You can hardly find a house or apartment that does not have a thermometer for measuring body temperature - an indispensable device for any ailment. And, for the most part, thermometers in houses in the post-Soviet space are mercury. Electronic and infrared temperature meters, although they have been on the market for quite a long time, are replacing their older counterparts quite slowly.

Older people are skeptical about innovations and believe that only a mercury thermometer can accurately measure temperature, while the younger generation uses what they inherited and changes the thermometer to a modern one only when the mercury one... breaks.

Safety rules when using a mercury thermometer

Of course, this is an aggravated picture. Mercury thermometers have long been treated with care, knowing that they cannot be broken, because inside there is a very dangerous substance - mercury. But thermometers are beating and being aware of the list of actions that need to be taken in such a situation means being ready to overcome it with minimal consequences.
First you need to learn the main rules for handling a mercury thermometer, which will minimize the likelihood of it breaking:

• First and foremost: a thermometer is not a toy. Under no circumstances should children be given it, even just to hold it in their hands;
• the mercury thermometer should be stored in a durable case, usually plastic, in a place where children do not have access;
• When “knocking down” the thermometer, be extremely careful. Don't take it with wet hands and move away from hard objects. This will avoid slipping and accidental impact;
• Take your child's temperature only under your supervision. Try to hold the patient's hand yourself, as children are known to be restless and forgetful.

Why is a broken thermometer dangerous?

Mercury, with which temperature is measured, is element 80 of the periodic table and belongs to the first class of danger, representing a cumulative poison. This is a metal that is in a liquid state in the range from -39 to +357 degrees Celsius. That is, it is the only metal that at room temperature is not in solid, but in liquid aggregate form. At the same time, already from +18 degrees, mercury begins to evaporate, releasing extremely toxic fumes. And it is precisely this fact that makes broken thermometer extremely dangerous incident.

The amount of mercury in an ordinary thermometer is about two to five grams. If all the mercury evaporates in a room with an area of ​​18-20 square meters, then the concentration of mercury vapor in the room will be about 100 milligrams per cubic meter. And this is 300 thousand times more than the maximum permissible concentration for residential areas, since when standard indicators The level of mercury in residential premises should not exceed 0.0003 milligrams per cubic meter. Of course, these are more theoretical calculations. Natural ventilation of rooms will never lead to such an excess, and to evaporate all the mercury you need very high temperature. But without proper action, a broken thermometer will lead to exceeding the maximum permissible concentration of mercury vapor by 50-100 times, which is also quite a lot and very dangerous.

It should also be noted that mercury tends to accumulate in the body. That is, without collecting it carefully, the consequences of inhaling mercury vapor may appear several weeks later, when you have already forgotten about the broken thermometer. In this case, diagnosing the causes of the malaise will be very difficult.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning

If a thermometer breaks, the spilled liquid metal is unlikely to bring critical consequences, if by this concept we mean paralysis, irreversible changes in vital systems and death. Inhalation of mercury vapor from a broken thermometer may cause symptoms following symptoms:

• metallic taste in the mouth;
• general weakness;
• lack of appetite;
• headache and discomfort when swallowing;
• nausea and vomiting.

Failure to provide timely assistance to the victim entails increased symptoms of poisoning, which is manifested by the following markers:

• bleeding gums;
• abdominal pain;
• loose stools with mucous and blood inclusions;
• a sharp increase in body temperature, sometimes up to 40 degrees.

Such symptoms are a reason for immediate hospitalization. Without qualified medical care, the consequences can be critical, even death.
Mercury vapor is especially dangerous for children and women during pregnancy. In the first category, even short-term inhalation of mercury vapor can lead to serious problems in the functioning of the kidneys, and in pregnant women this situation can provoke intrauterine damage to the fetus. Therefore, both children and pregnant women, even without the above-mentioned symptoms, should consult a doctor after just being in the room where the thermometer broke.

First aid for mercury poisoning

The appearance of symptoms of mercury vapor poisoning is a signal to immediately call an ambulance. Before her arrival, the victim should be allowed to drink as much as possible. possible quantity water, which will wash the body and it is very advisable to take the drug Polysorb (price - from 120 rubles depending on the dosage). It belongs to the class of enterosorbents and is recommended for use in acute poisoning.

That's enough unique remedy: the sorption capacity of Polysorb exceeds 300 milligrams per gram of powder, it begins to act within a few minutes after administration and Polysorb has no contraindications for age.

