Student clubbers have had to be treated for gruesome skin rashes after partying at a Freshers’ Week foam night.
Hundreds of revellers descended on the Coven nightclub last week, raving into the early hours on a dancefloor filled with chemical foam fired out of cannons.
However many awoke the next day to find themselves covered in skin welts and itchy red blotches. Cases of the allergic reaction were first reported at Brasenose College, following a night that was also attended by both Mansfield and Oriel.
With increasing concern about the number of students suffering from the condition, Brasenose College doctors quickly contacted the Thames Valley Area Health Unit, who were called to deal with the problem. The outbreak of hives followed the Project Eden event during Thursday night of Freshers’ Week.
Allergic reaction
Hives, or Urticaria as it is officially known, is a skin condition commonly caused by an allergic reaction, with sufferers developing itchy red welts all over their bodies.
Pulse, the company running club nights on behalf of the Oxford University Student Union this year, held two foam party nights at the Coven during Freshers’ Week, as well as two UV bubble nights and more than a dozen other events.
A statement released by the organisation confirmed that several students had suffered skin rashes after attending the Coven party, but distanced themselves from the outbreak by pointing out that responsibility for the foam cannons lay with an outside events company.
“We are very sorry to hear that students developed mild skin reactions after the foam party,” it read.
“NiteGlo FX, an outside events company who ran the foam cannons for us, believe their suppliers used a different type of foam without informing them on the night of the event.
“There was no way in which we could have forseen this problem, but we will make every effort to ensure it does not happen again.
“Keeping the students who come to our nights safe and happy, while they have a great time, is our top priority.”
There have been at least half a dozen cases of students contracting the skin condition late last week. David Hart, owner of NiteGlo FX, later revealed that the problem may have originated from a last minute switch in the type of chemical foam used at the Coven event.
“There are two different types of foam that we use – one has a much thicker consistency, a bit like shaving foam,” he said. “We ran out of this kind on the night however, so we had to switch to the other type, which is much more watery and hasn’t been used by us for about a year.”
He said that they had been notified by the Health Authority the day after the foam party that some people had suffered allergic reactions.
“We immediately stopped using the second type of foam and cancelled a party that we had been booked to use it at that day,” he continued.
‘A dodgy batch’
“We’ve also given a bottle of the foam to the Health Authority for testing. This may well be just one dodgy batch, but we can’t tell for sure.”
Mr Hart added however that the outbreak of red rashes could also have been brought on by ravers not following health and safety advice displayed at the club that they should wash off the foam directly after the party.
“According to the Health Authority, it could also have possibly come down to some people going home and not having a shower afterwards,” he said.
Although a probe into the exact causes of the skin rash is still ongoing, an email circulated to students of Brasenose College by the Dean following the outbreak explicitly linked the affected students’ condition to contact with the chemical foam.
“Whilst the authorities are still investigating the cause of the skin rash, they are of the opinion that it is most likely a result of a mild contact allergy caused by the chemical foam used at last weeks foam party,” it said.
He stressed that the rash was not contagious and urged those who had suffered the skin rashes to come forward and receive treatment.
