Safety Alert #: EX SA 013
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 container 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 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.
WARNING: Mercury is dangerous, more poisonous than lead or arsenic!
Below is the advice on what to do if a Low – energy light 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 clean 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 batteries which also contain mercury or take it to a council dump where it can be disposed of safely. As LMC Residents, we can make use of separate Black Refuse Plastic Bags with emphasis on advice number 5 above.
- Try not to inhale dust from the broken bulb.
Attached are photo’s from a person who stepped onto a broken bulb on the 10th February 2011, and his foot got infected with mercury poisoning.
ENERGY SAVER GLOBE – MERCURY EXPOSURE
What happened.
On the 10th February 2011 the energy saver globe fused at the home of the IP. He did not wait for the globe to cool down, standing on a chair with a piece of cloth and remove the energy saver globe. Due to the heat of the energy saver globe he dropped the globe. As the globe fell on the floor it “explode” (brake). As he descend from the chair he stepped into the broken glass and exposed mercury powder. The IP was admitted to hospital for treatment of the cuts. He spent two weeks in ICU and at one stage it was feared that his foot need to be amputated. Currently his foot is connected to a vacuum pump to remove continuously dead tissue. Long road of recovery is awaiting him.
ENERGY SAVER GLOBE – MERCURY EXPOSURE
ENERGY SAVER GLOBE – MERCURY EXPOSURE
Vacuum Pump Connected to remove dead tissue from the foot.