People are concerned about the harmful effects caused by exposure to sunlight. The labelling of clothing for outdoor pursuits and children's wear is starting to contain information about the protection offered against ultraviolet radiation.

There are several standards that are relevant to the sun protection factor of fabrics. The Standard BS EN 13758 has two parts.  The first part lays down the procedure to be used for testing the Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) of fabrics.  The second part of this standard covers the design, the minimum UPF required, the marking and labelling for clothing.

A British Standard, BS 8466:2006, Hats - Protection against Solar UVR - Method of Test and Performance Requirements, specifies minimum ultraviolet transmission requirements for materials used in the construction of hats worn to give some protection from solar ultraviolet radiation.  It also has requirements for dimensions, design and labelling.

There is also an Australian/ New Zealand standard, AZ/NZ 4399.

Leicestershire Scientific Services routinely tests against the following standards.