UV hazard for workers: the case of a supermarket

We examined the UVR levels in a supermarket where some workers reported skin (erythema) and eye disorders (keratoconjuntivitis) or visual discomfort at the end of the working time. According to the hypothesis that the diseases were caused by exposure to UV radiation from some fluorescent lamps used for general lighting, we identified the suspicious sources and evaluated the UV hazard by using a broad-band radiometer and a spectroradiometer. The UVR measurements were performed in situ in order to quantify UVR exposure in a reliable manner. The radiometer was updated for actinic hazard evaluation, while the spectroradiometer, based on a silicon photodiode-array detector, allowed us to perform UV-A hazard evaluations and the spectral analysis of the emissions in the range from 250 to 400 nm. We evaluated that a UV hazard was associated to the emission of some actinic components emitted by a particular lamp model, so we suggested suitable shielding to solve the problem. Our method also allowed us to check the quality of the emission spectra in the Visible spectral region.