The Health Ministry is recommending that individuals exposed to compact fluorescent lights for more than one hour a day make sure to stay at least 30 centimeters (about 12 inches) away from them. The popular, money saving CFL bulbs, the Ministry said, basing its decision on European health researchers, emits ultraviolet rays which can cause skin cancer. Although the likelihood of contracting cancer from the bulbs is small, the Ministry said, ensuring a distance of at least 30 centimeters from the bulbs during long periods of exposure is highly recommended.
The Ministry warning only applies to "naked" bulbs; when a bulb is covered by a plastic cover, even a clear one, the cover tends to absorb all the UV rays, studies it based it decision on said.