The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) has launched a new-look swing-tag for clothing as a way of helping Australians protect themselves from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Assistant Director, Ultraviolet Radiation Services at ARPANSA, Lydia Tjong said there were five ways to protect oneself from UV and covering up with sun protective clothing was one of them but not all fabrics provided the same level of protection.
“We’re launching our new-look swing tag to provide the Australian public with access to a simple, reliable indicator of the level of sun protection provided by clothing materials tested by ARPANSA,” Ms Tjong said.
“ARPANSA’s UV laboratory tests clothing materials to determine a UV protection factor (UPF) rating which consumers can find on labels, or swing tags, attached to garments, hats, and other clothing accessories,” she said.
“The new design is much cleaner, making it easy to see at a glance the level of protection provided.”
She said that with two in three Australians diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70, prevention was more important than ever.
Ms Tjong said consumers could expect to see the new purple and yellow swing tags in stores over the coming months.
