Hello all With the nice new non ionising radiation regulations helpfully telling us to risk assess use of a UV strip light can anyone advise further. I had a request to fit a UV inspection light, this will be looked at. How do I determine exposure risk, controls etc? The manufactures are not being overly helpful. I don't think it's something we should do but want to back that statement with some science. I am following a thread with a manufactuer tho and hopefully will get some answers but if anyone has any exposure info, charts, equations or guidance it might help me on my way :) Thanks for looking and happy bidding.... Oh I'm not on eBay...

Thanks Ron I agree with what you say, the trouble is the light will be shone through the item being examined and so the operator will be looking at the light as a reasonably close distance - about 1m. length of time hard to judge as it will depend on how well production is going :) Look straight at it is what raised concerns with me as it will be difficult to shield due to the nature of the process. It doesn't seam like a good idea too look straight at it but I wanted some science to back me up. The problem is as it's an inspection lamp dishing out RayBans will mean the flaws highlighted will be missed. p.s. This is a new idea for us, previously inspection has been with 'normal' light.

Hi Chris Yes we have and it's a great idea however, $$$$$$$ as we potentially have lots of machines so production are not keen with this idea. This is one reason why I have made them wait until I have some maths to back up my argument. This is one experioment of many they are trialling, I didn't realise finding facts would be so difficult :) Anyway they have coped with normal light until now, they can wait until next week for me Thank goodness it's Friday.

Chris, the answer to that question will depend on whether UV light is classed as a substance for the purposes of COSHH. Without immediate access to the ACOP I confess I do not know the answer but seem to recall something about a substance being solid, liquid or gas/vapour. Does a stream of photons or energy wave have substance? Physics was never one of my strengths.

Chris There are no COSHH implications for UV per se but, if the use generated ozone, then there would be. LB

D

Long-term eye exposure to intense UV will cause harm- I consider that a given. In engineering, back-screen projection (shadow graph) was the norm for inspection of small components, the modern equivalent would be PC and digital camera based. (The really modern approaches will be entirely computer controlled). The optical effects of viewing an object in front of any strong light source (hold your pen/pencil up to the light) are also obvious and may in any case have significant effect on the features you're trying to inspect, and mean that flaws highlighted may also be missed?

Teh boy This is your lucky day I have just had a course on the Artificial Optical Radiation regs courtesy of the HPA. The regs (not the COSHH regs) state that having identified that the source could be a risk you should carry out an assessment of the risk. The supplier should give you information on the output of the tube (wattage) and the frequency of light being produced. As it is being used for inspection then I guess that it would be in the longer (lower energy) wave bands referred to as UVA (315-400 nm). The details of what you need to do are in the A Non-Binding Guide to the Artificial Optical Radiation Directive 2006/25/EC which can be downloaded for free from http://www.hse.gov.uk/ra...onionising/aor-guide.pdf This includes a number of worked examples including using a ‘black light’ of the sort you are describing.

The HSE Employers Guide is at:- http://www.hse.gov.uk/ra...nising/employers-aor.pdf It appears to be more clear regarding the types of sources that require specific risk assessment or not. List 1- Safe light sources For these sources, or similar, employees /contractors are not at risk and there isn’t a need to do anything further. List 1- Safe light sources that, if used inappropriately, e.g. placed extremely close to the eyes or skin, have the potential to cause harm but which are perfectly safe under normal conditions of use. List 2 Hazardous light sources Hazardous sources of light that present a ‘reasonably foreseeable’ risk of harming the eyes and skin of workers and where control measures are needed: