Scoop up the larger pieces of glass from the floor.
Broken mercury light bulb on carpet.
Vacuum the area where the bulb was broken using the vacuum hose if available.
Cfls contain mercury a potentially dangerous substance that escapes from broken cfls into the immediate surroundings and therefore the breakage of a cfl bulb should be handled by carefully.
And remove the vacuum bag or empty and wipe the canister and seal the bag vacuum debris and any materials used to clean the vacuum in a plastic bag.
Stiff paper or cardboard sticky tape damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes for hard surfaces and an airtight container such as a glass jar with a metal lid or a resealable plastic bag.
The most important steps to reduce exposure to mercury vapor from a broken bulb are.
By comparison older thermometers contain a 500 milligrams of mercury.
They will be harder to clean up.
As soon as the accident occurs.
Tiny mercury droplets will settle throughout the area increasing the spread of the mercury in the room.
Broken glass from a shattered cup vase or light bulb is not only a nuisance to clean off of carpeting but also represents a hazard to anyone who walks in the area.
Leave the windows vents and doors to the outside open in order to continue to let the mercury vapor dissipate.
Place the shards into the glass jar or ziploc bag.
The droplets will evaporate faster and increase your chance of breathing high levels of mercury vapor.
If the lamp broke on a carpet you can vacuum but it.
Anything that rifles through the broken bits of your bulb is going to risk mercury contamination.
You can limit contamination by gathering up the large pieces of the broken bulb into a bag and set the bag outside.
Havepeople and pets leave the room.
Airout the room for 5 10 minutes by opening a window or door to the outdoor.
A vacuum cleaner or broom will break the mercury into smaller drops and spread it around more.
You ll also want to be sure not to use your vacuum as doing so will risk kicking mercury back up.
Collect the following materials to clean up the broken bulb.