Question: Cracked My Hydrofarm 125CFL Yesterday. Stepped on a Shard this Morning....

[Stokstaartje]

How concerned should I be? Broke skin, a little less than 1/2 inch. Washed it out with Peroxide till it stopped bleeding - 10-15mins. Swabbed it with alcohol pad, applied Triple Antibiotic and band-aid.
I've been reading up on it, but the info from search engines is so typically 'Wiki" that I thought I'd ask here. If there's a page to read on site, would appreciate the link. If there isn't one, you should probably considering putting one up?

starr

 

[Lester Freeman]

Re: Question: Cracked My Hydrofarm 125CFL Yesterday. Stepped on a Shard this Morning.

You should treat it like any other wound, tend to it with love and monitor it You may need to consider seeing a medical doctor!

There is a small amount of toxic mercury vapor (multiple milligrams) in there, and when it breaks is released into the air.



1) Don't panic

2) Ventilate the room

3) Clean up the broken glass promply, but not with a vacuum cleaner, dust pan, or broom




Before Cleanup

• Have people and pets leave the room.
• Air out the room for 5-10 minutes by opening a window or door to the outdoor environment.
• Shut off the central forced air heating/air-conditioning system, if you have one.
• Collect materials needed to clean up broken bulb:
  • stiff paper or cardboard;
  • sticky tape;
  • damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes (for hard surfaces); and
  • a glass jar with a metal lid or a sealable plastic bag.

During Cleanup

• DO NOT VACUUM. Vacuuming is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken. Vacuuming could spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor.
• Be thorough in collecting broken glass and visible powder. Scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. Place the used tape in the glass jar or plastic bag.
• Place cleanup materials in a sealable container.

After Cleanup

• Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials, including vacuum cleaner bags, outdoors in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of. Avoid leaving any bulb fragments or cleanup materials indoors.
• Next, check with your local government about disposal requirements in your area, because some localities require fluorescent bulbs (broken or unbroken) be taken to a local recycling center. If there is no such requirement in your area, you can dispose of the materials with your household trash.
• If practical, continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the heating/air conditioning system shut off for several hours.

Hope this helps

Reference link : Mercury | US EPA