Uv Lights be warned - i wasnt and it hurts!

Thermo · 7 Apr 2010

Went though a not very nice experiance last night. Went to bed with my eyes feeling very sore. woke up 2 hours later in absolute agony with them and couldnt open them at all. Got taken to the eye hospital where i was found to have suffered some superficial burns to teh surface of the eyes. Luckily the damage isnt lasting, and they are already healing (combination of the eyes being quick heelers and the medication)

The cause was working on a pond filter system that had an exposed uv lamp that i had been exposed to for about 2 minutes. It gave exactly the same condition as arc eye, which is common with welding. I never made the connection with pond uv lights, and i have worked with them with pond filters, and never seen any warnings on them. The nurse siad she has only come across it a couple of times.

ColJack · 7 Apr 2010

oh come on... how do you not make the connection..
they are basically the same thing as sunbed tubes.. you got sunburn on your eyes..
the light KILLS bacteria and you think it's not going to be harmfull?

andjust for you, try a pair of these next time..

seco services · 7 Apr 2010

i know how you feel thermo been through the same with arc eyes and from a uv pond lamp.

it may clear up in a few days or a week but wait till summer
when the suns beating down they become really sore until they fully heal
which took mine 2yrs to feel better in the sun.

Thermo · 7 Apr 2010

ColJack said:
oh come on... how do you not make the connection..
they are basically the same thing as sunbed tubes.. you got sunburn on your eyes..
the light KILLS bacteria and you think it's not going to be harmfull?

andjust for you, try a pair of these next time..

well i obvoiusly ****ing didnt did i, so ive paid the price and i thought id put in on here so someone else doesnt do the same

Blasphemous · 7 Apr 2010

ColJack said:
oh come on... how do you not make the connection..
they are basically the same thing as sunbed tubes.. you got sunburn on your eyes..
the light KILLS bacteria and you think it's not going to be harmfull?

andjust for you, try a pair of these next time..

Col, Thermo is simply telling us what has happened to him and warning others of the same. I've had a few 'flashes' (welders arc eye), and yeah I knew it was going to happen but I worked in the trade. Why you've chosen to have a dig at Thermo because he was unaware of this is beyond me.

For those unaware: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Eye_injuries_flash_burns?open

ColJack · 7 Apr 2010

it wasn't intended as a malicious dig at him.. just a kind of "well duh!!" pally kind of jibe.. i need to get better at using smileys..

PrenticeBoyofDerry · 7 Apr 2010

Hope the eyes return to full use soon Thermo,
it just goes to show you can't be too careful.
Next time I get in a pond it's sunglasses and factor 50.
A full recover is wished.

and just to rub salt in, the site has put an ad for uv lamps on the post.

ColJack · 7 Apr 2010

on a serious note, doesn't it say on the filter box about harmfull uv radiation? it should and if it doesn't you might have a case against the manufacturers..

snico · 7 Apr 2010

I have a couple of pretty large UV systems on my pond. Few years back I got sore eyes after refitting a bulb and doing some other work. Was only minor redness but after telling the doctor what I had done he told me it was due to working on my pond.

Blasphemous · 7 Apr 2010

ColJack said:
it wasn't intended as a malicious dig at him.. just a kind of "well duh!!" pally kind of jibe.. i need to get better at using smileys..

Ah, my apologies mate.

Thermo · 7 Apr 2010

ColJack said:
it wasn't intended as a malicious dig at him.. just a kind of "well duh!!" pally kind of jibe.. i need to get better at using smileys..

no offence taken. I think what surprised me was it was one single small 25watt lamp

Had to wink as i couldnt see a smiley for both of them closed. rather they were like this really

they are getting better but by gawd do they feel bloomin sore. I think the thing the frightened me most was waking up in the middle of the night thinking i had gone blind. Irrational i know, but i just kept thinking i wouldnt be able to see my children again. Sometimes it takes a silly incident like this to realise how preciuos your health is and how easy we take it for granted at work.

Stivino · 7 Apr 2010

Should have had your shades on.
Out of interest, what type of UV lamp was it and what kind of pond filter?

Thermo · 7 Apr 2010

it was a small 25 watt 18 inch g25 uv lamp on an old green gennie box. No warning on the box or on the tube for that matter. I know more recent filter boxes now have a switch on that stops the lamp coming on unless its closed, so you dont get exposed to it.