The dosage of the drug is carried out depending on the person’s weight according to the following table:

A mercury thermometer broke: what to do?

But, in fact, a broken thermometer, with correct and well-established actions, is nothing more than an unpleasant situation that can be resolved on your own.
First of all, if the thermometer breaks, remember it physical properties and cool, if possible, the room to 18 degrees. At this temperature, mercury does not evaporate. Often, this just requires turning off the heating, turning on the air conditioning and opening the window. In a room with spilled mercury there should be no draft, which can crush mercury balls, so we open only one window.

Then we deal with the consequences. If you have not yet come into contact with mercury, then change your shoes and change into clothes and shoes that you won’t mind throwing away. It is advisable to wear rubber shoes and clothes made of fabric that does not absorb anything. A cellophane raincoat will do. We put rubber gloves on our hands and a damp cloth bandage on our face.
Prepare a sufficient amount of potassium permanganate solution (20 grams of potassium permanganate per 10 liters of water) and a soap-soda solution in a separate container. We put some of the potassium permanganate into a glass jar with a tight lid.

Scattered mercury resembles small metal balls. If they are on the floor, collecting them will not be difficult. We collect the larger ones with a sheet of paper and put them in a jar. The smaller ones are covered with a piece of tape, which we then also dip into potassium permanganate. Next, carefully, preferably with a flashlight, inspect the places where mercury could have rolled in - cracks, corners, baseboards. We roll balls out of them with a metal knitting needle, or we suck them up with a douching bulb. We also send all this into a container with potassium permanganate, as well as the remains of the thermometer. We tear off the baseboard and also pack it in a tight bag for later disposal. In the light of a flashlight, the mercury balls will give off a distinct metallic sheen, so that on a flat floor they will all be clearly visible.

Having collected all the mercury, wash the floor and all surfaces where mercury could get in with soap and water. soda solution, clothes, gloves and shoes we put in a bag, which we tie tightly and we call the Ministry of Emergency Situations on 112. They will tell you where you can dispose of the collected mercury and things that have been in contact with it.

We wash ourselves thoroughly, rinse several times. oral cavity soda solution and take several tablets of activated carbon for disinfection.

We close the room where the thermometer was broken from visitors for a week, leaving one window open. We regularly disinfect the floor with a soap and soda solution.

Much the situation is more complicated when mercury from a thermometer gets onto a fabric surface or if mercury thermometer crashed in a place where it is impossible to collect mercury: in a room with cracks in the floor or where a lot of things are laid out. In such cases, it will be impossible to do without the help of specialists. In such a situation, the first step will be to remove people and animals from the premises. Then you need to open one window, eliminating the possibility of a draft, and call laboratory service specialists who work at sanitary and epidemiological stations and at the departments of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Using special equipment, they will be able to determine the concentration of mercury vapor, as well as the items that will need to be disposed of. Most likely, you will need to say goodbye to everything that mercury could have gotten on.

What not to do if the thermometer breaks

You also need to remember the list of actions that should never be done in a situation where a thermometer in your house is broken:

• Mercury balls cannot be collected with a broom or vacuum cleaner. In such cases, the liquid metal only crushes, and the warm movement of the vacuum cleaner promotes its evaporation. The consequences of such cleaning will only worsen the current situation;
• collected mercury, even in a tightly closed glass jar with a solution of potassium permanganate, should not be thrown into a garbage chute or trash container. There it will inevitably break over time, which will endanger other people (mercury from one thermometer can pollute up to six thousand cubic meters air). Remains of a mercury thermometer and collected mercury are disposed of only according to the recommendations of Emergencies Ministry specialists;
• It is strictly forbidden to wash items that have been in contact with mercury in a washing machine. Even using disinfectants detergents. Recycling mercury is very complex process and such actions not only will not save clothes and things, but will also make further washing dangerous;
• Do not flush mercury down the drain. It will not reach the waste station, but will settle in the “elbows” of the pipeline and will pollute the air with evaporation for a long time.

And most importantly: if the thermometer breaks, you should never panic. In such a situation, she is your main enemy. If you are worried about what happened and cannot remember what to do, just dial the number of the Ministry of Emergency Situations 112. They will always provide you with qualified advice and tell you in detail what to do if the thermometer breaks. And in difficult cases- will be sent to the appropriate services that will eliminate the consequences of the incident.

