
When the UV index is 3 or above, ARPANSA recommends that a combination of all 5 sun protection measures is used:
- slip on some sun-protective clothing that covers as much skin as possible
- slop on broad spectrum, water resistant SPF50 or higher sunscreen. Put it on 20 minutes before you go outdoors and every 2 hours afterwards
- slap on a hat - broad brim or legionnaire style to protect your face, head, neck and ears
- seek shade as much as possible while spending time outdoors
- slide on some sunglasses - make sure they meet Australian Standards.
You can check the UV index in your city on our website or by downloading the SunSmart Global UV app: https://www.sunsmart.com.au/resources/sunsmart-app
Learn more about our ultraviolet radiation services: https://www.arpansa.gov.au/our-services/testing-and-calibration/ultraviolet-radiation-testing
