I have an old fluorescent lighting fixture. It holds a single tube. The tube fell out twice and I am concerned about safety issues such as arcing. We do not use the light much.
If I were to just remove the tube would that end all the safety issues? One of my concerns is that somebody might turn the fixture on without thinking about it. Is that a safety issue? I would think not but I just want to double check with somebody who really knows.
Unless the fixture is somewhere within reach (ceiling mounted fixtures are normally out of reach without a ladder, step stool or other height enhancing device), leaving a bulb out of your fluorescent fixture is no more dangerous than leaving a bulb out of a standard Edison base ("normal" US screw in bulb) fixture.
Actually, it's probably more safe than the Edison base fixture. The pins where a fluorescent tube mate to the electrical contacts are usually reasonably deep within plastic or ceramic insulation and are difficult to reach unintentionally, and you'd need a thin probe (like a fork or a bent paperclip) to intentionally contact one or both pins.
An Edison base has a fairly large opening into which one could easily stick a finger and get a shock. Of course, in both cases, one would have to be able to reach the fixture.
If your fluorescent fixture is within reach of the ground, it's still very safe (against accidental contact). If, however, you're still nervous about it, you can disconnect the wiring at the switch that operates the fixture. (If you're not sure how to do that, there are plenty of questions here about removing/changing switches/outlets, some reading of those should help you out, and if you're still a bit lost, you can ask another question.)