Every family must have a thermometer in their first aid kit to measure body temperature. Modern electronic or infrared thermometers are safe, but most people use Soviet mercury thermometers the old fashioned way, considering them more accurate.

But if a thermometer in your apartment breaks during an awkward movement, what should you do? Should I cope on my own or run to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations, an ambulance and the sanitary and epidemiological station?

Since childhood, everyone knows that mercury is dangerous to human health, but glass things tend to break. That is why mercury temperature meters have always been treated with care and precision, perhaps because of this they are found in every second family in the post-Soviet space.

The safety rules for using mercury thermometers are as follows.

1. Keep the thermometer as far as possible from children. It is inventive children who most often become the culprits of a broken meter. Keep an eye on your child when taking his temperature.
2. At the thermometer in mandatory There must be a hard, durable case.
3. When shaking the thermometer, be extremely careful - do not handle it with wet hands and stay away from furniture and other objects that you may touch.

What consequences are possible if the thermometer is damaged?

Before we figure out what to do if a mercury thermometer breaks in an apartment, let's find out why its contents are dangerous?

Mercury - chemical element, the only metal in existence that is normal conditions remains liquid. This viscous silvery substance easily collects into balls. Its vapors are very poisonous and toxic.

The metal itself poses almost no threat, but has the ability to evaporate, starting from +18 degrees, and poison everything around. Be sure to instruct your household that you cannot hide the fact that the thermometer is damaged, and study the algorithm for eliminating the toxic substance.

The thermometer contains up to two grams of mercury. It might seem like a small amount, but they can cause significant harm to health. The problem is aggravated by the fact that the nimble little balls can scatter across the carpet, get behind the baseboard or into a crack in the floor. Mercury has the ability to accumulate in the body, and symptoms of poisoning will not appear soon, when you no longer remember about the broken device, which will complicate the diagnosis.

Mercury vapor can cause the following conditions.

1. Diseases respiratory system, pneumonia, tuberculosis.
2. Damage to the thyroid gland.
3. Diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
4. Irreversible changes internal organs: liver, kidneys.
5. Central nervous system disorders up to paralysis.

Poisoning is extremely dangerous for children, the elderly, and pregnant women.

What to do if the thermometer at home breaks? Calm down and don't worry. Act quickly, clearly and competently. Trembling hands and a state of shock will not help you.

Step 1. Clearing the premises from strangers

First of all, get all the people out of the room. This is especially true for children, pregnant women and the elderly. Pets should also be protected from danger.

Step 2. Airing the room

Remember that mercury evaporates at temperatures above 18 degrees. If possible, cool the air by opening a window. Avoid drafts - mercury balls can “scatter” around the apartment. Turn on the air conditioner, turn off the heating devices.

Step 3. Mercury collection

Change into clothes that you can throw away later. Ideal option There will be an ordinary cellophane raincoat. Put on rubber gloves, shoe covers, and a damp gauze bandage on your face.

Prepare a glass container with an airtight lid, cold water, manganese or bleach solution, a medical syringe or syringe without a needle.

Place the thermometer fragments in a jar of water or manganese solution. Send all collected mercury balls there too.

Silvery metal gleams in bright light, so get bright lighting to make it easier to collect the mercury. Carefully inspect all the cracks and cracks, highlight them with a flashlight.

Suck up the found balls with a syringe or syringe bulb and drop them into a jar with a thermometer. If you don’t have a syringe and a bulb at hand, you can collect mercury on a sheet of paper with a cotton swab dipped in potassium permanganate, tape or adhesive tape.

Step 4. Demercurization

The alchemical name for mercury is mercury, named after the planet closest to the Sun. Demercurization is neutralization toxic substance.

After you have carefully and carefully found and collected the liquid metal from the broken thermometer, placed the waste in a bottle of water and sealed it with a lid, it must be refrigerated for subsequent disposal.

The site of a mercury spill should be neutralized using chemical neutralizers. Dilute potassium permanganate to a dark purple state, add a tablespoon of vinegar and salt per liter of liquid and begin treating all surfaces in the room.

Instead of manganese, you can use a bleach solution; the easiest way is to take ordinary “Whiteness”. A mixture of water, soda and laundry soap is also a good demercurizer.

Solutions must be caustic and concentrated. They should be poured generously onto the floor and left for at least a day. Cleaning with their help should be carried out daily for several weeks after collecting mercury.

