AI illustrationCost and compliance calculator
What does real sun protection cost per worker-day?
Honest numbers: every cost is shown with the millilitres of SPF 50 it buys, so you can compare Site Packs, tubes and what you spend today. Then request the pack that fits.
Your workforce
Recommended for you
2 x Full Compliance Site Pack
Full-day coverage: about 34.29 ml per worker-day against your 35 ml need.
R 16,900.00 a month excl. VAT
R 19,435.00 incl. 15% VAT. 12-month term, Sun Station on loan.
Site Packs compared, per 25 workers
Every cost is shown with the dose it buys. A full outdoor day is about 35 ml per worker.
| Pack | Month excl. VAT | ml per worker-day | Per worker-day | Per fully covered day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StarterPartial-shift coverage | R 2,950 | 7.62 | R 5.62 | R 25.81 |
| StandardMost of the shift | R 5,450 | 19.05 | R 10.38 | R 19.07 |
| Full ComplianceFull-day coverage | R 8,450 | 34.29 | R 16.10 | R 16.43 |
Tubes or a Sun Station?
For 36.8 litres a month (50 workers at 35 ml a day):
- 150 ml tubes at the B2B list
- R 26,705
- 1 L refills, standalone
- R 20,213
Excl. VAT. Dispensers also cut waste and loss compared with loose tubes.
Price per ml, incl. VAT
- Branded retail SPF 50
- R1.20 to R1.40
- SUN PROTECT retail shelf
- R0.93
- SUN PROTECT business list
- R0.84
- Refill inside a Site Pack
- R0.55
Compliance value (shown, never added to a rand figure)
OHS Act s8 duty of care
Employers must provide and maintain, as far as reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risk to health. Solar UV and heat are known hazards for outdoor work, so a documented control plan shows the duty is being met.
Hazard identification and risk assessment
The OHS Act (s8(2)(d)) and the Construction Regulations, 2014 (regulation 9) require hazards to be identified and risk assessed, with controls recorded. A dated UV risk assessment and action plan slots straight into the site health and safety file.
COIDA and incident records
Sunburn and heat illness at work are reportable injuries. Fewer incidents means fewer claims to administer and a cleaner record when your assessment rate is set.
Tender and client scoring
Public and private buyers score health and safety plans in functionality evaluations. A written sun-safety programme with training records and stock on site gives your bid evidence instead of a promise.
General information, not legal advice. A Site Pack supports your controls; it does not on its own make a site compliant.
Savings estimate (conservative, illustrative)
On default assumptions for 50 workers: avoided lost time R 3,510, heat productivity kept R 14,625 and skin cancer absence avoided R 31 a year. These are planning estimates with large uncertainty; the case for sun protection is duty of care, not savings.
- Sunscreen per application (face, ears, neck, hands and forearms)Teaspoon rule: about 5 ml per body area; 10 ml assumes long sleeves cover the arms (assumption)
- Reapplication intervalReapply at least every 2 hours (WHO, CANSA guidance)
- Product price per ml, excl. VAT (1 L refill at R480 inside a Site Pack)Price ladder 6 Nov 2026: refills R480 a litre in subscription (R550 standalone). For comparison, Site Packs cost R2,950 to R8,450 a month per 25 workers
- Policy, training and monitoring per worker per month, excl. VATPlanning allowance for the compliance programme (assumption)
- Share of sun and heat incidents preventedConservative planning assumption (30%); replace with your own data after 90 days
- Extra cost per lost shift (replacement, overtime, supervision, lost output)Assumption: 50% on top of the daily cost
- Hot, high-UV working days per yearAssumption for most of inland South Africa (UV Index 8+ on most summer days)
- Working time lost to heat on hot days without controlsILO, Working on a warmer planet (2019): heat stress is projected to cost 2.2% of working hours worldwide by 2030, more in agriculture and construction
- Share of that loss recovered by shade, scheduling and breaksConservative assumption
- Skin cancers per 100,000 people per year (all ages)NCR 2024: about 26,964 lab-confirmed cases on a population of about 63 million. General-population rate; outdoor workers are at higher risk, so this understates exposure
- Shifts absent per skin cancer case (treatment and recovery)Assumption for minor excision; serious cases are far longer
- Share of skin cancer absence avoided over timeConservative assumption; benefits build over years
Assumptions behind the calculator
- Full-day reference dose: 35 ml per worker-dayAbout 10 ml to face, ears, neck and hands per application, 3 to 4 applications a day at 2-hourly reapplication (assumption, editable)
- Site Pack size: 25 workers per packPrice ladder 6 Nov 2026 (src/content/prices.ts)
- Branded retail sunscreen: R1.20 to R1.40 per ml incl. VATShelf prices of leading SPF 50 brands in SA pharmacies and grocers, Nov 2026 (indicative, check locally)
- Tube vs refill: 150 ml tube at the B2B list vs 1 L refill in a Site PackPrice ladder 6 Nov 2026