Dangers of energy saving bulbs

Just recently I read an article in the English press which deals with the dangers encountered when handling or using energy saving light bulbs. The article went as far as to say that these bulbs are so dangerous that everyone must leave the room for at least 15 minutes if one of these bulbs falls to the floor and breaks. Experts in health care also submitted their views in this regard and amongst their opinions these interesting points emerged:

Toxic mercury inside the bulbs can aggravate a range of problems including migraines and dizziness.

People with skin complaints will find it hard to tolerate being near the bulbs as they cause conditions such as eczema to flare up. Shards of glass from broken bulbs should not be vacuumed up but instead swept away by someone wearing rubber gloves to protect them from the bulb's mercury content.

Care should be taken not to inhale any dust and the broken pieces should be put in a sealed plastic bag for disposal at a council dump and not in normal household bins.

It is interesting to note that none of these warnings are printed on the packaging of these bulbs when bought.

Further to the above, these bulbs are also a threat to the environment and unless they are disposed off in the proper way as in the case of batteries, the mercury inside these bulbs might contaminate the air and water supplies.

In the light of the vast campaign being made for the use of these energy savings bulbs it would be interesting to have the authorities confirm or deny these claims. If they are indeed true, the Health Department should inform the public of the dangers of these so-called eco-friendly bulbs.

This information should be given immediately as many people are now opting to replace the traditional bulbs with energy saving bulbs in order to cut down on their electricity bills.

Further correspondence giving information regarding this subject would be useful for those not aware of these complications.