Biolabs2014 saw potentially serious safety mishaps at U.S. biolabs
U.S. government laboratories working with potentially deadly biological agents have had to deal with several lab incidents in the past two years.Congress and federal officials have called for better enforcement of safe operating procedures at U.S. government labs. “There is a continued lack of national standards for designing, constructing, commissioning and overseeing” these labs, said a Government Accountability Office (GAO) expert.
U.S. government laboratories working with potentially deadly biological agents have had to deal with several lab incidents in the past two years. The Homeland Security News Wire has reported on the mishaps at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where vials of deadly pathogens, including anthrax, were mishandled.
Similar lab incidents occurred in 2012 and 2013, according to a report from the Frederick News-Post. Copies of occupational hazard reports, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act from the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Integrated Research Facility (NIAID-IRF), and the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center at Fort Detrick, Maryland, reveal the details behind accidents at some of the nation’s most secured labs.
Congress and federal officials have called for better enforcement of safe operating procedures at U.S. government labs. “There is a continued lack of national standards for designing, constructing, commissioning and overseeing” these labs, said Nancy Kingsbury, managing director of applied research and methods at the Government Accountability Office.
On 19 September 2013, a plastic tube storing Burkholderia mallei popped open as it sat in a boiling water bath in a Fort Detrick lab. As steam rose from the bath, two microbiologists walked into the lab and discussed what to do while the steam was spreading across the room. In all, six people were potentially exposed to the bacteria that causes glanders, an infectious disease that can be spread via aerosol, contaminated food, and water. It was used as a biological weapon during the Second World War. The individuals involved in the incident were given antibiotics and further training to deal with future accidents
“We have made sure (through) both our suite specific training and our annual training for personnel that all personnel maintain situational awareness of what is happening in our suites,” said Dr. David Harbourt, USAMRIID biosafety officer.
In May 2014 two separate safety incidents occurred at USAMRIID. One involved a research technician dropping a bottle of acetic acid, the main ingredient in vinegar and not considered toxic, while putting it away in storage. Three lab employees were exposed to the fumes, with one of them experiencing mildly irritated eyes. “This was an accident,” a supervisor wrote on the 2 May occupational hazard report. “No fault of personal methods or procedure.”
On 23 May 2014 tubes of TC-83, a virus derived from Venezuelan equine encephalitis — a potential biological weapon, broke and released the substance while spinning inside a centrifuge. The USAMRIID microbiologist working with the virus used the wrong tubes, according to the incident report. Three lab staff, including the microbiologist, were potentially exposed to the virus, but were instructed to return to work after the incident. They later received trained on safety procedures.
“Every mishap is handled on a case-by-case basis,” Harbourt said, noting that safety procedures may have guidelines, but not instructions for dealing with every potential scenario. “No single response will be the same to every mishap because it depends on the root cause.”
