District Health Board visits to commercial solaria shows small improvement in compliance

October 6, 2019

In 2012 District Health Board public health staff initiated six-monthly visits to commercial solaria to ensure that solarium operators were familiar with best practice procedures to reduce the risks from exposure to ultra-violet (UV) radiation from sunbeds.  

In the first half of 2019, public health staff were requested to use a standardised assessment form to check aspects of the solarium operation against recommendations in AS/NZS 2635:2008 Solaria for cosmetic purposes (the Standard).  The eleven areas of operation examined mostly covered administrative and procedural aspects of the operation. The same areas were examined in the first half of the years 2013 to 2018, so the effectiveness of the visits in improving compliance with the recommendations in the Standard can be gauged by comparing results from year to year. As well as undertaking the systematic assessment, public health staff also check if solarium operators are aware of legislation banning under-18s from using sunbeds and have resources to help them implement the administrative and procedural requirements of the Standard.       

Eighty-eight establishments are believed to have sunbeds, including establishments that have sunbeds that are reported as not currently being used, but could be in the future.  This is a decrease from ninety-four found in 2018.  Seventy-one establishments were assessed using the standardised assessment form.  As in previous years, a few refused the visit.  Several operators reported that they would probably stop offering sunbed services soon. There was a further small improvement in compliance, and as in previous years compliance was better in Auckland (where sunbed operators are regulated under a bylaw) than in the rest of the country. One area checked – using a timer that can only be set by the operator – has had consistently poor compliance since these surveys were started, and can probably only be remedied by modifying or replacing the sunbeds. A few establishments continue to make claims of health benefits on their websites (although such claims were no made on the premises).  One was reported to be reluctant to remove such claims when they were displayed on other websites, and material on another operator’s website is being taken up with the Auckland Council. 96 percent of establishments were considered to be refusing sunbed services to under-18s, a small increase over 2018 (92%). Two operators still displayed old signs saying that under-18s were allowed with parental permission, but appeared nevertheless to refuse under-18s.  Two others were considered to be potentially allowing under-18s to use a sunbed. These operators will be followed up by Ministry compliance officers.

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