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Health Protection Agency Fined

13th July 2010

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has been fined 25,000 for a spillage of E.coli O157 at its centre in Colindale, north London.

The Old Bailey heard that although nobody was infected, three employees were put at risk of contamination. Prosecutors described a "general complacency" about the way infectious waste was handled at the centre and judge, Martin Stephens, said the HPA should feel "acute embarrassment" over its failings.

The bug was being carried in bins which had defects, even though these faults had been noted 18 months earlier. Employees taking the bacteria to a disposal unit were not wearing protective clothing and prosecutor, Andrew Marshall, stated that there had been a complete lack of understanding of risk" when an initial assessment of the spillage was carried out by staff. Between 100ml and 200ml of liquid was spilt, containing up to 10bn E.coli organisms.

The HPA pleaded guilty to a breach of health and safety laws and the incident was reviewed by the Health and Safety Executive. This was a serious breach of the HPA's duty to ensure the health, safety, and welfare at work of all its employees. In this case practices for handling the bacterium safely, were not met, therefore exposing several staff and potentially their families to a real risk of infection.

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Health Protection Agency Fined

13th July 2010

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has been fined 25,000 for a spillage of E.coli O157 at its centre in Colindale, north London. The Old Bailey heard that although nobody was infected, three employees were put at risk of contaminat... ...read on

Potentially contaminated Clams for sale

17th May 2010

Officers from the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) joined police, health officials and fisheries authorities in Operation Enterprise; which involved undercover surveillance and night patrols on Rustington beach, West Sussex, and a 4.00 am raid at Billingsgate mar... ...read on

New Director for HUSH

11th May 2010

HUSH was delighted to appoint Marilyn Chapman from Poulton-le-Fylde as a director of the charity at the recent AGM. Marilyn made contact with HUSH in 2002 when her daughter, Amy (then 27 years of age), was fighting for her lif... ...read on

E.coli Closes Middlesex Infant School and Nursery

4th February 2010

Feltham Hill Nursery and Infant School in Hounslow closed yesterday after two children were confirmed to have E. coli O157. There are also further cases of diarrhoea in children and family contacts but it is too soon to say whether this is the same infection. ... ...read on

Investigation into Godstone Farm Outbreak

1st February 2010

George Griffin, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Medicine at St Georges University of London and Chair of the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens, is leading the investigation into the outbreak of E.coli O157 at Godstone Farm. There were 94 identified cases ... ...read on

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Health Protection Agency Fined