The lab was "not current" and Medlab's processes and systems for communication to and from staff were ineffective, WorkSafe found. Photo / 123rf
The lab was "not current" and Medlab's processes and systems for communication to and from staff were ineffective, WorkSafe found. Photo / 123rf
The chief executive of a laboratory where staff were exposed to a dangerous gas last year says he is confident the lab and its staff have improved the way hazards are dealt with.
Seven staff working at the Medlab laboratory at Whanganui Hospital were exposed to a dangerous substance whenxylene escaped from a container in gas form in April last year.
Xylene was accidentally placed in a freezer while in liquid form, where it turned into a gas, according to lab staff.
Exposed staff were nauseous, one person was reported to have walked into walls and was unable to drive.
In January, WorkSafe issued Medlab Central with three improvement notices after investigating the incident and talking with staff involved.
WorkSafe said principles of risk management were not being "effectively applied" to control risks around exposure to vapours and fumes at the laboratory.
The lab was also "not current" and Medlab's processes and systems for communication to and from staff were ineffective, WorkSafe found.
The improvement notices recommended Medlab engage with workers to identify and understand risks around working with vapours and fumes and agree on controls to manage those risks.
Medlab was also told to bring in more effective ways of communication with staff when identifying hazards and assessing risks likely to impact on their health and safety at work.
On the lab at Whanganui Hospital not being "current", WorkSafe said it "fails to list maximum likely amounts" of substances and should amend its inventory to fix this.
Medlab Central chief executive Dr Cynric Temple-Camp said the laboratory was establishing a new culture around hazards and that was still happening.
"That's clearly what was needed," Temple-Camp said.
"To make sure the culture there, people take ownership of their workplace, draw [attention] to any hazards or any problems they are aware of."
He said he was confident an incident like last year was unlikely to repeat.
Medlab Central chief executive Dr Cynric Temple-Camp says the laboratory is establishing a new culture around hazards. Photo / File
"They're professional people, they're scientists. They understand laboratories, they understand hazards.
"When you work in a hazardous environment it's important on everyone there to conduct themselves so problems don't arise, but also to draw attention to problems that occur."
Other improvements like bringing the lab up to a level so its inventory had the correct maximum quantities had been completed, he said.
"That's all been rectified.
"Of course, it is the duty of anybody who uses that to make sure it is recorded and kept up to date."
Medlab Central would soon meet WorkSafe "to make sure everyone is on the same page", Temple-Camp said.
He added there had been difficulty recently trying to juggle staff absences during the Covid-19 outbreak, but that was happening to almost all businesses at the moment.
WorkSafe said Medlab had provided it with evidence the improvements had been made and the improvement notices were lifted.
WorkSafe was made aware of this issue via a report on its website, a spokesperson said.
"We won't identify the party who made the report, but we thank any person who notifies us of a possible issue using our online form."
