Czech Trade Inspectorate finds tanning beds not up to safety norms

The Czech Trade Inspectorate has revealed the results of testing at Czech solariums which some will find more than a little disquieting. A week after the World Health Organisation declared the use of tanning beds a significant cancer hazard, the Czech Trade Inspectorate revealed that tanning beds in eight out of ten facilities in parts of the Czech Republic failed to meet current safety norms.

Photo: CTK

Thousands of people use them and thousands swear by them: indoor tanning at solariums. Overall, indoor tanning remains highly popular in the Czech Republic but now some may want to re-think the frequency of their visits: only a week ago the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer announced it had raised UV tanning beds to its highest cancer risk category, carcinogenic to humans. As if that wasn’t enough, the Czech Trade Inspectorate announced on Monday that it had found that 8 out of 10 randomly tested solariums in the country had failed to comply with safety norms, with some tanning beds at a number of facilities emitting three times the permitted level of UV radiation. The Inspectorate’s Jana Příhodová spoke to journalists on Monday.

“At this point in time we can say that, although safety norms on UV rays were tightened, some facilities still represent a certain risk to users.”

In general, the risk of contracting melanoma from direct exposure to UV rays through indoor tanning rises dramatically for those under the age of 30 – by 75 percent - experts warn, one reason why Czech doctors have been calling for a ban blocking those under the age of 18 from using tanning salons. Furthermore, Czech specialists would like to see facilities required to put up clear warnings for users, describing proper use as well as potential risks; On Monday, Jana Hercegová of the Dermatology Clinic at Prague’s Bulovka Hospital spoke to Czech TV:

“The main thing is to inform people how to use these facilities. If they have to use solariums, they should know what they should be aware of and know what they should look out for.”

The solariums in the Czech Republic that failed to meet safety norms will now have to make changes to comply with regulations or face fines. Further, the Czech Trade Inspectorate has made clear this test was only the beginning, and its inspectors are planning to visit a hundred or so additional solariums this fall.