Some basic questions on safety

[MShock8073-at-aol-dot-com (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)]

Being new to this hobby I have some basic questions regarding safety. The one 
that keeps bothering me right now is....

When using a large envelope incandescent bulb for a makeshift 'plasma sphere' 
what are the risks as to radiation? Especially X-ray or cathode ray emission? 
I have read that some bulbs are evacuated so well that unwanted x-rays are 
possible. Is this a safe demonstration using a standard (GE) thin envelope 5 
inch bulb? Or am I right in assuming that a thin glass production light bulb 
would implode long before that level of vacuum was achieved? My small 
ignition coil powered tesla coil is the one I usually allow children to watch 
and/or interact with and with the low power of this device I have to use 
scraps of neon tubing and clear envelope light bulbs to demonstrate the power 
radiating from the coil because streamers are non existent and the corona is 
very faint.

Any help will be appreciated,
Marc S.