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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202-219-7334
The tragic death of a technician at the Yerkes Regional Primate Research
Center whose eye was splashed with a monkey's body fluid prompted citations and
proposed penalties of $105,300 by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) today.
Elizabeth Griffin, 22, was working in Yerkes' field station at
Lawrenceville, Ga. She contracted what proved to be a fatal Herpes B virus
infection from the monkey's body fluid. Later, another employee at the primate
center's main station on the Emory University campus in Atlanta was
hospitalized following a similar incident and six others received splashes to
their faces that could have resulted in similar infections. Monkeys also have
scratched employees on the face.
"This tragic situation reminds us once again how important basic
safeguards are in protecting the health and safety of workers," said Secretary
of Labor Alexis M. Herman. "A face shield or protective goggles could have
saved a woman's life."
OSHA cited Yerkes for one alleged willful safety and health violation
with a proposed penalty of $63,000, six alleged serious violations with
proposed penalties totaling $38,800, and three alleged other-than-serious
violations with proposed penalties totaling $4,500.
The willful violation was for not providing employees with appropriate
eye and face protection against the monkey body fluid splashes or monkey
scratches.
"Yerkes should have been aware of the dangers, because of reports by the
Centers for Disease Control," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for
Occupational Safety and Health Charles N. Jeffress. "Yet it failed to adopt the
clear and simple recommendations for protecting its workers."
The fatal incident occurred Oct. 29, 1997, as Griffin was conducting an
examination of macaque monkeys in the research center's Lawrenceville field
station. While transferring a monkey from a transfer box into a cage, liquids,
believed to be urine and diarrhea from the animal, were splashed into her right
eye. She was not wearing eye protection. She immediately wiped her eye with a
wet paper towel and about 45 minutes later flushed it with water. No report was
made of the incident. She contracted the B virus as a result of the incident
and died Dec. 10, 1997.
OSHA began an investigation following the death. The agency's
investigation was expanded when a similar exposure on Dec. 12, 1997, resulted
in a second employee at the main station on the Emory campus being hospitalized
for two days.
Published reports say Herpesvirus simiae, or B virus, is a member of the
herpes group of viruses that are highly prevalent in Asiatic monkeys of the
genus Macaca (macaques). The virus is found in the blood, secretions, and
tissues of these monkeys and can cause life-threatening central nervous system
infections in humans.
The alleged serious violations, each of which carry a proposed penalty
of $6,300, all relate to Yerkes' failure to protect employees from infectious
diseases such as the one caused by the virus.
They allege that Yerkes failed to:
- Train employees regarding the dangers of exposures to a monkey's body
fluids and the fact that the B virus could be contracted through the eyes and
other mucous membranes;
- Train employees too on the proper use, care and limitations of
protective equipment;
- Assess the workplace to identify all hazards requiring employees to
wear personal protective equipment to prevent the transmission of diseases such
as those caused by the herpes B virus;
- Provide the use of appropriate hand protection to protect employees
from monkey bites, cuts, scratches and punctures;
- Maintain the monkey cages to prevent protruding sharp edges and
parts from potentially exposing employees to the possibility of disease
transmission through cuts, abrasions and puncture wounds from contact with cage
surfaces that may be contaminated with monkey secretions;
- Provide recommended follow-up procedures and medical care for
employees splashed in the eyes or faces with body fluids of monkeys.
The other-than-serious violations address Yerkes' failure to provide
OSHA prompt access to employees' medical records.
Willful violations are those committed with an intentional disregard
of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and
Health Act and regulations.
A serious violation is defined as one in which there is a substantial
probability that death or serious physical harm could result, and the employer
knew or should have known of the hazard.
An other-than-serious violation is a hazardous condition that would
probably not cause death or serious physical harm, but would have a direct and
immediate relationship to the safety and/or health of employees.
Yerkes has 15 working days to contest the citations and proposed
penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review
Commission.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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