Black ceiling tiles reduce occupational ultraviolet light exposure from phototherapy cabinets

Phototherapy clinics administer ultraviolet (UV) light to patients using phototherapy cabinets. The UV radiation from these cabinets is reflected on the white ceiling tiles of the clinic and is then redirected toward both staff and patients in the area. This is particularly problematic for clinical technologists who must undertake dosimetry in these areas and have a specific time (often as low as 30 min) before they reach their maximum exposure limit. By replacing white tiles with black ones, which absorb any stray radiation, we were able to reduce stray reflection by almost 90%, prolonging the time to maximum exposure by nearly 10 times. We present these findings to encourage other similar clinics to undertake the simple protocols outlined in this article, which will significantly improve staff and patient safety.