Energy Saving Bulbs have been in existence for a long time now. As the name indicates, these bulbs are more effective as compared to an ordinary bulb in terms of power consumption. Most of us are currently using these bulbs in order to save on electricity consumption and ultimately the electricity bill!
Energy Saving Bulbs will come in different shapes on the market with different ratings in terms of Voltage or Watts and they will definitely save our pockets especially that, we are buying electricity in our respective houses.
Some Health and Safety issues on these Low-Energy Light Bulbs
However these types of bulbs, if broken, cause serious danger.
- If one breaks, everybody will have to leave the room for at least 15 minutes, because it contains Mercury (poisonous) which causes migraine, disorientation, imbalances and different other health problems when inhaled.
- It causes many people with allergies, severe skin conditions and other diseases just by touching this substance or inhaling it.
- Do NOT clean the debris of the broken bulb with a vacuum cleaner, because it would spread the contamination to the other rooms in the house when using the vacuum cleaner again. It MUST be cleaned up with a normal broom or brush, be kept in a sealed bag and disposed of right away from the house in a bin for hazardous materials.
Below is the advice on what to do if a Low-Energy bulb breaks be it at home or areas where these bulbs can be found:
- Evacuate the room, taking care not to step on the shards of glass littering the floor.
- Do Not use a vacuum cleaner to clear up the mess as the machines sucking action could spread toxic mercury droplets around the house.
- Put on rubber gloves and sweep the debris onto the dustpan.
- Place the remains in a plastic bag and seal it.
- Do Not put the plastic in a normal household bin, instead place it in a municipal recycling bin for battereis, which also contain mercury or take it to a council dump where it can be disposed of safely.
- Try not to inhale dust from the broken bulb.
