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A man in Taiwan landed himself in a nightmare scenario after misusing a disinfecting lamp that emits ultraviolet (UV) light.

Burns to skin and eyes

The man, named Andy, is a professional test driver for cars and took to Facebook to tell his tale.

"Last night I took out a UV disinfecting lamp and placed it in my room for disinfection," said Andy.

Three hours later, the man had visible burns on both his legs. He was also unable to open both eyes.

Rushing to the emergency clinic, the doctor said he sustained damage to his corneas.

In an attached picture, one of his eyes was bloodshot:

He was instructed to rest for a few days and had to bandage his legs "like a mummy".

He hoped that his experience will warn others to use such devices carefully and alert them about this potential hazard.

"Of course I didn't know that the UV disinfecting lamp is so strong, that's why I was stupid enough to use it like this," said Andy.

Here's what the device looks like:

Don't use UV lamps while you're in the room

UV light is a form of radiation that kills viruses and bacteria by damaging its DNA. UV light is not visible to humans.

However, UV light can also penetrate our skin and eyes to cause burns, like sunburns, that could lead to skin cancer.

UV lamps should only be used when the room is empty and users should not look directly into the light.

Some devices have a time delay so users can leave the room, and other products have an occupancy sensor that turns off the device when motion is detected.

Users of such devices are reminded to read the instruction manual before operating them.

All images via Andy老爹.