SKIN cancer deaths are rising on the Isle of Wight. 
In 2005, 10 people died from the most serious form of skin cancer, and by 2014 this rose to 15 deaths in a year, according to Public Health England.
In an effort to raise awareness, a survey conducted by Jewson found that almost 60 per cent of construction workers would be happy to slap sun cream on a building site buddy, a survey suggests. &a mp;lt;/div>
When asked about attitudes to sun protection, 357 out of 625 Jewson customers said they would help their workmate apply sun cream.
However, just over a third said they never apply their own sun cream when working outdoors on a sunny day. This compares to only seven per cent who never apply sun cream when on holiday abroad.
More than half of respondents said they had been sun burnt in the past two years. According to the NHS, being sunburnt just once every two years triples the risk of skin cancer.
NHS England Wessex medical director, Dr Elizabeth Mearns, said: "It's very encouraging that even in the rough tough world of construction many builders are willing to support colleagues in avoiding harmful sun exposure."
Jewson is supporting the NHS England South Cover Up, Mate campaign, which is targeting male agricultural and construction workers, gardeners and sports-players because of their prolonged exposure to the sun.
James Buckle, south east area director at Jewson, said: "We know builders don't have much time on their hands, so prioritising something like sun care isn't always easy — especially given Britain's unpredictable weather. But with construction workers often outside for long periods of time, they can be at a much higher risk of exposure to UV rays than most.
"We're showing our support to the NHS England South Cover Up Mate campaign to help raise awareness of the dangers of being in the sun without protection."
Official NHS advice on staying safe in the sun is:
  • spend time in the shade if you can
  • make sure you never burn
  • cover up with suitable clothing and sunglasses
  • use at least factor 15 sunscreen