Depending on the type, there may be a partial vacuum or the lamp may be under pressure. Voltages at this level represent a strong shock hazard and improperly grounded fixtures or direct contact with electrical connectors or other wiring can result in severe injury or death.MercuryThe most commonly cited fluorescent lighting hazard is mercury. When compared to regular fluorescent lights with magnetic ballasts, the use of high frequency electronic ballasts fluorescent lights resulted in more than a 50% drop in complaints of eye strain and headaches. Indeed, widespread replacement of incandescent bulbs with CFLs will greatly reduce electricity demand; however, there are safety issues that ultimately contribute to making LED lighting the superior choice.

To use a CFL on a dimmer switch, you must buy a LED Street Lights Suppliers in China bulb that's specifically made to work with dimmers (check the package). If cut with fluorescent lamp glass, any phosphor that gets into the wound is likely to prevent blood clotting and will interfere with healing. GE makes a dimming compact fluorescent light bulb (called the Energy Smart Dimming Spirals®) that is specially designed for use with dimming switches. Fluorescent lighting in museums, archival libraries and manufacturing "clean room" areas usually have UV-absorbing sheeting applied to the lamps or the fixture lens to eliminate all UV light.

In the US, the EPA has ordered waste handlers to treat fluorescent lamps as hazardous waste.DimmersNever use a CFL with a dimmer in the circuit (unless it is specifically made to work with dimmers), even if the dimmer is set at the maximum setting.When servicing fluorescent fixtures and lamps, electrical power to the entire fixture should be disconnected.Because mercury will be released if a fluorescent lamp is broken, it is important to install fixtures in areas where the lamps are not likely to be broken. Doing so places you at risk of fire and at the very least will dramatically shorten the life of the lamp and the dimmer.

Use rubber disposable gloves and scoop up the materials with stiff paper or cardboard. BreakageFluorescent lamps create several hazards if broken.Finally, if a CFL bulb "buzzing" when it is installed in a fixture that is controlled by a dimmer switch, this is an indication that you have the wrong type of CFL bulb installed. Never place fluorescent lamps in trash compactors or incinerators, since this will release the mercury and contaminate the surrounding area. In these cases, insulating gloves and a nonmetallic ladder should be used if the fixtures must be serviced when power is present. Short-wave UV light is one of the damaging components of the suns rays that reach the surface of the Earth, which can directly damage organic tissue and trigger cancers.

This advice also applies when retrofitting a fluorescent fixture to mount LED tube lights. By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams, an amount equal to the mercury in 125 or more CFLs. When these bulbs are cold, some of the mercury in the lamp is in liquid form, but while the lamp is operating or when the lamp is hot, most of the mercury is in a gaseous or vapor form. Fixtures in areas close to the ground or in areas with moving equipment should use metal or plastic shields to protect the lamp from being broken. These complaints have been associated with the light flicker from fluorescent lights.To minimize exposure to mercury vapor, EPA and other experts advise a few precautions.

Fixtures with longer lamps operate at higher voltages, with some fixtures having starting voltages across the lamp as high as 950 VAC.Generally, fixtures with a plastic lens leak the smallest amount of UV light, mainly because most of the ultraviolet light gets absorbed in the plastic lens. Short-wave UV light can also age or damage paper, fabrics and other materials. State laws vary and some states, such as California, Maine, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Vermont and Massachusetts, prohibit all mercury-containing lamps, including CFLs, from being discarded in the solid waste stream. Cleanup can be done by hand using disposable materials. Although the amount of mercury in each fluorescent lamp is small, it is always important to avoid breaking fluorescent lamps, and used bulbs must be delivered to a hazardous waste handler. Even in liquid form, contact with mercury is considered life-threatening or a "severe" risk to health.