Are flash bulbs dangerous

[Rider]

I've read that old fashioned flash bulbs can explode and injure people who are standing nearby.

Is there any way to mitigate against this?

[Jim Ewins]

As I recall bulbs produced in the late 40s had a plasstic coating so that peice wouldn't go flying, although I don't recall having any explode. I wouldn't connect one to house mains.

[Bruce Watson]

I used to use flash bulbs by the bucket full back in the 1970s when I was a press photographer covering high school sports. Better than strobes for stopping the action.

The problem was, what do you do with the used ones? You can't just drop them on the sidelines, and a basketball floor is even worse. So... they end up in your pockets. And that, is dangerous. One of the older hands used to tell us kids about getting involved in a sideline tackle. He didn't actually get creamed by the fullback or the linebacker; he managed to dance away at the last moment. But he did trip and fall, and landed right on a pocket full of used flash bulbs. He said the emergency room people picked glass and filaments out of his ass for hours and that he didn't walk right for weeks!

That said, I never had a flash bulb explode in use, nor did I manage to set one off while pushing it into the flash gun. Just be careful and somewhat paranoid (nearly always good advice) and you should be fine in most situations.

[Ole Tjugen]

Many flash reflectors have screens that go in front of the bulb. The smaller flash reflectors are made for smaller bulbs with a relatively thicker plastic coating, so the danger is far less. My Heiland 11" reflector has a heavy-duty plastic guard, my 4" Agfa fan-style has none...

[Louie Powell]

As I recall, the flashbulbs that I used had a plastic coating that was intended to prevent catastrophic shattering. The coating would typically be badly distorted by the heat associated with firing the bulbs, bubbling, and even charred in spots.

However, I do recall an event when I was in elementary school. I'm going to say third grade - but that may not be entirely correct. After all, it was more than 50 years ago!

We were having the usual class picture done, and the photographer had set up light stands at the front of the classrooms. We all sat at our desks for the picture. One of the bulbs exploded and threw glass out into the classroom. No one was hurt, and no permanent damage was done. As I recall, the teacher simply swept up the broken glass, and went back to whatever lesson the photographer had interrupted.

If that were to happen today, the administration would probably evacuate the students, and then close the school for three years for decontamination.

However, I also recall visiting the Washington residence in Mount Vernon, VA as a young child. I took a picture with a flashbulb, and was chastised by the docent. My distinct recollection was that the reason that flashbulbs were forbidden was the concern that they might explode and start a fire.

The reason that sticks in my mind is that two weeks ago, spousal unit and I visited the "House of the Seven Gables" in Salem, MA. When the docent announced that photography was forbidden, one of the tourists asked if it was a concern for fire. She said that she had been told that the photography ban was out of concern for "security". I thought that was a ludicrous explanation - while the "House of Seven Gables" is quaint, the fact is that it is not a real historic restoration, but rather a reinvention of a 16th century house that they freely admit includes features that the promoter thought the house "ought to have", even through the original building had not included them. It other words - it's like Disneyland - everything is fake!

[Ernest Purdum]

Flashbulbs were developed inlarge part for safety reasons. In that respect they were an enormous improvement over flash powder.

[Paul Ewins]

I've been using bulbs form the 60's and 70's with my Speed Graphic and haven't had any troubles. I bought some bulb adapters from Bill Cress (flashbulbs.com) and he recommends putting one of the oven bags used for roasting chickens and turkeys over the head of the flash if you don't already have a shield. FWIW, even with 40 year old bulbs I've had very few duds and no explosions.

[John Kasaian]

Never, ever eat a flashbulb ;)

[Jim Rice]

Though I've never experienced it, I have heard of flashbulbs being set off by static charges, say in a jacket pocket. Whether this is urban legend or not, I'll defer to others.

[Randy H]

The father of one of my photo instructors was an old-time photo-journalist. He was issued and used a "new, state-of-the-art" Crown Graphic with Heiland flash. He said the biggest hazard was not being allowed to let the used ones drop to the floor. They literally popped them out and promptly dropped them into their jacket pockets. He said every good photographer had holes in their pockets from the used bulbs.