Step 5. Disposing of a thermometer

The jar with mercury waste must be taken to the SES or the Ministry of Emergency Situations, where it will be disposed of by specialists. Also collect and take along with the jar the clothes you worked in and all the helper items: a syringe, a syringe, gloves, a gauze bandage.

If it is impossible to contact the authorities for the disposal of mercury, you will have to do it yourself. Take toxic waste to a landfill or off-site and bury it deep in the ground.

Be sure to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations, they will instruct you on how to act correctly. Usually they are reluctant to respond to such calls, but they will recommend which authority to contact. You can also always contact the SES to have them check the level of mercury vapor concentration.

Without qualified assistance You can't do it if:

• suspicions remained that not all mercury balls were collected;
• mercury got on heating devices. At a temperature of about 40 degrees, this metal boils, which means evaporation occurs almost instantly;
• you are at risk: pregnant, under 18 or over 65 years old, suffering from urinary or nervous system.

If you break a thermometer in your room, what should you do to avoid poisoning?

Symptoms

Put correct diagnosis very difficult, the symptoms are similar to many diseases. Depending on the amount of mercury vapor entering the body, illness can begin either a few hours after the incident or after weeks or even months.

Symptoms of poisoning:

• general weakness;
• nausea and vomiting;
• headache;
• drowsiness;
• tremor;
• metallic taste in the mouth;
• diarrhea;
• stomach pain.

With prolonged intoxication the situation worsens. Body temperature rises, cough, pain in chest, frequent urination and bleeding gums.

At acute symptoms poisoning, especially if you suspect mercury, you should call ambulance and hospitalize the victim.

Before the arrival of doctors, you can alleviate the patient’s condition with the help of sorbents: white or activated carbon, Enterosgel. Good for removing toxins from the body raw egg white, natural milk.

In the hospital, the patient’s stomach will be pumped out, an antidote will be administered, and the blood will be purified with IVs. If treatment is timely, then recovery period will take 2-3 weeks.

Prevention of poisoning

To avoid mercury poisoning, it is necessary to carefully remove all mercury from the room if the thermometer does break.

Buy a modern thermometer, then the risk of poisoning will be reduced to a minimum.

The following actions cannot be taken.

1. Touching mercury beads unprotected bare hands. Why take risks and expose yourself to danger?
2. Treat a mercury spill site household chemicals. For these purposes, there is manganese, chlorine solution or soap and soda.
3. If you wash the clothes you worked in in a washing machine, the smallest particles of poison will settle in the mechanism.
4. Use a vacuum cleaner or broom. Do you think that by sucking up mercury particles with a vacuum cleaner, you have made your work easier? No, you only made the situation worse. Mercury, having broken into tiny droplets, has spread over a large area of ​​the room, and remove it mechanically now impossible. And the vacuum cleaner will now have to be thrown away, since its internal parts have retained some of the mercury. The broom also breaks the balls into smaller ones.
5. Flush down the drain. You worsen the condition of the water and the atmosphere in the toilet room, because mercury will settle on internal surfaces sewer pipes. Your housemates will also be exposed to toxic fumes.
6. Dispose of in a trash can or garbage disposal. Why poison the air in the entrance and on the street? Someone might get hurt.

When you're done with the hassle of collecting poisonous metal, don't forget about yourself. Wash thoroughly laundry soap, brush your teeth and rinse your mouth with a pink manganese solution. Drink as much liquid as possible, preferably milk, as if you are poisoned. Take sorbents.

Conclusion

If a mercury disaster did happen, but you carried out demercurization correctly and competently, got rid of all things and objects that were in contact with the toxic metal, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

And for complete peace of mind, purchase a mercury vapor analyzer - test strips that change color. This is much cheaper and more accessible than calling specialists for an inspection.

Mother of two children. I'm leading household for more than 7 years - this is my main job. I like to experiment, I try all the time various means, ways, techniques that can make our lives easier, more modern, richer. I love my family.

What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks? How to avoid unpleasant consequences? Read about it below.

If you handle a mercury thermometer carefully, store it out of the reach of children and protected from direct sun rays place, then this device does not pose any danger. Modern thermometers are sold in special cases that will soften the blow even if dropped.

