Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSSchoolgirl hospitalised with 70% burns from sunbed
A 10-year-old schoolgirl has suffered 70% burns following a 16-minute session at an unmanned tanning studio.
It is believed Kelly Thompson had gone to the fair with her cousin, only to find it shut and went into the tanning salon in Port Talbot, South Wales, on her way home.
A few hours later, Kelly was rushed to the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery.
Bill Dickson, director of the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery, said: ‘Burns from overusing sunbeds can be a danger. One of the worries is the exposure to ultra-violet rays and the links to developing malignant melanoma. Cases of malignant melanoma have shown to be increasing in younger people.’
The incident comes on the day the Health and Safety Executive was expected to announce new safety guidelines on the use of sunbeds.
The guidelines by the HSE advise that under-18s do not use sunbeds and that trained staff supervise all coin-operated salons.
Giles Denham, policy director at HSE, said: ‘We understand that some people may want to use sunbeds. Our guidance is designed to ensure they have the information to minimise the associated risks.’
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