[Glenn Thoreson]

They do indeed explode. Most of the ones you will find have an indicator to show if oxygen has leaked into the bulb - i.e. Sylvania Blue Dot bulbs. If the indicator on these has turned color, such as blue turned pink, you have a leaker and it can possibly explode. Never set off a flashbulb in front of a person without use of a flash guard.
Never, NEVER carry flashbulbs loose in a pocket. You are inviting a very painful burn. Or worse. Keep them in their original package and out of your pocket. They can, and will ignite by contact if they go off in a pocket, and yes, static will set them off. Discard any bulb with scratches or other damage to the lacquer coating, and bulbs you suspect have leaked. Use common sense.

[bartf]

What would be a good material to make a flash bulb guard?

I don't know which transparent plastics shatter and which just distort..

Would the material in plastic soda bottles or milk jugs be strong and heat resistant enough?

[Greg Lockrey]

Would the material in plastic soda bottles or milk jugs be strong and heat resistant enough?

That is for sure very tough material. It takes a powerful pellet rifle to penetrate it.

[John Schneider]

If you want a plastic to make a shield, i would use polycarbonate. Acrylic is much less impact resistant, HDPE (milk jugs) has a max use temp of about 180F, and PETE (soda pop bottles) rips into shreds with a large-enough impact.

[Donald Qualls]

Though I've never experienced it, I have heard of flashbulbs being set off by static charges, say in a jacket pocket. Whether this is urban legend or not, I'll defer to others.

Not only can bulbs be ignited by static (though it takes a pretty hefty spark -- an AG-1, the smallest common bulb, requires 50 mA for something like 5 milliseconds to ignite reliably), but if you have a bunch of them in your pocket, one that fires can ignite another in contact with it by radiant heating -- and the external surface of the bulb briefly gets hot enough to ignite other materials (black powder, for certain -- we used to use them to ignite fuses when firing a bunch of model rocket motors at one time).

[Jim Jones]

"Are flash bulbs dangerous ?" Much less than the gasoline we take for granted in our automobiles. However, long ago passengers on military aircraft were prohibited from having them. As Glenn describes, they can be accidently ignited by many methods. A person's reaction to contact with a hot flash bulb can also initiate a chain of mishaps. Despite their slight risks, I keep a stash of them for those occasions where they are the most practical or economical source of light.

[scrichton]

I have a full container worth of these bulbs (ex government agency stock) and loads of bowens blasters. I can't say in all the playing about and setting them off with a 9v battery in my hand etc ... I have ever had a dangerous circumstance with them. Maybe duds and the Sylvania ones with a blue coating give off a pretty noxious stink.


I keep a stash of them for those occasions where they are the most practical or economical source of light.

They are not only that, but the most effective underwater lighting method I have found. A wee bit of solder and some light cabling a very substantial number of bulbs can be fired reliably. Also much less to replace in comparison to an electronic flash's O-ring set going.

[Ole Tjugen]

... I can't say in all the playing about and setting them off with a 9v battery in my hand etc ...

I learned just how powerful they are when I tried my Heiland flash. There was corrosion on the contacts, so it didn't go off. Cleaned a bit, still didn't go off. Cleaned a bit more, and was looking straight at it when it went off!

It took five minutes before I could see enough to put the flashgun down...

[Kirk Gittings]

We used to put the big No.2s (? light bulb size). In the bathroom fixture at a lab I used to work at. All kinds of fun, photographic Russian Roulette.

[scrichton]

It took five minutes before I could see enough to put the flashgun down...

Our first outing was in a pitch black woods with 2 bowens blasters with 3 bulbs each. The first shot was like you say a bit of a dis-orientating experience. After that though we knew to look away if required.

I've also used them as pyro effects at a couple of VJ'ing gigs in clubs. they do a good job there as well.

[Brian Ellis]

"We were having the usual class picture done, and the photographer had set up light stands at the front of the classrooms. We all sat at our desks for the picture. One of the bulbs exploded and threw glass out into the classroom. No one was hurt, and no permanent damage was done. As I recall, the teacher simply swept up the broken glass, and went back to whatever lesson the photographer had interrupted. "

Nobody sued the school board, the teacher, the photographer, the camera manufacturer, the contractor who built the school, the store from which the bulb was purchased, and the manufacturer of the bulb and each element comprising the bulb? No class action was filed on behalf of all people who ever saw, heard of, or read about an exploding bulb and suffered severe mental distress as a result? No claims of sexual harassment or racial bias? What did OSHA have to say? Didn't the janitor's union file a claim with the NLRB because the teacher swept the floor herself instead of calling in the janitorial staff to do it?