Fluorescent lamp holder

A lamp holder for carrying a fluorescent lamp, the fluorescent lamp including two contact pins, with each contact pin having a diameter, said lamp holder comprising:

• a socket having two parallel slots defined by respective parts of parallel walls, each said slot configured for receiving one of the contact pins therein;
• a conductor including a first contact portion associated with one said slots and a second contact portion associated with an other of said slots, each of said first and second contact portions including an edge having a notch configured to receive a respective one of the contact pins therein, each said edge and each said notch respectively disposed within said one slot and said other slot, each said edge and each said notch disposed adjacent to one of said parallel walls of the associated slot and away from the other of said parallel walls of the associated slot;
• resilient means for biasing the contact pins out of said slots and
• means for allowing the contact pins to be moved away from said conductor by said resilient means when at least one of the contact pins is not received within a respective said notch, whereby arcing between said conductor and at least one of the contact pins is prevented, said allowing means comprising a clearance distance between each of said edges of said first and second contact portions and a respective and said other parallel wall, said clearance distance at all times, both when the contact pins are received and not received within said notched in said conductors, being greater than the diameter of the contact pins of the fluorescent lamp.