Truth about touching bulbs?

[j]

I saw a 12k globe blow on location once. sounded and looked like a hand grenade went off inside the housing. BOOM! lots of smoke and everyone hit the floor!

Do not touch...

 

[Bus No. 8]

I too, was taught the, "don't touch the bulbs" mantra for fear of the deadly skin oil syndrome. Until a studio gaffer told me recently that it's all bullsh*t, and he touches them all the time. I've been touching them ever since with no problems.

Maybe because the gaffer doesn't have to pay for the bulbs...?

 

[Justin Kuhn]

Yeah, I've seen globes with swollen fingerprints on 'em before...the theory I was told was that the oil traps heat and causes the glass to melt and distend, outwards because of all the heat output from the source or maybe because of all the heat escaping from that one spot with the finger oil on it, or a combination of both.

No touchy.

The good news is that you can clean off your print(s) right away if you do happen to touch a globe using rubbing alcohol or a similar agent (something that evaporates soon).