However, it should be remembered that if the integrity of the thermometer is damaged, there is a health hazard. It contains liquid heavy metal– mercury, the fumes of which are highly toxic. This substance belongs to the first class of extremely dangerous substances. That is why in many countries the production of mercury thermometers is completely banned. Just 1-2 grams of the substance can cause serious mercury poisoning.

How dangerous is mercury: consequences for the body

If the thermometer does break, the moving mercury balls quickly get clogged into small cracks and roll into corners, where it is very difficult to get them out. The mercury that is not immediately collected begins to evaporate. The evaporation process occurs at a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius. The poison gets into human body usually through respiratory tract, causing poisoning.

Many will say that if the thermometer were so dangerous, it would be completely excluded from sale. Certainly, acute poisoning may not happen, but prolonged inhalation of toxic vapors can lead to unpleasant consequences.

There may be:

• deviations from the nervous system (CNS);
• kidney and liver problems;
• thyroid diseases;
• breathing problems, pneumonia;
• damage to the fetus during pregnancy.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning

If a thermometer breaks in an apartment, you must urgently take care to remove all pieces of glass and particles of mercury. Contact with mercury itself is practically not dangerous, but if you inhale mercury vapor, you can harm your body great harm. Depending on the concentration of the substance in the air, they may appear unpleasant symptoms, which should be of concern.

These include:

• severe fatigue under standard loads;
• drowsiness;
• lethargy;
• dizziness or headaches;
• tremors in the hands (shaking);
• increased sweating;
• low blood pressure;
• apathy, depressive states;
• insomnia.

If several of the above symptoms appear, you must immediately consult a doctor, as well as special services that will take measurements special devices vapor concentration dangerous substance at your home. How to collect mercury from a broken thermometer? What items do you need to prepare and how can you protect yourself during this process? These questions are asked by everyone who has broken a thermometer at least once. Find out how to properly remove a dangerous substance below.

First aid for mercury poisoning

If you break a thermometer and suspect that poisoning has occurred toxic substance, you must immediately contact medical institution. Treatment of intoxication caused by mercury vapor is carried out only in a hospital setting, so you should call an ambulance.

Before the ambulance arrives, you can slightly alleviate the condition of the poisoned person.

If he is conscious, you should act like this:

1. Ensure rest, complete bed rest.
2. Provide maximum access to fresh air.
3. Carry out gastric lavage.
4. Induce vomiting.
5. Accept activated carbon based on the calculation of 1 tablet per 10 kg of weight;
6. Provide plenty of fluids.

If the poisoned person is unconscious, he must be laid on his side and fresh air must be allowed into the room. The condition of the patient's tongue should be monitored to avoid retraction.

What to do if a mercury thermometer is broken

If a thermometer breaks at home, you should immediately vacate the room from people and pets.

You need to prepare:

• saturated manganese solution;
• soda-soap solution;
• a couple of sheets of thick paper;
• medical pear;
• a piece of cotton wool, a syringe;
• an awl or other similar item;
• adhesive tape or tape;
• flashlight.

Before cleaning, you need to put shoe covers or simple bags on your feet, and a medical or regular gauze bandage on your face. Hands should be protected with gloves. Next, soak a rag in strong manganese and place it on the threshold of the room. The window should be open, but in other rooms they should be closed.

The thermometer is carefully lifted, trying not to spill the remaining mercury, and placed in a jar with potassium permanganate and water. Using prepared sheets of paper, all the balls from the floor are driven into one large one, lifted with a piece of cotton wool and also placed in water. Next, apply the sticky side of the tape over the entire surface where small particles of mercury may be located. The balls will stick to it; they also need to be placed in a jar with a manganese solution along with tape. You can remove balls from hard-to-reach places using a bulb or syringe.

After the balls are collected, the floor and all surfaces where they were located should be washed with a manganese solution. Clothing, gloves, a mask, all things that could come into contact with the poison are put in a separate bag and tied well. What to do with a broken thermometer and other things? You need to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations and find out where to hand over the can and the package with dangerous contents. After all activities, you need to take a shower and rinse your mouth with soda solution.

Most of the evaporated mercury that enters the body is excreted through the kidneys. That is why after cleaning activities you should drink a lot of clean water. The liquid will help remove most of the harmful substance.

If possible, try to keep people and animals out of the room for about a week. It must be constantly ventilated, and the surfaces and floors should be thoroughly washed daily with a soap-soda solution with the addition of a chlorine-containing detergent.

