We need full spectrum affordable LEDs NOW!!! Incandescents are energy wasting fire hazards and CFLs are health hazards.
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http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/cfl_fact_sheet_final.pdfIf a Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb (CFL) accidentally breaks in the home,
stay calm. It is not an emergency. You can do the clean-up yourself if you
follow the information in this fact sheet.
CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, about the size of a pen point.
Mercury forms a vapor that you can inhale. If a bulb breaks, it needs to be
cleaned up properly to protect everyone in the house.
Before Cleaning Up
1. Keep infants, small children, pregnant women, and pets out of the room where the
bulb broke.
2. If you are pregnant, do not do the clean-up yourself. Find someone to do the clean-up
for you.
3. Turn off forced hot air heat, central air conditioners, and fans.
4. Open windows to allow fresh air in.
5. Leave the room for at least 15 minutes to allow the room to air out before beginning
clean-up. During this time read thru these instructions and gather the supplies you will
need for cleanup.
Before You Go Back To The Area gather the following supplies:
• Disposable gloves
• Flashlight
• Duct tape or other sticky tape
• 2 index cards or stiff pieces of paper
• Zip-lock bags
• Damp paper towels or rags
• Portable window fan (optional)
Clean-Up Steps
Keep people and pets out of the room where the bulb broke. This will prevent them from potentially inhaling mercury vapor and from tracking mercury to other parts of the house on shoes or paws. Infants, small children, and pregnant women are the most susceptible to mercury vapor, so special care should be taken to keep them out of the room.
During the initial clean-up, it is important to avoid vacuuming, sweeping, and using metal dust pans.
Hard Surfaces:
If a CFL breaks on a hard surface like tile, hardwood or linoleum floor, do the following:
1. Close the door to the room being cleaned if possible.
2. Put on disposable gloves.
3. Carefully pick up all large pieces of glass, and put them in a zip-lock bag.
4. Use index cards or stiff pieces of paper to push tiny bits of glass, powder, and other debris
into small piles. Carefully lift each pile and place into a zip-lock bag(s).
applicable to carpet/area rug clean-up]
5. Use sticky tape to pat the remaining debris. Try to pick up as much glass and powder as
you can. Replace with new pieces of tape when the stickiness diminishes.
6. Shine a bright flashlight in and around the area to look for glittering bits of glass or
mercury. Pat the area with sticky tape again until you do not see any more glittering with
the flashlight.
7. Put used tape and stiff cards into a zip-lock bag(s).
8. Pat the area with damp paper towels or rags to further clean-up debris. Put the used paper
towels, rags, and gloves in the zip-lock bag with other debris.
9. When you are finished with the clean-up, put the zip-lock bags in an outdoor trashcan
immediately. Getting the waste out of the house right away is an important safety step.
10. Wash your hands and face after the waste has been removed from the house.
11. Continue to ventilate the room for as long as possible (at least several hours). In addition
to opening windows, a portable fan may be placed in a window with the air blowing to
the outside to help exhaust the “dirty air” out of the building.
Do Not Vacuum - Do Not Sweep - Do Not Use Metal Dust Pans
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Soft surface cleanup instructions at the link
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