Health Protection Agency exposed staff to E.coli

Date:

9 July 2010

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has today been fined for exposing several employees to the risk of infection of E. coli O157.

In October 2007, the staff concerned were working at the Centre for Infections in Colindale, when an amount of the bacteria spilled onto the floor of the site waste discard facility, as it was being disposed of.

The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) investigation found that there was an overall failure to ensure safe handling of the bacteria which is classified as Hazard Group 3 waste. Biological agents are classified into one of the four hazard groups 1-4 according to their level of risk of infection, 4 being the highest.

Specifically HPA had failed to assess the risk involved in the waste transfer and disposal process of E.coli O157 and had not properly trained employees involved in this work to ensure it was carried out in accordance with standard operating procedures.

Some of the equipment used in this process had also been identified as being defective 18 months prior to the incident, but no action was taken to rectify this.

HPA pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 at City of London Magistrates court on 28 May. Today the agency was fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £20,166.10 in costs.

Following the sentencing, HSE specialist inspector Jennifer Higham, said:

"E. coli O157 is a highly infectious and potentially deadly bacterium and there are well established practices for handling this safely. But in this case, these practices were not met, exposing several staff and potentially their families to a real risk of infection.

"HPA should have developed and implemented a safe system of work for dealing with E.coli O157 and for transferring and inactivating Hazard Group 3 waste. Equipment should have been well maintained and employees should have had appropriate training.

"This was a serious breach of HPA's duty to ensure the health, safety, and welfare at work of all its employees."

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
2. Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states that: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees."
3. E.coli O157 is classed as Hazard Group 3 waste. Biological agents are classified into one of the four hazard groups 1-4 according to their level of risk of infections, 4 being the highest.

Press enquiries

All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the HSE Press Office