Council checks reveal over a third of sun beds in Solihull tanning salons unsafe

Solihull Council has recently carried out a number of checks at tanning salons in Solihull with 36% of sunbeds being found to be unsafe.

Between November 2015 and January 2016, a total of 42 sunbeds were tested at 13 salons across the borough – 15 of them were found to emit UV emissions in excess of the permitted levels.

The unsafe sunbeds, including one which posted a reading over three times the permitted radiation levels, pose a serious health risk to the users of the beds.

In addition, staff in tanning salons can also be at risk due to the long-term exposure of excessive levels of UV radiation.

There is increasing evidence that cumulative exposure to UV radiation increases the risk of contracting skin cancers and non-compliant tanning equipment may expose people to greater levels of radiation than initially thought.

Following the tests, all sunbeds deemed unsafe were taken out of service until repairs had been carried out and the devices had been retested at a subsequent visit by the Trading Standards team.

These checks and follow-up visits by Solihull Council have now led to over 90% of tested sunbeds being compliant with all required regulations.

All of the inspected salons also had failings in regards to their safety procedures and Health and Safety officers are continuing to work with businesses to advise them of ways to improve their procedures to ensure customer safety.

Cllr Karen Grinsell, Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities and Partnerships, commented: “The findings of these checks demonstrate just how important it is for us to carry out these checks in helping to protect the people of Solihull.

“Although there is no absolutely safe level of UV exposure, it is important that we carry out these tests to ensure people are not putting themselves at additional risk.

“I encourage everyone to take their wellbeing seriously and do everything possible to keep themselves safe.”

Solihull Trading Standards has also put together a number of top tips to follow if you choose to use tanning salons:

* Look for tanning salons who advertise ‘0.3 compliant’ sunbeds and question when their beds were last serviced
* Use salons that are clean and hygienic and provide cleaning equipment before and after use
* Salons should assess your skin type and medical history in order to recommend the correct sunbed usage before you use the equipment for the first time – if they don’t offer to do so then you are advised to ask
* Use salons that provide eye protection and ensure that you wear it

Read more: http://www.solihull.gov.uk/news/ArtMID/820/ArticleID/1069/Council-checks-reveal-over-a-third-of-sunbeds-unsafe