The company wants the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to review standards exempting employer coverage of sunscreen for outdoor workers, arguing it is critical personal protective equipment (PPE) and not only for “weather-related” protection.

“We believe revisiting the treatment of sunscreen as critical PPE covered by an employer will increase usage rates of sunscreen significantly, leading to the reduction of two risk factors for skin cancer – sun exposure and sunburns,” Royal DSM said in a statement.

Skin cancer is now the most common form of cancer, with over five million people diagnosed in the US each year.

Melanoma is one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer, with about 99,780 invasive melanomas expected to be diagnosed in the US this year, according to the American Cancer Society.

Stephen Wood, senior director of DSM Personal Care North America, added: “As one of the world’s leading UV filter ingredient manufacturers it saddens us at DSM to see so many lives devastated by such a highly preventable disease.

“If revised, this will have a tremendous positive impact on public health by protecting our most vulnerable populations.”