[Callers] Another occupational hazard for callers

[Donald Perley]

Halogen bulbs also put out a good amount of UV, sometimes a problem for museums

On Mon, Mar 5, 2018 at 4:22 PM, Anne Lutun via Callers
<callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> When was the last time you got a tan at an indoor contradance?
>
> No, this is not a joke. I got sunburned while calling this past Saturday
> (March 3rd, in Pennsylvania).
>
> How is this possible? Probably a damaged metal halide bulb in the community
> center gym where the dance was held. Apparently this is a problem that
> occurs sporadically in gyms all over the country, as I found out after a
> google search:
>
> https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2004/05/19/damaged-metal-halide-lamps-can-cause-indoor-sunburns-56964/
>
> https://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/RadiationSafety/AlertsandNotices/ucm116540.htm
>
> I'm very fair-skinned and burn easily, but I'm not the only one who was
> affected — the musicians got sunburns as well, and two of them have (mild)
> eye irritation symptoms. It's only when we compared notes yesterday that we
> realized what had happened.
>
> We will all be ok, and thankfully there haven't been any reports of dancers
> being affected — it was a large and lively crowd, and we kept them moving!
> Other than the burns, it was an absolutely wonderful dance.
>
> The problem had not occurred before at this monthly event because the bank
> of lights that we now think the culprit bulb is a part of is not usually on.
> It was needed that night because some of the other lights had burned out.
>
> I would like to commend the dance organizers for taking the problem very
> seriously. Once informed, they immediately contacted the community center
> management, who in turn promised to address the issue right away.
>
> I don't mean to alarm anyone, but next time you call in a gym, you may want
> to wear sunscreen!
>
> Anne Lutun
> Philadelphia, PA
>
>
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