Black ceiling tiles reduce occupational UV exposure for staff in clinical area containing phototherapy cabinets.

Abstract

Phototherapy clinics administer UV light to patients via phototherapy cabinets. The UV radiation from these cabinets reflects on the white ceiling tiles of the clinic and is directed towards both staff and patients in the area. This is particularly problematic for clinical technologists who must undertake dosimetry in these areas and have a particular time (often as low as 30 minutes) before they reach their maximum exposure limit. By replacing the white tiles with black alternatives which absorb the stray radiation, we have been able to reduce these reflections by almost 90%, prolonging the time to maximum exposure by nearly 10 times. We therefore present these findings to encourage similar clinics to undertake the simple protocols outlined which will significantly improve staff and patient safety.