Wow...never heard of one exploding and killing a little one. So sorry..... Last time I brooded w/out a mamma I decided to get a heat plate instead of using a lamp. It is one purchase I'm glad I made. I hope to never have to use a bulb ever again.
No cover needed. They like to rest on the top.
https://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=135875&species_id=ALL&criteria=heat+plate
I have an Ecoglo, which is very similar. The chicks love it and I'm not always buying bulbs. When I have more than one tub of chicks going, I use a regular light bulb rather than a heat bulb and set it on a metal screen over the tub so that it can't get to the little ones if the unthinkable happens. Also, rather than the big heat lamp reflectors, I buy an 8-inch work light at WalMart. Because I'm using plastic tubs, I worry about the big ones being too close to the edge. And the smaller ones have an off-on switch, which I prefer to plugging and unplugging.