Energy saving light bulbs - if they break

geordie_joe

Well, according to the news two minutes ago the official guidelines for what to do if an energy saving light bulb breaks are.

1. Stop breathing immediately.
2. Open a window
3. run out of the room and close the door behind you.
4. Do not go back in the room for at least 15 minutes.
5. after 15 minutes re-enter the room wearing a mask and armed with a dust pan and brush and a sealable plastic bag.
6. sweep up the bits and seal them in the plastic bag. (DO NOT USE A HOOVER)
7. Take to your local council, who should have the facilities to dispose of the bulb.

H&S going a bit far me thinks.

heather38

that's because they contain mercury which is a poisonous heavy metal. quite good advice i think. that stuff can kill you.

geordie_joe

heather38 wrote: »

that's because they contain mercury which is a poisonous heavy metal. quite good advice i think. that stuff can kill you.

Only if half a ton of it hits you on the head.

Mercury is also found in strip lights, and far more of it is found in thermometers, yet nobody has ever said these were dangerous.

The problem is the H&S people have done all the obvious things, like "don't look for gas with a candle" and "don't climb on your roof to adjust your TV aerial in a thunder storm". So now they have to find the smallest risk and make a mountain out of it.

Take spuds, if you eat eight tons of spuds in one day you will digest enough poison to make you vomit. If spuds had been discovered yesterday they would not be allowed into the country.

The point of my post was to highlight the stupidity if the H&S people. They are paid to find things which are dangerous, but now they are reduced to making like with things that are dangerous and every day things that aren't.

e.g. Mercury, in sufficient quantities is harmful, energy saving light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, there for they advise you to run for the hills when one breaks.

HugoSP

geordie_joe wrote: »

Only if half a ton of it hits you on the head.

To be fair mercury in small quantities is poisness and I suspect a risk assessment has been carried out to assess:

1. The likelihood of the person ingesting or breathing in harmful substances
2. The severity of the effects if they do

They then multiply the scores they get and then if it comes over a magic number they then publish.

Being electrocuted in a thundersorm whilst on the roof is quite likely and the severity of the effects are probably going to be fatel.

I'm surprised they haven't asked us to keep small children away from a broken bulb. For a child 1 above is increased and, due to their low body weight/small size, 2 would be as well.

heather38

you can't buy murcury thermometers anymore.

frivolous_fay

geordie_joe wrote: »

Mercury is also found in strip lights, and far more of it is found in thermometers, yet nobody has ever said these were dangerous.

That's odd, because if you broke a thermometer at my school in the early 90s, all hell broke loose. Kids were made to stand well clear of any mercury and the science class went on hold until a guy with some special powder arrived to clear it up.

geordie_joe

heather38 wrote: »

you can't buy murcury thermometers anymore.

I think you mean "They don't make them anymore" You can still buy second hand ones. Many of which are antiques and very sought after.

Also, just because you can't buy one today doesn't mean you didn't buy one twenty years ago and still have it on the wall.

heather38

yes but 20 years ago they still used asbestos. doesn't make that safe either.

slipp_digby

geordie_joe wrote: »

Well, according to the news two minutes ago the official guidelines for what to do if an energy saving light bulb breaks are.

1. Stop breathing immediately.
2. Open a window
3. run out of the room and close the door behind you.
4. Do not go back in the room for at least 15 minutes.
5. after 15 minutes re-enter the room wearing a mask and armed with a dust pan and brush and a sealable plastic bag.
6. sweep up the bits and seal them in the plastic bag. (DO NOT USE A HOOVER)
7. Take to your local council, who should have the facilities to dispose of the bulb.

H&S going a bit far me thinks.

strange this has come about now the normal GLS lamps are being phased out for CFLs.

some with a hidden agenda maybe? or am I just a cynic

djbd1973

slipp_digby wrote: »

strange this has come about now the normal GLS lamps are being phased out for CFLs.

some with a hidden agenda maybe? or am I just a cynic

Careful... at this rate the H&S people are going to risk assess this forum and slap a warning here too

barrymung

frivolous_fay wrote: »

That's odd, because if you broke a thermometer at my school in the early 90s, all hell broke loose. Kids were made to stand well clear of any mercury and the science class went on hold until a guy with some special powder arrived to clear it up.

When I was at school they gave you mercury to play experiment with, in Chemistry!!