Proper removal of mercury-containing lamp pieces.

The compact fluorescent tubes such as all fluorescent tubes contains mercury what is bad for health. According to directive EU 2002/95/EC (Directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment) the mercury content should not exceed 5 mg / lamp. For high-quality lamps, this value is below 1.5mg / lamp and contains mercury only in the form of an alloy, thus preventing mercury from being released when the lamp is damaged. This does not cause any damage to the health of the small amount of mercury contained in it. However, it is strongly recommended to ventilate illuminated rooms. If the lamp breaks or becomes damaged during operation, more mercury is released. Since the mercury in the energy-saving bulb is in the gas state while the light is on, while in the case of a cold lamp the mercury is in the form of small particles in a solid state on the inner wall of the glass.

Here are some recommended steps to do if the energy saving bulb breaks:
- Firstly ventilate the room for at least 15 minutes, and everybody and pets leave the room indmediately.
- Close the doors and do not escape between or through the pieces.
- Do not clean the parts of bulb with a vacuum cleaner or broom.
- Wear thick rubber gloves during cleaning that protects your hands from sharp shards and prevent direct contact with mercury.
- Carefully place the larger pieces in a hermetically sealed bag or box. Sweep the small pieces with a cardboard or other hard paper, than put them in the sealed bag, wipe the small residue with a damp cloth.
- Collect dust and small pieces on soft surfaces using adhesive tape.
- All cleaning equipment must be placed in an airtight bag and placed in a hazardous waste container. These are just as dangerous waste as well as spent energy-saving and compact fluorescent lamps.
- After you have finished collecting and removing the pieces, ventilate the room for a while, then wash your hands thoroughly.
- Finally, if possible should be remove the contaminated objects of an accident.