And the MSDS sheet sure can put the fear into you if you don’t understand dosing quantities, air volumes and circulation, and exposure.
So we were pleased to find that OSHA has actually published a quick card to protect workers and companies from bad advice and give authoritative guidance on reducing the risks from broken mercury containing fluorescent bulbs and tubes.
Safe Cleanup of Broken Fluorescent Bulbs
Notify workers and tell them to stay away from the area.
Open any windows and doors to air out the room.
Do not use a broom or vacuum cleaner unless the vacuum cleaner is specifically designed to collect mercury.
Use a commercial mercury spill kit if available, or scoop up pieces of glass and powder with stiff paper or cardboard to avoid contact with the broken glass.
Use sticky tape to pick up any remaining pieces of glass.
Wipe down hard floors with a damp paper towel.
Place all pieces of glass and cleanup materials in a sealable plastic bag or a glass jar with a lid.
Wash your hands thoroughly after cleanup.
Myself, I’d put the debris collected in a metal paint can type of container. Why put the hazardous debris in a plastic bag which will not contain the mercury vapors? Why put it in another easily breakable glass jar? Metal can is safer.
Fluorescent light bulbs save energy by producing more light for less wattage, requiring less energy and therefore less fuel burned.
However, the downside of this is the fact that these bulbs contain mercury, making disposal problematic. (When the mercury atoms are energized, they emit UV rays which cause the phosphors in the tube to glow (fluoresce)- producing visible light.)
Exposures to mercury can affect the human nervous system and harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system.
The point is to minimize release of vapor that may contain Mercury. Here are 5 steps for handling fluorescent ‘s under Universal Waste rules:
Used lamps should be collected and packaged so as to minimize damage;
Employees should be trained on the hazards and procedures involving these type of “universal waste;”
Used lamps may be collected and stored on site for up to one year for recycling- Check your local regulations- they may be more stringent.
Shipments must be sent to a handler of universal waste or final recycling facility;
Businesses may not otherwise dispose of, mix with other waste or ‘treat’ mercury containing lamps.
Break one- here is what the EPA says you need to do for both CFL’s and Fluorescent tubes:
MSDS inaweza kuwa na athari kubwa kwa afya yako ikiwa hujui kiasi cha hewa, kiasi cha hewa, na mzunguko wa hewa. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, OSHA imechapisha ""karatasi ya haraka"" ili kulinda wafanyakazi na makampuni kutoka kwa ushauri mbaya na kutoa mwongozo wa mamlaka juu ya kupunguza hatari za kutoweka kwa mercury iliyo na bulbs na mabomba ya fluorescent." Usafi salama wa balbu za fluorescent zilizovunjika Waarifu wafanyakazi na kuwaambia waendelee mbali na eneo hilo. Fungua madirisha na milango ili hewa itoke chumbani. Usitumie kijiti au vacuum cleaner isipokuwa vacuum cleaner ni maalum iliyoundwa kukusanya zebaki. Tumia vifaa vya kibiashara vya kuvuja zebaki ikiwa inapatikana, au chukua vipande vya glasi na poda kwa karatasi ngumu au kadi ili kuepuka kuwasiliana na glasi iliyovunjika. Tumia mkanda wa kunata ili kuokota vipande vyovyote vya kioo vilivyobaki. Futa sakafu ngumu kwa kitambaa cha karatasi chenye unyevunyevu. Weka vipande vyote vya glasi na vifaa vya kusafisha katika mfuko wa plastiki au chupa ya glasi yenye kifuniko. Osha mikono yako kwa uangalifu baada ya kusafisha. Mimi mwenyewe, ningeweka mabaki yaliyokusanywa katika chombo cha rangi ya chuma. Kwa nini kuweka mabaki hatari katika mfuko wa plastiki ambayo haitakuwa na mvuke wa zebaki? Kwa nini uiweke katika chupa nyingine ya kioo inayoweza kuvunjika kwa urahisi? Chupa ya chuma ni salama zaidi. Taa za fluorescent huokoa nishati kwa kutokeza mwanga zaidi kwa nguvu kidogo, zikihitaji nishati kidogo na kwa hiyo mafuta machache yanayotumiwa. Hata hivyo, ubaya wa jambo hilo ni kwamba balbu hizo zina zebaki, na hilo hufanya iwe vigumu kuzitupa. (Wakati atomu za zebaki zina nguvu, zinatoa miale ya UV ambayo husababisha phosphors katika bomba kung'aa (fluoresce) - kuzalisha mwanga unaoonekana.) Kuathiriwa na zebaki kunaweza kuathiri mfumo wa neva wa binadamu na kuharibu ubongo, moyo, figo, mapafu, na mfumo wa kinga. Kusudi ni kupunguza kutolewa kwa mvuke ambao unaweza kuwa na zebaki. "Hizi ni hatua tano za kushughulikia fluorescent chini ya sheria za taka za ulimwengu: ""Lamps kutumika zinapaswa kukusanywa na kufungwa ili kupunguza uharibifu; Wafanyakazi wanapaswa kufundishwa juu ya hatari na taratibu zinazohusisha aina hii ya taka za ulimwengu;"" Lamps kutumika zinaweza kukusanywa na kuhifadhiwa kwenye tovuti kwa hadi mwaka mmoja kwa ajili ya kuchakata - angalia kanuni zako za mitaa - zinaweza kuwa ngumu zaidi." Meli lazima kutumwa kwa handler ya taka ya jumla au kituo cha mwisho cha kuchakata; Biashara haziwezi vinginevyo kuondoa, kuchanganya na taka nyingine au "kutunza" taa zenye zebaki. Kuvunja moja- hapa ni nini EPA anasema unahitaji kufanya kwa wote CFL <unk>s na mabomba fluorescent: