France's Food and Environment Agency Says Sun Exposure at Work Causes Three Types of Skin Cancer — and Calls for a New Occupational Disease Category
Published on 10/17/2026 at 05:01 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Anses, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, has confirmed a direct causal link between ultraviolet radiation on the job and several forms of skin cancer, and is pushing for organisational and collective protection measures rather than relying primarily on personal protective equipment.
The agency's expert assessment, filed on 15.10.2026 under reference Saisine 2024-SA-0109, establishes that the connection between occupational UV exposure and squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and melanoma is now scientifically established. It also finds a causal link between artificial UV radiation from welding and melanoma of the eye.
Marion Keirsbulck of Anses confirmed that no exposure duration can be identified below which an increased risk can be ruled out.
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No Safe Threshold, and a Much Wider Risk Map Than Outdoor Work Alone
According to the agency, the risks are relevant across numerous fields of activity. These include agriculture, horticulture and landscaping, construction (BTP), transport and freight, postal services, hospitality, industry, telecommunications, and areas of culture, arts and social work.
Even discontinuous tasks carry hazards: the grape harvest, ski-slope maintenance, terrace service and playground supervision all involve exposure. Altitude and reflective surfaces such as snow, sand or water add further risk, while wind and cool air can create a false sense of safety.
Artificial UV sources are found in disinfection, sterilisation, cleaning, horticultural lighting, and in engraving and material cutting.
Citing the Sumer survey by the French Ministry of Labour (DARES), the agency notes that around 3.5 million employees in France are exposed to outdoor work and weather conditions, while roughly 150,000 people work with artificial UV sources. The World Health Organization (OMS) puts the global death toll from the main cause — UV radiation — at 120,000 deaths per year.
A Push to Make Skin Cancer a Recognised Occupational Disease
Amandine Paillat, who coordinated the expert assessment at Anses, stressed that a dedicated occupational disease table would significantly ease recognition and compensation for those affected. At present, the decision on whether to add such a table rests with the French state; a positive scientific opinion does not automatically lead to registration.
According to Assurance Maladie, such tables define specific diseases, triggering activities, time limits and, where applicable, minimum exposure durations. If those criteria are met, a legal presumption of occupational origin applies.
Without a corresponding table, recognition through the regional committee (CRRMP) is possible only if the disease was predominantly caused directly by ordinary work and led to death or permanent disability (IP) of at least 25 percent.
The figures so far illustrate the hurdle: between 2013 and 2024, only 137 recognition applications were examined in France, of which 40 percent were approved. By comparison, several thousand compensation cases were registered in Germany in 2018 alone.
Prevention: Rethink Schedules Before Reaching for Equipment
Alongside the insurance-law steps, Anses calls for the risk to be anchored in the company risk register (DUERP). As priority collective protection measures, the agency recommends shifting activities during periods of particularly high UV exposure, limiting time in the sun, adjusting posts and schedules, rotating staff, and setting up shaded areas.
The French occupational safety institute INRS had already pointed to adapted schedules, rotation and technical measures, referring to its "Soleil et travail" leaflet from December 2025.
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Anses also advises targeted training for occupational physicians in dermatological questions and the systematisation of skin examinations during occupational health check-ups. Better access to dermatological care is crucial, according to the agency, because early detection makes around 90 percent of skin cancers curable.
