CLEANING UP A BROKEN FLORESCENT LAMP

Tips: Cleaning Up a Broken Florescent Lamp or Bulb

Unlike modern LED lighting options, traditional fluorescent bulbs are prone to damage and when broken, spill harmful elemental mercury in your home or office space. Accidents happen, bulbs will break; and when they do, thorough and safe clean-up is of the upmost importance for your safety and that of those around you. Follow these tips for cleaning up broken CFLs to ensure a safe clean-up each and every time:

Pre-cleanup Tips

• Ask other people and pets to leave the room.
• Air out the room for 5-10 minutes - open a window or door to outside.
• Shut off the central forced air heating or air-conditioning system, if you have one.
• Collect materials to help clean up the broken bulb; some helpful items include:
  
  
  1. stiff paper or cardboard;
  2. sticky tape;
  3. damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes (for hard surfaces); and
  4. a glass jar with a metal lid or a sealable plastic bag.

During Cleanup Tips

• DO NOT VACUUM! Vacuuming is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken. Vacuuming could spread harmful mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor.
• Be thorough when 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 all cleanup materials in a sealable container.
• See the detailed cleanup instructions for more information, and for differences in cleaning up hard surfaces versus carpeting or rugs.

After Cleanup Tips

• Promptly place all debris and cleanup materials, including vacuum cleaner bags, outside in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of. Avoid leaving bulb fragments or cleanup materials indoors event.