Tanning Salons

[David Viggars <davidv@iris.mctrf.mb.ca>]

Staff of the Radiation Protection Service (RPS) at my location have observed
that artificial UV tanning is an activity that continues to grow in
popularity in North America. As in the US, Canada has a federal
manufacturing standard that all new tanning equipment must satisfy. However,
the tanning salon operators are not presently subject to consistent,
specific regulation, if any, across the country. This is again similar to
the US situation, where only about 50% of the states have operator based
regulation and inspection programs.

The RPS staff have noted many recommendations (e.g. from the UK National
Radiological Protection Board) urging further epidemiological study of the
impact that tanning bed use may be having on skin cancer incidence,
including malignant melanoma. There is also concern about the acute and
long-term effects of exposure to the high levels of UVA radiation (up to 10
times that received from the sun) produced by the bulbs used in some of the
tanning equipment.

However, the RPS staff are particularly interested in hearing your thoughts
about the need for consistent, operator based regulation at the present
time. They tend to be of the opinion that such regulation is quite necessary
to ensure, as a minimum, that the original design safety features of the
tanning equipment are maintained.

Eric Cowdrey

Department of Medical Physics
Manitoba Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation
100 Olivia Street, Winnipeg
Manitoba, R3E 0V9
CANADA

Telephone: 204 787 2166
Fax: 204 775 1684