‘Change Your Routine’ Skin Cancer Prevention Campaign Toolkit
Jump to:
Campaign overview
The ‘Change Your Routine’ campaign aims to motivate NSW outdoor workers, particularly those aged 40 years and over in the agriculture and construction sectors, to protect their skin from UV radiation and reduce their risk of developing skin cancers. The Campaign uses a combination of hard-hitting and supportive creative assets to increase awareness of the dangers of UV radiation and motivate outdoor workers to routinely adopt the five sun protection behaviours: Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide.
'Change Your Routine’ is live from 10 March – 3 May 2025, leveraging months where the UV radiation is still high (3+) but the weather is cooling. The Campaign is being delivered across online video, social media (Facebook, Instagram), radio and out-of-home.
Watch the 'Change Your Routine' campaign video
Why we need a campaign
Overexposure to UV radiation is estimated to cause over 95 per cent of skin cancers in Australia.[1] Outdoor workers are exposed to over 3 times more UV radiation than indoor workers,[2,3] putting them at higher risk of developing skin cancer.
With UV radiation being a major workplace hazard for outdoor workers, a campaign is needed to encourage this audience to adopt life-saving sun protection behaviours as part of their daily routine. These primary prevention behaviours – slipping on protective clothing, slopping on SPF50+ sunscreen (and reapplying every two hours), slapping on a broad brimmed hat, seeking shade, and sliding on sunglasses - are the most effective way to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer.
The campaign also highlights that employers have a duty of care to protect their workers from UV radiation and skin cancer.
Campaign audience
All outdoor workers are at risk of skin cancer as they are exposed to higher rates of UV radiation than the general population. The campaign specifically targets:
- Primary Audience: NSW men aged 40 years and over who work in agriculture and construction sectors, and their managers/employers.
- Secondary Audience: All NSW outdoor workers (male and female) from the above sectors.
Men 40 years and over are 2.5 times more likely to die from melanoma than women of the same age.[4]
This year, ‘Change Your Routine’ will also target three priority populations: Aboriginal, Arabic-speaking and Mandarin-speaking outdoor workers. These audiences will be engaged with in-language and culturally-appropriate assets, delivered through targeted media channels.
Key campaign messages
- Outdoor workers are exposed to over 3 times more UV radiation than indoor workers.
- Men 40 years and over are 2.5 times more likely to die from melanoma than women of the same age.4
- Reducing UV radiation exposure is the most effective way to prevent skin cancer.
- Seek and set up shade, wear protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and SPF50+ sunscreen.
- UV radiation is a major workplace hazard - employers have a duty of care to protect their workers from UV radiation and skin cancer.
Campaign assets
The hard-hitting ‘Change Your Routine’ video aims to warn all outdoor workers about the seriousness of skin cancer. This is complemented with supportive resources which promote effective sun protection behaviors.
To support the campaign, creative assets are available for use. We encourage you to reshare directly from Cancer Institute NSW, linked below.
For further information, please reach out to the team at CINSW-Prevention@health.nsw.gov.au.
Social media tiles
Further information
- For further information about the campaign and preventing skin cancer, please visit https://www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/outdoor-workers for supporting resources and links.
- You can also contact us directly at CINSW-SkinCancerPrevention@health.nsw.gov.au.
1. Arnold M et al. 2018. Global burden of cutaneous melanoma attributable to ultraviolet radiation in 2012. Int J Cancer. Sep 15;143
2. Gies, P. & Wright, J. (2003). Measured solar ultraviolet radiation exposures of outdoor workers in Queensland in the Building and Construction Industry. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 78(4), 342-348. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14626661/
3. Kimlin, M.G., Parisi, A.V. & Wong, J.C.F. (1998). Quantification of personal solar UV exposure of outdoor workers, indoor workers and adolescents at two locations in Southeast Queensland. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 14, 7-1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9582080/
4. Cancer Institute NSW. 2016. Melanoma cancer incidence and mortality (sourced from the NSW Cancer Registry). Available at https://www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/data-research/access-our-data/cancer-statistics-nsw (accessed 9 September 2019).