The Effects of Fluorescent Ballast Exploding
- The explosion caused by a faulty ballast can spread glass and toxic vapor.light bulbs image by Roxy from Fotolia.com
The ballast is a small electrical device that keeps the fluorescent light bulb working properly. When ballasts stop working properly, they can let in a surge of current into the bulb, too much for it to handle. The bulb then flashes out or explodes, burning the ballast in the process. This explosion effect is rare, but can cause several problems and pose health hazards for those nearby. - Fluorescent bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, one of the reasons they must be transported and recycled safely. This mercury vapor allows the bulb to work, but is very toxic and can be inhaled by humans. When the bulb explodes, the vapor is released into the air, where it can be dangerous to nearby people until it has settled to the ground or floated away.
- Broken glass is one of the most obvious byproducts of the exploding bulb. However, when the ballast short-circuits and the bulb is overwhelmed by electricity, the resulting minor explosion can hurl glass shards farther than a normal breaking bulb. Some of the shards will be very small and difficult to notice. Workers must use caution and thoroughly clean the surrounding area after the mercury vapor is dispersed.
- Fluorescent bulbs use ultraviolet, or UV, light, but it is almost completely absorbed by the bulb coating. If the bulb shatters but the light keeps on working for a brief period of time, there is a chance it will produce UV radiation that can damage the eyes of anyone looking at the bulb when it exploded. Because these explosions are electrical, UV light release tends to be rare and very brief.
- The exploding bulb will also create a fire hazard. The electrical heat created can possibly ignite nearby substances, especially if they're flammable. It's also possible that the burnt ballast will affect the fluorescent light socket as well, creating heat near or in the wall.
