Solaria - skin type assessments

Conducting and recording skin type assessments

The following information is taken from the Victorian Department of Human Services, 'Guide to Requirements for Solaria in Victoria', February 2009, available at http://www.health.vic.gov.au/environment/downloads/radiation/ctu_guidelines.pdf and is to be used for guidance purposes only.

General requirements for assessments

A trained member of staff must carry out an assessment of a person's skin type under the Fitzpatrick Skin Photo Type Classification System before that person is allowed to undertake a tanning session at the solarium.

According to the Fitzpatrick System, there are six classifications of skin types against which persons are to be assessed:

• Skin Type I - means skin which always burns and never tans (pale white skin)
• Skin Type II - means skin which always burns easily and tans minimally (white skin)
• Skin Type III - means skin which burns moderately and tans uniformly (light brown skin)
• Skin Type IV - means skin which burns minimally and always tans well (moderate brown skin)
• Skin Type V - means skin which rarely burns and tans profusely (dark brown skin)
• Skin Type VI - means skin which never burns (deeply pigmented dark brown to black skin)

If, as a result of the skin type assessment conducted by a trained member of staff, it is determined that a person has Skin Type I , the person must not be allowed to undergo exposure to ultraviolet radiation from a commercial tanning unit.

Where a person is assessed as having any of the other skin types, the classification is used to determine that person's maximum exposure time as specified in the Regulation:

MED (minimum erythemal dose) for a particular skin type, specified in Column 2, means the amount of ultraviolet radiation specified in the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 2635:2008: Solaria for cosmetic purposes, that may cause a perceptible reddening of the skin for the skin type listed in Column 1.

Staff training for assessments

Staff must have participated in training on a range of specified matters including how to determine a person's skin type and which people are at increased risk of harm from exposure to ultraviolet radiation from a commercial tanning unit.

Conducting and documenting assessments

Solaria should have documentation for performing and recording skin type assessments. The form should be clearly labelled 'For completion by Solarium staff only' or similar wording.

As a basic minimum, the solarium's form for skin type assessments should have descriptions/criteria/questions for classifying the six skin types.

In order to assess a person's skin type, the operator conducting the assessment will need to seek information regarding such matters as:

• the person's physical characteristics (e.g. natural hair colour, colour of unexposed skin)
• extent of unexposed freckles
• history of past exposure to the sun (e.g. reaction of skin to sun exposure, sensitivity of the face to the sun)
• how easily the person tans
• how often the person tans
• when the person last tanned.

It is recommended that the skin type assessment form include a set of questions covering the above points and other related matters.

Skin type assessments must be performed by a member of staff who should fully complete the solarium's skin type assessment form with the client providing personal information as required.

The client should not fill in the required information or details on the form. This information should be recorded by the staff member. Self-assessment by a client is not allowed and the solarium's form must not lend itself to self-assessment by, for example, inviting clients to do their own skin type assessment.

After the member of staff has assessed a person's skin type, the result of the assessment should be recorded on the skin type assessment form. The form should also have provision for the staff member to print and sign their name and note the date of the assessment.

The result of a client's skin type assessment should be readily accessible to staff at the solarium so that it can be used by them in determining the maximum duration of a client's exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the tanning units.

Model skin type assessment form

A skin type assessment form (SkinTypeAssessmentForm.pdf; 16 KB) that satisfies the above guideline can be downloaded as a model form for general guidance and possible use by solaria. Please note that the total skin type score derived from the table in the form should be treated as a guide only. Staff will still need to check that the score result represents a correct outcome and that the classification is the appropriate one for the person being assessed.