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Background: Increased use of solariums worldwide has led to health concerns linking regular exposure to ultraviolet light with skin cancer. Most studies have attempted to delineate attitudes and motivations of users, with little inquiry into those entrusted as "service providers." Methods: A questionnaire was designed specifically for the survey on the basis of World Health Organization guidelines. Twenty-one solariums in major cities from each country were randomly chosen via telephone directory and visited in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. A prospective customer asked a series of questions to assess conformity with these guidelines. Results: Solariums in Australia were most successful at adhering to World Health Organization guidelines, followed closely by those in the United Kingdom. Overall, solariums in New Zealand did not comply as well, especially with the use of consent forms, and did not adequately inform customers of the potential adverse side effects including skin cancer risks. Conclusions: Our data have shown several differences in the way solariums conform to guidelines in our 3 chosen countries. A plausible reason for these differences is the difference in solarium regulations worldwide. The limited number of solariums selected for the survey, together with individual country variation, does not enable firm conclusions to be drawn about the operations of solariums in each country. However, it does provide knowledge of the variation between solariums and further suggests the need to evaluate the workings of these service providers in each country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the argument that ‘green’ schools enhance educational performance. Having set the context of the relationship between environmentalism and the design of schools in the twentieth century, the article explores the performance of a number of green schools built in the UK between 1980 and 1995. The aim is to discover whether attention to environmental or ecological design produces measurable benefits in terms of learning levels in the classroom and the general performance of the school. The focus of the research is upon two clusters of green primary schools built 1980-95 by the local education authorities in Essex and Hampshire. In order to undertake the evaluation a methodology is proposed with criteria established for what design and construction characteristics constitute a ‘green’ school. Key performance indicators available as a consequence of OfStEd inspections, SATS results, teacher turnover and pupil absenteeism rates are used to assess the performance of the schools in educational terms. Central to the hypothesis is that good environmental design leads to enhanced educational performance by pupils and improved productivity on the part of teachers. The methodology consists of comparing the performance of green schools with that of orthodox schools which share similar characteristics of size, location and socio-economic features, and then relating variables of educational performance to design features. Three initial findings are highlighted: first, the importance of classroom daylight levels to learning; second, the benefits to the school of secondary sun spaces; third, the need for attention to the relationship between ventilation and acoustic control in open-plan solar schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]