[Infowarrior] - Work Stops at C.D.C.’s Top Deadly Germ Lab Over Air Hose Safety

[Richard Forno]

Work Stops at C.D.C.’s Top Deadly Germ Lab Over Air Hose Safety

Denise Grady

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/17/health/cdc-germ-lab-safety.html

Work at the high-security government lab that handles deadly pathogens like the Ebola virus has been suspended since Monday, when it was discovered that nylon hoses used to pump air into the scientists’ protective suits had not been designed or tested for breathing safety, officials said on Friday. The hoses have been in use since 2005.

The problem, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, involved about 100 lab workers, said Steve Monroe, the associate director for Laboratory Science and Safety there. But there is no evidence that anyone has become ill as a result, he said. There is no risk to the public.

The hoses are used with protective gear that looks like a spacesuit, fully enclosing the wearer and providing its own air supply to avoid any possible contact with pathogens, some of which may be airborne.

The potential worry is not that germs could have invaded the air the workers were breathing, but that chemicals released into the air supply from the hose material might have been unsafe to breathe. Air samples from the hoses are being tested to see if any harmful chemicals are present. Results are expected next week.

Dr. Monroe said nylon was a stable compound, and he did not expect that anything of concern would be found.

Widely publicized accidents in recent years at the disease centers and other government labs, involving germs that cause influenza, anthrax and smallpox, have led to efforts to tighten procedures and reporting of mistakes. The discovery and response of this latest problem shows that the C.D.C. is succeeding, Dr. Monroe said, “in our ongoing efforts to improve accountability for lab safety and empower staff to report things that come to their attention.”

Ebola experiments had been underway in the lab that is now closed, he said.

New hoses were expected to arrive Friday night, Dr. Monroe said, adding that they were certified for breathing, but that he did not know what they were made of. Work will resume once the hoses are installed.

He said scientists who worked in the lab expressed some health concerns when they were told about the hoses, but were eager to get back to work.

The problem came to light when the C.D.C. ordered new hoses to replace the original ones, which had been installed when the laboratory opened in 2005. The manufacturer — the same one that had provided the original hoses — informed the C.D.C. that its products were not meant for breathing. Dr. Monroe declined to name the company.

Why the unsuitability of the hoses was not recognized in 2005 is not clear, Dr. Monroe said, adding that he did not know whether the disclaimer about breathing was something that the company adopted after 2005. But he said there was no indication that the company had any knowledge or concerns about the presence of anything toxic in the hoses.

The hoses were meant to carry compressed air for industrial tools like nail guns and paint sprayers, Dr. Monroe said. They did not come with the fitting needed to attach them to the protective suits worn in germ labs. In theory, that mismatch could have been a warning sign: Medical equipment is often manufactured with unique fittings and nozzles so that pieces that do not belong together cannot be joined. The same principle is used at gas stations, where the nozzle for diesel fuel often will not fit into a gasoline tank.

But in the C.D.C. case, instead of looking for hoses created to fit the suits, the lab designer found a manufacturer that could make fittings that would let the industrial hoses hook up with the suits.