Council finds 60% of sunbeds breach legal limit for UV rays

Research carried out by a county council into tanning salons has found that 60% of sunbeds breached the legal limit for ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Trading standards officers from Derbyshire County Council visited 32 salons in Chesterfield, Erewash and the High Peak and found that a total of 45 sunbeds exceeded the limit.

Five sunbeds were discovered to have emission ratings at least double the recommended level.

The legal limit of 0.3 watts per square metre was adopted in 2009. New sunbeds were among those to have exceeded the limit.

Cllr Dave Allen, Derbyshire’s Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, said: "The laws and regulations associated with sunbeds are intended to protect people from exposure to potentially dangerous levels of radiation.

"It's shocking that the majority of tanning beds in local salons failed to meet these safety standards. We want to ensure that Derbyshire sunbed operators meet their legal obligations to ensure the safety of their employees and sunbed users.”

He added: "We've issued warnings to all businesses where we found tanning units that are too powerful. We will continue monitoring them and if they fail to bring their equipment into compliance they will face enforcement action."