How to clean a room after cleaning mercury

If a thermometer breaks, simply removing the mercury is not enough. After the source of the hazardous substance has been removed and all things that came into contact with it have been removed, you can begin the final stage of cleaning.

For this they prepare special solutions, which, when interacting with mercury, react with it, forming other, absolutely harmless compounds. This process is called demercurization.

The specified solutions must be used to treat all surfaces that could come into contact with toxic metal. This is necessary so that even the smallest balls do not remain in the room. For processing, you can use a dark solution of potassium permanganate, but this will require gloves.

All poisoned surfaces are treated with this product. If there are cracks on the floor of the room, then the solution must be poured into them. Treatment can be carried out with ordinary sponges or washcloths. It is very convenient to use a spray bottle. If in home medicine cabinet if ordinary manganese was not found, then you can resort to another remedy. Bleach (bleach) works well with mercury.

As you can see, the demercurization process is not at all complicated. After its completion, the room is ventilated for several more hours. Doors to other rooms must be tightly closed.

What to do is strictly prohibited and dangerous

It is strictly forbidden to throw mercury or a broken thermometer into the garbage chute or waste container. Using a manganese solution is only a temporary measure; if mercury is placed in a jar with such a solution, it also cannot be disposed of in the usual way.

When collecting mercury, do not use a broom, vacuum cleaner or ordinary rag. It is forbidden to machine wash the clothes you were wearing while removing mercury. It is also strictly forbidden to create a draft at home.

Disposal of items after contact with mercury

What should you do if a thermometer breaks on a fluffy carpet, favorite chair or sofa? It is almost impossible to remove metal balls from upholstered furniture, toys or carpet pile. In this case, the only correct solution would be to recycle all these things.

If it is not possible to recycle items, they can be aired out. This must be done in rooms where people and animals have no access or in fresh air, for example, under a canopy away from home. How long does it take for mercury to disappear if a thermometer breaks in an apartment? It will take several months to completely remove mercury vapor from things or a room. However, even this method does not guarantee final purification from toxic substances.

If the rescue service refuses to accept your items for disposal, they must be rendered unusable so that no one can use them. Pack tightly in a plastic bag, then take it to a landfill. Do not dispose of these items in containers near residential buildings. It is best if you find a landfill in a non-residential area.

However, it happens that your favorite clothes have come into contact with mercury, which is a shame to throw away. What to do in this situation? Things can be put in a plastic bag and then hung out for airing. After a couple of weeks, the bag can be removed and the remaining hazardous substances can be removed for about 3 months. The clothes are then washed in soap and soda solution, then with regular powder. But guarantees complete cleansing This method, of course, does not work.

When to turn to professionals

You should know that the boiling point of such a dangerous substance as mercury is only 40 degrees. If its droplets hit a hot or heated surface, evaporation will occur instantly. If mercury gets on a heating radiator in winter period, you won’t be able to do it on your own.

You should not collect mercury yourself in rooms that cannot be ventilated. Also, you should not resort to independent actions if the air temperature is very high. It is strictly forbidden for people at risk to clean up hazardous substances:

• pregnant women, since toxic fumes penetrate the placenta, which can lead to various abnormalities in the development of the fetus;
• children under 18 years of age and people over 65 years of age;
• patients with a history of chronic and acute diseases central nervous and urinary systems.

In all of these cases, you must contact emergency services and leave the premises immediately. In this way, it will be possible to avoid poisoning by mercury vapor.

Prevention of mercury poisoning from a thermometer

Reducing the risk of poisoning from mercury vapor from a thermometer is not difficult.

1. Conventional mercury thermometers can be replaced with modern infrared or electronic ones. The measurement accuracy of these devices is quite high, but there is no risk of harming yourself and your household.
2. Mercury thermometers should not be given to children without supervision.
3. If measurements are necessary, you need to firmly fix the baby's hand.
4. Temperature readings should be lowered away from solid objects. If you accidentally hit a nearby table, the device will break from the impact.
5. The thermometer can only be stored in the special cases with which it is sold.
6. If the device does break, you need to follow the recommendations given above on how and with what to collect mercury from the thermometer.
7. The thermometer must also be disposed of according to the rules.

Now you know what to do if the thermometer breaks and whether it is dangerous. Carrying out the described measures will help to avoid accidental poisoning with mercury vapor. Using the above instructions for collecting dangerous substances will help you not to worry about the health of loved ones and relatives.