CFL Bulb Breakage: It Happened to Me

The other day, I posted about CFL light bulbs and how you need to know what to do if they break. Well, it’s happened to me.

I don’t know if it is fortuitous that I wrote the post, so I knew what to do, or if I brought it upon myself (à la law of attraction). But in any case, I can tell you that it’s a real pain to follow the EPA protocol.

The incident was precipitated by a couple of 18-pound Cairn Terriers, named Nutmeg and Nora, who for some reason, freaked out at some random sound outside and pulled a lamp cord with them when they went running. This caused the lamp to fall off the table and the CFL bulb to break.

First, Husband Jim, who says he saw the blog post I wrote, but didn’t read it, thought I was kidding when I said everyone had to get out of the room. As JulieAnn commented on the original post, what does that mean for the person who has to do the clean up? I guess I could have tried to find some sort of mask to wear during the clean-up process . . .

Next, I opened a door to air out the room. If we had forced-air gas heat, I would have been expected to not run it for several hours. Well, at least it was 34 degrees out, so it wouldn’t have been as bad as on some sub-zero nights we have had recently. Luckily, we have hot-water heat, so that step is not applicable here.

With an incandescent light bulb, I would have busted out the sweeper and sucked up the little shards of glass, but no, no, no. That is not allowed. Jim brought me some duct tape, and I patted the carpet around the area. Sure, it picked up the visible glass, but I can guarantee that there’s more down in the carpet crevices. Well, I guess the next time it gets vacuumed, those will be taken care of.

Then, I had to use wet paper towels to wipe the table, and those had to go in the garbage along with the light bulb. The garbage bag had to go in the garage to wait for garbage day next week. I’m sure the EPA would be happier if I had tucked the bag behind a bush outside to await Waste Management’s arrival.

I don’t know about you, but this whole scene seems fishy to me. Since when does the government get involved in such consumer environmental issues? The only thing incandescents were guilty of was of not lasting long enough and being inefficient with our energy. Now, we are being forced to use these energy-efficient, mercury-laden bulbs, and we didn’t have a choice. Congress apparently knows better. If they’re so interested in saving energy, why haven’t they outlawed internal-combustion engines, and why aren’t we all driving hybrids? I’d love to know whose pockets were padded over this one.

Mind you, I love reducing, reusing, and recycling, but it seems so odd to me that in the interest of saving energy, we are introducing a health risk to the public. Let’s hope not too many children are around CFL breaks, because we just got them to stop eating mercury-laced paint chips. Why is mercury bad? Well, it’s especially toxic for women and children, because mercury acts as a neurotoxin, interfering with the brain and nervous system.

Okay, so, in closing, if your CFL light bulb breaks, be sure to take precautions, get out your instructions, and dispose of the remains properly. Let’s be realistic, though. I estimate that just a small minority of folks will actually follow the CFL-disposal protocal.

Don’t you think that if the government mandates the use of a certain type of product, it should also be responsible for adequate public-safety notices related to the use of that product?

Ann Silverthorn is a writer who won’t be classified or categorized. One day she’s writing about her Cairn Terrier rescues, Nutmeg and Nora, and the next, she’s posting about a business topic or a research subject. Imagine the two of you are meeting for coffee, and she wants to share something new, interesting, or funny.