The focus is on skin cancer: employers and employees now have to act!

The focus is on skin cancer: employers and employees now have to act!

white skin cancer will be officially recognized as an occupational disease from 2024, which means that affected employees are obliged to report their cases. In the first year in which the reporting obligation exists, around 50 cases have already been registered, such as Kleinezeitung.at . The general accident insurance institution (AUVA) assumes that the figures will increase significantly in the future. People who spend a lot of time outdoors, such as construction workers, roofers, farmers and ski instructors and kindergarten teachers, are particularly at risk. In Germany, white skin cancer has been the third most common professional disease since 2015.

urgent need for action in the health system

The AUVA sees increased pressure for early detection and prevention due to the new reporting obligation. Maria Lesterl, the director of the Auva state office Linz, emphasizes the need for consciousness formation and advice regarding the topic of skin protection. It is fundamentally important that employers provide their employees suitable protective clothing and sunscreen, while the employees themselves have to actively protect their bodies from UV radiation. The dermatological main representative Norbert Sepp emphasizes that about half of those affected develop several tumor -like growths that often require different surgical interventions. The lack of doctors, however, is an enormous challenge. Wartele for such interventions could according to kkr-lsa.de from currently three months to six months rise what the situation could further exacerbate.

With the recognition of white skin cancer as an occupational disease, hope for more prevention and early treatment increases, while at the same time the resources in healthcare are put to the test. The coming years will be crucial to sustainably improve the awareness of the protection of the skin and the treatment options.