Hi Riki, no such thing as a dumb question, Skin Cancer develops from exposure to UV radiation, if an employees job means they are exposed to it, their employer needs to consider that risk and manage it. Have a look at this page on WorkSafe's website which explains in more detail, and come back with more questions. Protecting Workers From Solar Radiation

Thanks Steve, I've had a good read of the guidance material, I now writing a report about it for my studies and I want to fit it neatly into one of Worksafe's 5 work-related health risk categories, but I cant figure out which one it fits in.
Cheers

I would go with Physical, Riki, but take a look at this resource and see what you think

Hey Riki
Biological, psychological, physical, ergonomic and chemical are all hazard types not health classifications as WorkSafe have alluded to on their website. Psychological is commonly referred to as psychosocial. Also, safety is missing. See NIOSH, IOSH, IOHA and to a lesser extent the link in Steve's second post.
In the MBIE info, the difference between the meanings of hazard and risk are considerably blurred. Not unusual for the untrained. Check the ISO definitions database here - https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#search

To determine how you categorise health outcomes, might I suggest you decide the classifying criteria health outcome or hazard type.
In your example I see the outcome (the risk) as cancer and the hazard as environmental exposure which makes the hazard type as physical and the health outcome (the risk) as biological.

If I am wrong, sorry. Just my ramblings.
Cheers

Hi Riki

Work related cancers fit into all 3 categories, chemical, physical and biological agents. As Keith said it all depends on the source/hazard eg benzene would be a chemical agent, radiation a physical agent and so on. There is no way to fit them under one category

Great answer, that, makes sense to me. Thanks Keith.
I have seen the definitions of risk and hazard being interchanged a few times, its pretty frustrating.

How did you get on with your assignment question relating to skin cancer, and which of Worksafe's 5 health risk categories it would fit into, Riki?

Hi Riki, UV radiation is a physical hazard.

Hi Steve
I settled on the position that cancer can fit it multiple categories, it makes sense to me that solar UV skin cancer would fit into physical, although I re-worded the paragraph in my assignment to not assign UV skin cancer to a particular category.
Cheers