Genetic Engineering: Unknown Dangers

The employees in the UK hospital’s microbiology lab followed their normal practice. At 12:50 pm they took off their lab coats and hung them over the backs of their stools, filed out of the lab and to the bathroom where they washed their hands before proceeding to the lunch room. Here they took their lunches out of the refrigerator and settled back to enjoy the mandatory hour-long break. One of the workers got up and busied herself making tea. “Anyone want a cuppa?” Since this took place in England there was universal assent, so she lined up the mugs, added milk, and served the tea.

The next day the number of workers in the lab was significantly reduced, the day after that even less, and by the third day no one was there–backup had to be brought in from another hospital. All the original workers were suffering from cramps and diarrhea/dysentery caused by an infection with Shigella. How did this happen?–after all, the workers were trained in safe practices! Eventually the mystery was solved. One of the first lab workers to wash her hands had transferred some bacteria from a clinical specimen onto the bathroom tap. After that, all who used the tap were exposed. One of those who picked up the bacteria from the tap then opened the milk, spreading the infection further.

Anyone who has worked in a lab is aware of the, frequently onerous, safety protocols. For example, every chemical used in the lab must be cataloged in a binder. Every nanogram of radioactive substance used has to be tracked. All personnel have to sit through safety training relevant to their area. Some labs have to be under negative pressure so that possible airborne particles do not escape.

As reported in a New York Times article, these procedures are good, but they are not enough. Infectious agents, especially those that are produced by biotechnology where their properties are not fully known, do pose significant risk to lab workers. Therefore, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is working towards possibly issuing a new set of regulations: one aimed at hospital labs and the biotech industry.

Will this help? Perhaps, but those who have worked in many labs, and with diverse infectious agents, are very aware that the biggest risk is human error. They have often witnessed lab workers pick up a ringing phone while still wearing their gloves, lab refrigerators containing bacteria, human cancer cells, and viruses being housed in the hallway because there is no room in the lab, hospital personnel having lunch in their lab coats, dental assistants wearing scrubs to the grocery store, and more.

OSHA regulations are all very well, but it is also highly necessary to educate every person who enters a lab on lab safety. It is also vital that long-term workers are made aware of the risks of familiarity breeding contempt. Finally, AITSE would suggest that there needs to be more openness about reporting lab accidents; after all, we can still learn from another’s mistake. If you find yourself in a lab, always turn water taps off with a paper towel!