Agency issued with safety Notices

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has recently investigated two incidents linked to Cefas' work at its laboratory in Lowestoft, Suffolk. Both incidents were linked to the potential exposure of a small group of staff and contractors to hazardous chemicals (potential carcinogens).

In this specific case, it involved arsenic compounds used as part of long- established and internationally recognised procedures for monitoring radioactivity in food and the environment. This type of work has been carried out by Cefas since the 1960s. The agency has a leading international reputation for such monitoring work. A team of nine scientific staff are involved in this work (out of a total staff complement of 560).

The first incident originated in November 2006 when one staff member reported a low-grade skin cancer, now successfully treated. Given the nature of the chemical work undertaken, medical advice suggested a possible link to the work environment. This triggered an in-house investigation, which generated a series of improvement actions.

The second incident, in July 2007, involved the disposal of contaminated equipment from the same laboratory. During the disposal process - part of Cefas' response to the first incident - some dust was released, possibly contaminated with the same arsenic compound.

Both these incidents were proactively reported to the HSE. This included discussion of the agency's findings and a formal reporting of the incidents in line with the requirements of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (the "RIDDOR scheme": www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/). This was then followed by a series of improvement actions. 

Although there are wider lessons to learn in terms of operational processes, potential exposure to these hazardous chemicals was limited to one specific laboratory area. There are no direct implications related to arsenic compounds for other staff, or for the public more generally.

As a consequence of the HSE investigations, Cefas was served with two Crown Improvement Notices on 31 October 2007. The first concerns failures in Cefas' control and use of carcinogens, where there are already a number of operational procedures to support safety in place (eg, standard operating procedures, risk assessments, and formal COSHH assessments). These procedures were considered either to be insufficiently detailed or insufficiently supported by staff training. The second Notice concerns failures in the operation and extent of Cefas' occupational health programme.

The Notices require Cefas to take specific actions between now and the end of March 2008, with compliance being assessed by the HSE at the end of that period.

Cefas takes health and safety very seriously. It is committed to sustaining and improving its systems and practices to ensure that its staff and contractors have a safe place to work. The agency has an annual safety plan, with associated actions, to raise staff awareness and continuously improve performance in this area. Its own investigations of the incidents mean that procedures had been strengthened even before the HSE investigations had been concluded. A programme of further improvements to deal with the specific issues raised in the Notices is progressing well.

Notes to editors 

1. Cefas is an internationally renowned scientific research and advisory establishment, based at Lowestoft since 1902. It also has laboratories at Burnham-on-Crouch and Weymouth, and a number of other facilities around the UK.
2. Operating as an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Cefas works alongside government and other agencies, both in the UK and internationally, to play a vital role in securing healthy marine and freshwater environments for everyone's wellbeing, health and prosperity.
3. The agency achieves its aims by providing evidence-based scientific advice, managing related data and information, conducting world-class scientific research, and facilitating collaborative action through its wide-ranging international relationships. It applies its expertise and knowledge gained through over 100 years of applied science and research to fisheries management, environment and biodiversity protection, and aquaculture. For more detail about its range of activities visit www.cefas.co.uk.
4. A Crown Improvement Notice is a formal notice that identifies a contravention in legal provisions in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Further details can be found on the HSE website.

Press contact:
Anne McClarnon: Telephone: 01502 524370 / Email: anne.mcclarnon@cefas.co.uk