[rontech]

If you power it up there could be UV light emitted so some sort of effective eye protection should be worn.

Mercury can be disposed of via the local waste authority at no cost. A few years ago I wished to dispose of a small stone stoppered container holding about 200 grams of mercury.

I consulted my local authority (Sefton Council ) and they organised the safe collection

Interestingly the container provided was about 10 times larger than my container.

I would not in any circumstances let the mercury escape from your bulb