Home / All Courses / UV and Sun Safety for Outdoor Workers
UV and Sun Safety for Outdoor Workers

A practical, visual awareness course on solar UV radiation for people who work outdoors. Learn why the sun is a serious workplace hazard, how to read the UV Index, the WHS duty to control UV exposure and how to apply the SunSmart hierarchy of controls, from rescheduling and shade through to sun-protective clothing, hats, sunscreen and sunglasses. Includes diagrams, a real on-site decision scenario, quick self-checks and law tailored to your state or territory.
Also relevant for: Farm and Rural, Construction and Trades, Electrical, Mining and FIFO, Plumbing and Gas, Warehouse, Transport and Logistics
What You Will Learn
- Explain why solar UV radiation is a serious workplace hazard and how it damages skin and eyes
- Interpret the UV Index and identify when sun protection is required (a UV level of 3 or above)
- Describe the WHS duty to manage the risk of UV exposure to outdoor workers so far as is reasonably practicable
- Apply the hierarchy of controls to reduce UV exposure, from rescheduling and shade to sun-protective PPE
- Select and correctly use sun-protective clothing, hats, sunscreen and sunglasses that meet the relevant Australian Standards
Course Content
- The sun is a workplace hazard you can't see or feel
- By the end of this course, you'll be able to:
- Solar UV radiation is an invisible carcinogen you work under every day
- Solar UV sits in the same cancer class as asbestos and tobacco smoke
- UV exposure causes far more than just sunburn
- UV is not the same as heat. You can be badly burnt on a cool, cloudy day
- The UV Index tells you how strong today's UV is, and when to protect yourself
- UV climbs to its peak in the middle of the day
- When the UV Index reaches 3 or above, sun protection is needed
- Check the UV Index before you start outdoor work
- Several things push your UV dose even higher
- Solar UV is a workplace hazard the business must manage, not just a personal choice
- The duty to control UV exposure is shared, but the business carries the primary duty
- Managing UV risk follows the same four steps as any other hazard
- A business meets its UV duty through a mix of measures, not a single tube of sunscreen
- Who holds the duty, and who regulates it, where you work
- If UV exposure causes a disease, workers' compensation is state-based
- Control UV from the top down: reduce exposure first, rely on sunscreen last
- Every UV control fits one of the levels of the hierarchy
- Work down the levels: combine several, don't stop at the first
- Sunscreen and other PPE are the last line of defence, not the first
- Managing UV well vs leaving it to chance
- Five simple actions protect you when exposure can't be avoided: Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide
- Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide: five ways to cover the gaps
- Sunscreen only works if you use it properly
- Choose clothing, hats and sunglasses that meet the Australian Standards
- A hard hat or baseball cap alone leaves your ears and neck exposed
- Now put UV control into practice on the job
- On the tools: a summer day on the roadworks crew
- The five things to carry away
Who This Course Is For
Outdoor workers, supervisors and leading hands in construction, agriculture, grounds and landscaping, transport, utilities and any role that spends time in the sun.
Written by Kam Askari, Managing Director of Creative Directions Management Consulting Pty Ltd, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 Lead Auditor. MBA, Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, MAICD. Checked against the sources listed below.
Sources and Legal References
This course is aligned to 21 official sources. Legal and regulatory references checked between 31 August 2026 and 1 November 2026.
Sources and Further Reading
This course draws on the following official sources. Always rely on the current version on the regulator’s website.
- LegislationWork Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth)As at 31/08/2026
- LegislationWork Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)As at 31/08/2026
- LegislationWork Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)As at 31/08/2026
- LegislationWork Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA)As at 31/08/2026
- LegislationWork Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA)As at 31/08/2026
- LegislationWork Health and Safety Act 2012 (Tas)As at 31/08/2026
- LegislationWork Health and Safety Act 2011 (ACT)As at 31/08/2026
- LegislationWork Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011 (NT)As at 31/08/2026
- LegislationOccupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)As at 31/08/2026
- Regulator guidanceSafe Work Australia, Working in the sunAs at 31/08/2026
- Australian StandardAS/NZS 1067As at 03/09/2026
- Australian StandardAS/NZS 2604As at 03/09/2026
- Australian StandardAS/NZS 4399As at 03/09/2026
- LegislationWork Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (ACT)As at 31/10/2026
- LegislationWork Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW)As at 01/11/2026
- LegislationWork Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Regulations 2011 (NT)As at 31/10/2026
- LegislationWork Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)As at 31/10/2026
- LegislationWork Health and Safety Regulations 2012 (SA)As at 13/09/2026
- LegislationWork Health and Safety Regulations 2022 (Tas)As at 31/10/2026
- LegislationOccupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic)As at 01/11/2026
- LegislationWork Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 (WA)As at 31/10/2026
Always rely on the current version on the regulator’s website.
Seven day refund if you have not started
Or
For employers and teams
Buy Seats for Your Team
$39.00 per seat, inc GST
Total inc GST$195.00
Or
What You Get
Certificate of Completion
This is to certify that
has successfully completed
All learning modules and the final assessment
Kam Askari
Director, Creative Directions Management Consulting Pty Ltd
This is a certificate of completion of a non-accredited professional development course. It is not a nationally recognised qualification, a VET statement of attainment, a competency card, a licence, or evidence of competency. It is issued by Creative Directions Management Consulting Pty Ltd, which is not a Registered Training Organisation.
Sample layout. Certificate ID WP-SAMPLE-0001 verifies as Hazardous Manual Tasks and Manual Handling Safety.
- Certificate verified by its ID
- 100% online, self-paced
- Six months of access
Bought for yourself: six months of access from the day you pay. Team seat: six months from the day the worker activates their code.
Level: Beginner
Suggested Next Courses

Confined Spaces Awareness
50 minutes
Online, self-paced

Electrical Safety Awareness
45 minutes
Online, self-paced

