Fluorescent Lighting makes people go dizzy....

[Geordielad]

Evening all,
I was asked last night if fluorescent lighting can make you feel sick, dizzy and have really bad headaches. I hadn't really ever thought about it till asked and I said they do flicker but had never heard of people feeling ill from it, but I said I would look into it. I've been searching the net and have found there are quite a lot of people that have suffered with this but I couldn't find any solutions to it. I am going to continue searching tho.
At the moment there are 4 rows of 6 4ft fluorescent switch start fittings which each have 4 lamps in. So if i was to change/ alter anything it would be a long job.
Has anyone heard of this before and is there anything we can do to prevent people feeling ill?
The lights are in a church hall so if I was to go down the high frequency route it could end up costing quite a bit, which they may not want to pay for.
I had thoughts of perhaps some thing at the DB end that could counter this or maybe re-lamp entire hall with a different lamp, but I'm not sure.

Thanks in advance to any help

 

[Plonker 3]

Could you not spread the load of the fittings across 2 different phases?
Unless it is only affecting people who suffer from epilepsy then you may have to change the fittings.

 

[Geordielad]

Off the top of my head I am sure it's spread over 3 phase supply. I need to check it out over the weekend. At the moment I have heard of the lights only affecting one person so I'm a bit doubtful they'll change 24 fittings for one.

 

[markc123]

Never heard of this in my life, like Dillb says its probably people with epilepsy, but if its everyone then i agree fittings to be changed....does that mean they just sit and stare at them?

The flicker...is that upon start-up or a constant flicker?

 

[Guest55]

2 words.
H.F.
;-)

 

[Thefailsafe2012]

Heard this before, seems to be particularly bad in offices whilst your staring at a computer screen, may be wrong but is it worth fitting diffusers to them? If I remember right something like a category 2 diffuser is used in offices to help reduce eye strain, though not sure of the benefits in a church hall.

 

[Des 56]

I have heard complaint about florries quite a few times
Other han the epilepsi example,I would suggest most frequency moaners use it to get something to blame their stress upon

Getting them to blink 25 times a second should just about do the trick

 

[Plonker 3]

Heard this before, seems to be particularly bad in offices whilst your staring at a computer screen, may be wrong but is it worth fitting diffusers to them? If I remember right something like a category 2 diffuser is used in offices to help reduce eye strain, though not sure of the benefits in a church hall.

Cat 2 diffusers are more to do with glare off the PC monitor as it can strain the eyes, wouldn't think they would work in this situation.

 

[MDJ]

High Frequency Fitting with colour 840 tubes, this is the answer to your question, a nice bright white daylight type of natural light and non flickering, it is well known to help with the type of problem you have mentioned, I wouldn't give you a penny for a fluorecsent with a starter myself, I never buy them now.

 

[Guest55]

High Frequency Fitting with colour 840 tubes, this is the answer to your question, a nice bright white daylight type of natural light and non flickering, it is well known to help with the type of problem you have mentioned, I wouldn't give you a penny for a fluorecsent with a starter myself, I never buy them now.

nice !
shame i got there at post #5 lol.
good try chuck.
;-)

 

[MDJ]

nice !
shame i got there at post #5 lol.
good try chuck.
;-)

Never read it haha, but yep I will concede, you beat me too it and I look like a tool haha, cheers Biff, now wheres my paper bag??????????????????????

 

[Guest55]

markc123's probably got it lol.

 

[markc123]

mark123's probably got it lol.

who?

 

[Guest55]

you're imagining things.
;-)

 

[GLENNSPARK]

QUOTE=Geordielad;691806]Evening all,
I was asked last night if fluorescent lighting can make you feel sick, dizzy and have really bad headaches. I hadn't really ever thought about it till asked and I said they do flicker but had never heard of people feeling ill from it, but I said I would look into it. I've been searching the net and have found there are quite a lot of people that have suffered with this but I couldn't find any solutions to it. I am going to continue searching tho.
At the moment there are 4 rows of 6 4ft fluorescent switch start fittings which each have 4 lamps in. So if i was to change/ alter anything it would be a long job.
Has anyone heard of this before and is there anything we can do to prevent people feeling ill?
The lights are in a church hall so if I was to go down the high frequency route it could end up costing quite a bit, which they may not want to pay for.
I had thoughts of perhaps some thing at the DB end that could counter this or maybe re-lamp entire hall with a different lamp, but I'm not sure.

Thanks in advance to any help[/QUOTE]
stick some of these in for them...

View attachment untitled.bmp

 

[Geordielad]

Thanks everyone for your help. I thought it would be the H.F route that would cure the problem but wasn't sure if there was an alternative. The lights don't appear to flicker or scroll (as I've seen in the past with t8 tubes) but it just one lady who feels ill as soon as she gets in to the church with the fluorescent lights on. She did mention that it not just in the church, she can feel ill in certain shops as well.
The diffusers that are in at the moment are the metal ones that kinda look like rows and squares!
Hmm..... not a great technical way of describing the diffusers for a spark to use but hey ho i understand what i mean. Maybe if i spend the night drinking i could come back later with a better way of describing them! Or for that matter answering my own question!!!

 

[Guest55]

your pic / link hasnt worked glenn lol.
im hoping it was something offensive ;-)

 

[GLENNSPARK]

your pic / link hasnt worked glenn lol.
im hoping it was something offensive ;-)

sorted..lol..

 

[brman]

I can confirm standard flossies can make people pretty ill even if they aren't epileptic. In my case I went through a period where they triggered migraines.

There was something about some lights that would trigger it - I can see the flicker of a normal tube and those in a supermarket chill cabinet are often the worst. I quite often went for a pint of milk and ended up with a blinding headache for the rest of the day along with vomiting and disrupted vision for an hour or so. Not nice!
I never had a problem with CFLs or HF fittings.......

 

[ian.settle1]

2 words.
H.F.
;-)

Thats 2 letters not 2 words :laugh3: