Association of occupational sun safety policy and actions in state transportation sector in the United States.

Abstract

Occupational sun protection is recommended by government health authorities. Sun safety policies and predictors of managers' reports of sun safety actions were assessed. Written policies from 21 state departments of transportation (DOTs) enrolled in a randomized trial to test methods for scaling-up an occupational sun safety intervention were coded for sun safety content at baseline. Managers (n = 1113) supervising outdoor workers reported on sun safety actions in a baseline survey. Twenty state DOTs (95.2%) have a policy with at least one sun protection component. Sun safety training was increased at workplaces with a written sun safety policy (p < 0.001) and unwritten standard procedures on sun protection (p < 0.001). Reported sun safety actions were highest where there was a written sun safety policy (p < 0.001) and unwritten standard procedures on sun protection (p < 0.001). Policies are essential for the implementation of employee sun safety. There is room for improvement in existing policies of state DOTs.