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Danger in Compact Fluorescents – Cleanup Procedure

Compact Fluorescent contain the deadly poison mercury. Mercury is more poisonous than lead or arsenic and can cause disorientation, migraine, imbalance and severe skin disorders just by touching or inhaling it. So if a compact fluorescent breaks, special care needs to be taken in the handling and cleanup of the mess to ensure minimal risk to the cleaner and others in the environment. Please follow the following procedure to minimise risk to yourself and others. I recommend printing this out and placing it with your cleaning gear so it is readily available when required.

  • If and when a compact fluorescent breaks, take very special care not to cut yourself on the glass (I have seen the pictures of people who have, it is REALLY ugly what mercury poisoning can do to a body) or walk through the debris, thus increasing the cleanup job.
  • To prevent you from breathing in vapours, hold your breath while you open a window or door to ventilate the area.
  • Immediately leave the room for 15 minutes to allow the dust to settle before attempting a clean up.
  • Put on rubber gloves.
  • If you have a mask, don it. If not, tie an old handkerchief or other disposable cloth around your nose and mouth while you are cleaning up the debris so you do not inhale mercury laden dust.
  • If you have disposable plastic overalls, don them to prevent particles lodging in your clothes.
  • If on a hard surface, DO NOT VACUUM the debris. That will stir and circulate mercury particles. If the compact fluorescent broke on carpet there may be no other choice than to vacuum.
  • Take to the cleanup area a damp cloth, dustpan, brush, stiff card or paper, some duct or sticky tape and a covered receptacle (can be a glass jar) and large sealable plastic bag into which to place the debris. This is so the dust does not get blown from the debris while you are transporting it.
  • Carefully pick up the large pieces of glass and place them in the glass jar.
  • If on a hard surface, use the stiff paper or card to scoop up the remaining powder and glass particles and place these in the debris receptacle.
  • Apply the duct or sticky tape to the remaining dust and glass particles to remove them and place the used tape into the debris receptacle.
  • If necessary, use a dustpan and brush to slowly and gently sweep up the remaining debris and place it into the covered receptacle.
  • Wipe the area with a damp cloth then place that cloth in the debris bag.
  • If the bulb was broken on carpet, vacuum the area and place the dust bag from the vacuum cleaner in the debris bag.
  • Once you are sure that the area is clean, remove your protective gear and place that in the debris bag.
  • Seal the debris bag and store outside.
  • DO NOT place the debris bag in your normal waste collection bins.
  • Contact your local council or garbage disposal provider to find out how to safely get rid of the debris bag.
  • The next several times you vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, first turn off any air conditioning or central heating and leave windows open to ventilate for 15 minutes after you vacuum. Then restart the AC or central heating.
  • Take to the cleanup area a damp cloth, dustpan, brush, stiff card or paper, some duct or sticky tape and a covered receptacle (can be a glass jar) and large sealable plastic bag into which to place the debris. This is so the dust does not get blown from the debris while you are transporting it.
  • Carefully pick up the large pieces of glass and place them in the glass jar.
  • If on a hard surface, use the stiff paper or card to scoop up the remaining powder and glass particles and place these in the debris receptacle.
  • Apply the duct or sticky tape to the remaining dust and glass particles to remove them and place the used tape into the debris receptacle.
  • If necessary, use a dustpan and brush to slowly and gently sweep up the remaining debris and place it into the covered receptacle.
  • Wipe the area with a damp cloth then place that cloth in the debris bag.
  • If the bulb was broken on carpet, vacuum the area and place the dust bag from the vacuum cleaner in the debris bag.
  • Once you are sure that the area is clean, remove your protective gear and place that in the debris bag.
  • Seal the debris bag and store outside.
  • DO NOT place the debris bag in your normal waste collection bins.
  • Contact your local council or garbage disposal provider to find out how to safely get rid of the debris bag.
  • The next several times you vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, first turn off any air conditioning or central heating and leave windows open to ventilate for 15 minutes after you vacuum. Then restart the AC or central heating.
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    More Prescription Drugs Do Not Mean Better Care

    The average American now takes close to 12 prescription drugs yearly but a new study shows that increased drug spending does not translate to better Medicare. Let’s see, 12 prescription drugs, each with an average of 70 side effects, that’s 12 x 70 = 840 side effect possibilities. Can’t see that being good for a body. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/11/more-drugs-do-not-mean-better-care.aspx?np=true

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    'Plastic Bottle' Solution for Arsenic-Contaminated Water Threatening 100 Million People

    With almost 100 million people in developing countries exposed to dangerously high levels of arsenic in their drinking water, and unable to afford complex purification technology, scientists have now described a simple, inexpensive method for removing arsenic based on chopped up pieces of ordinary plastic beverage bottles coated with a nutrient found in many foods and dietary supplements. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110831205923.htm