Construction workers are staying safe in the sun as part of a new initiative to mark Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

Housebuilder Barratt and David Wilson Homes has supplied sun strength gauge cards to its site teams in Oxfordshire.

These cards are placed in sunlight and change colour to show UV ray intensity, alerting workers to potential skin damage risks.

Oxford Mail: The cards are small enough to fit in a walletThe cards are small enough to fit in a wallet (Image: Barratt and David Wilson Homes)

The initiative has been rolled out at construction sites including Abbey Fields and Kings Gate in Abingdon, Brookside Meadows in Grove and Chiltern Grange in Benson.

The awareness month which takes pace throughout May aims to inform people of the signs of skin cancer and ways to prevent it.

Campbell Gregg, managing director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Southern, said: "Our site teams work in all weathers and, in the UK’s unpredictable climate, we want to ensure they’re well protected when there’s a greater risk to exposure to the sun.

Oxford Mail: The cards have been sent out to site teams across OxfordshireThe cards have been sent out to site teams across Oxfordshire (Image: Barratt and David Wilson Homes)

Oxford Mail: Luke Brown (left) and Dominic Godden (right) with UV cards for their site teamsLuke Brown (left) and Dominic Godden (right) with UV cards for their site teams (Image: Barratt and David Wilson Homes)

"It's important we make certain that our site teams are sun-savvy and protecting their skin as much as possible, and we hope these cards will help everyone stay proactive when it comes to their health and safety onsite."

Despite their association with the sun and hot weather, skin-damaging UV rays can pass through clouds and, regardless of heat, are at their strongest in the UK between 11am and 3pm in the summer, when the sun is highest in the sky.