Shane McCormick on Skin Cancer Awareness Month: “Prevention is one of the key factors”
Diagnosed with cancer for the first time eight years ago, Shane McCormick is an avid campaigner for the awareness of skin cancer. After it returned three times, Long Rake Spar’s national sales director is pushing for protection and increased awareness across the industry where employees are continuously working outside.
Shane McCormick, national sales director at Long Rake Spar
Prevention is key
While it’s Skin Cancer Awareness month, McCormick felt it relevant to acknowledge the risks as part of his mission to raise awareness before it’s too late. He explains prevention is potentially the most important factor:
“Prevention is one of the biggest key factors. I can’t help what happened to me, but I can help raise awareness within skin cancer and thedangers.”
After McCormick’s first diagnosis in 2017, the cancer returned in November 2019 after finding a lump in his arm, which led to the removal of 24 lymph nodes during surgery in January 2020. He underwent immunotherapy in March 2020, and has been given the all clear since then. He currently has checkup scans every six months, wears a lymphoedema sleeve and covers himself in factor 50 sun cream.
According to Sun Safe Workplaces, five people who work outside are diagnosed with skin cancer everyday; on average, they are at a 60% greater risk. Before becoming a supplier, McCormick worked outside as a landscape gardener for 13 years. Admitting he didn’t consider wearing sun protection, he first visited the hospital to check a mole in 2017 and eventually got it removed.
An evolving industry
With summer approaching, the aggregate supplier acts to protect its team from UV rays. Spearheaded by McCormick, Long Rake Spar has added suncream dispensers across its four sites. Supplied by LifeJacket Skin Protection, this initiative is helped by the “evolving industry,” says McCormick. When he may not have felt comfortable asking another landscaper to apply suncream on his back in previous years, he feels the evolving nature within the industry is a positive change when it comes to mitigating these risks.
Melanoma UK found that 30% of construction workers are not wearing sun protection on site, while 60% are not checking their skin for signs of cancer. “It’s landscapers, builders, roofers,” or anyone that works outside, he says he wants to help and prevent a skin cancer diagnosis.
Long Rake Spar urges outdoor workers to keep their shirts on and treat sun cream as a form of PPE, just like a hard hat or safety boots. McCormick has even been seen at RHS Chelsea Flower Show build days handing out LifeJacket Skin Protection sun cream samples to not only raise awareness, but potentially save the lives as well.