Highand Council has launched an audit into the north’s tanning salons amid national concerns.
The council, one of several local authorities in Scotland which license UV tanning salons, launched the check to verify compliance with EU safety standards regarding the output of ultra violet (UV) radiation.
There have been concerns nationally that the UV bulb strength in many cases have been found to exceed the standard for such equipment.
The use of any UV tanning equipment may expose both staff and customers to UV radiation. UV radiation can cause injuries in the short term – like sunburnt skin or conjunctivitis – and ill health in the long term, including premature skin ageing, skin cancer and cataracts.
Gregor MacCormick, Senior Environmental Health Officer, said: “Due to the known risks from the use of UV tanning equipment it is important that members of the public can have confidence in the licensing regime and be reassured that all our licensed operators within the Highland Council area are fully compliant with the current safety guidelines.
“It is equally important that we raise the public’s awareness of such risks in order to ensure they check that any operators have a valid licence. Where we do become aware of any unlicensed activity then our Service will not hesitate to take immediate enforcement action to protect public health.”
Dr Ken Oates, Consultant in Public Health added his support to the project, he said: “I welcome this initiative by Highland Council Environmental Health colleagues and support their efforts to improve the safety of UV tanning equipment.”
Environmental Health Officers hope to complete the project by the end of August.
