How to deal with a broken CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp):

CFL contain a small amount of mercury. When used normally, this small amount of mercury is not causing any health risks. Mercury cannot escape from an intact lamp.
The only possibility to get in contact with mercury is the improbable break or damage of a CFL, but the very small amount of mercury is most unlikely to cause any harm. Mercury is vaporizing at room temperature, still the generated concentration in the ambient air is lying underneath the required German limits.
Health risks can be safely avoided when the room is adequately ventilated immediately and the broken glass is removed afterwards.

Please keep in mind the following advice:

What to do immediately:

• Take care to prevent injuries from broken glass.
• When the lamp was broken in a luminaire, make sure to disconnect the power to avoid the risk of electric shock.
• Vacate the room and ventilate it for 15 minutes. Turn off air condition or heating system.

Cleaning and disposal:

• Keep the windows open during the cleaning.
• Use disposal gloves to avoid injuries from broken glass.
• Sweep up all particles and glass fragments with a stiff cardboard and place everything in a plastic bag or in a screw-top jar.
• Then use a damp cloth to wipe the area or a sticky tape to remove dust and small residual parts from carpets or soft furnishings. Add all used items including gloves to the air tight disposal bag or jar.
• A vacuum cleaner should only be used as last measure or when the surface leaves no alternative. Keep the windows open during vacuum cleaning and dispose of the dust bag from the vacuum cleaner with the normal household waste.
• Dispose of the broken or disused CFL at a waste recycling centre according to the national legal guidelines for hazardous household waste.
• Ventilate the room for an adequate time and wash your hands thoroughly.

How to avoid the break of a CFL:
The breaking of glass is not totally avoidable when changing bulbs or CFL, but the following tips may help to prevent it:

• To avoid the risk of an electric shock make sure to disconnect the power of the luminaire before changing the lamp.
• Change lamps only after cooling.
• Do not touch the lamp at the glass components, change lamps by touching the plastic socket or bulb.
• Place disused lamps in a safe package or protect it with soft cloth for transportation.
• Remove new lamps from their package only shortly before installation.