Your government at work, Fluorescent Light Bulbs

The new For more information, The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency has issued the following

guidelines for safely cleaning up broken compact fluorescent light
bulbs that contain MERCURY.

What to do if you acciden­tally break a bulb:

Before Cleanup: VENT the Room

Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.

Shut OFF the central forced-air heating/air condi­tioning system, if
you have one.

Cleanup Steps for Carpet or rugs

Wear disposable gloves, if available. Carefully scoop up glass
fragments and powder using stiff paper or

cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a
canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.

Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small
glass frag­ments and powder.

Vacuum the area were the bulb was broken. Remove the vacuum bag or
empty the canister and wash it

clean. Put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed planted bag and
rewash the canister

Cleanup Steps for Hard Surfaces

Wear disposable gloves, if available. Carefully scoop up glass
fragments and powder using stiff paper or

cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a
canning jar) or in a sealed plastic

bag. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining
small glass frag­ments and

powder. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or dispos­able wet
wipes and place them in the glass

jar or plastic bag. DO NOT use a vacuum or broom to clean up the
broken


Disposal of Clean-up Materials

Immediately place all cleanup materials, including gloves, outside the
building in a trash container or out­door

protected area, away from children, for the next normal trash. Wash your
hands after disposing of the jars or plastic

bags containing clean-up materials

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug:

Vent the Room During and After Vacuuming

For at least the next few times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air
heat­ing/air

conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming. Keep the central
heat­ing/air

conditioning system shut OFF and the window open for at least 15 minutes
after vacuuming is

completed. For more information, visit http://www.depweb.state.pa.us,
keyword: Household

Haz­ardous Waste. The Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Fact Sheet

On Apr 19, 4:00 pm, "Mike hunt" <mikehun... DeleteThis @lycos.com> wrote:
>       The new For more information,  The U.S. Environmental Protection
> Agency has issued the following
>
>       guidelines for safely cleaning up broken compact fluorescent light
> bulbs that contain MERCURY.
>
>       What to do if you acciden­tally break a bulb:
>
>       Before Cleanup: VENT the Room
>
>       Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
>
>       Shut OFF the central forced-air heating/air condi­tioning system, if
> you have one.
>
>       Cleanup Steps for Carpet or rugs
>
>       Wear disposable gloves, if available. Carefully scoop up glass
> fragments and powder using stiff paper or
>
>       cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a
> canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
>
>       Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small
> glass frag­ments and powder.
>
>       Vacuum the area were the bulb was broken. Remove the vacuum bag or
> empty the canister and wash it
>
>       clean.  Put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed planted bag and
> rewash the canister
>
>       Cleanup Steps for Hard Surfaces
>
>       Wear disposable gloves, if available. Carefully scoop up glass
> fragments and powder using stiff paper or
>
>        cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a
> canning jar) or in a sealed plastic
>
>        bag.  Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining
> small glass frag­ments and
>
>        powder. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or dispos­able wet
> wipes and place them in the glass
>
>       jar or plastic bag.  DO NOT use a vacuum or broom to clean up the
> broken
>
> Disposal of Clean-up Materials
>
> Immediately place all cleanup materials, including gloves, outside the
> building in a trash container or out­door
>
> protected area, away from children, for the next normal trash.   Wash your
> hands after disposing  of the jars or plastic
>
> bags containing clean-up materials
>
> Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug:
>
> Vent the Room During and After Vacuuming
>
> For at least the next few times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air
> heat­ing/air
>
> conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming.  Keep the central
> heat­ing/air
>
> conditioning system shut OFF and the window open for at least 15 minutes
> after vacuuming is
>
> completed.   For more information, visithttp://www.depweb.state.pa.us,
> keyword: Household
>
> Haz­ardous Waste. The Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Fact Sheet

You of course realize, I hope, that schools and businesses have been
using flourescent fixtures since the '50's? I've used the compact
flourescent bulbs for the past 15 years and never had one break. Even
have full spectrum 60 watters in each of my musicstand lights. Don't
use them if they scare you.

I wonder how much mercury is in a can of tuna compared to a compact
flourescent bulb? Anybody know?