BU Lab Temporarily Halts TB Research after Safety Lapse
Original article from: Boston Globe posted on June 2, 2016. by Kathy McCabe
Boston University has temporarily halted tuberculosis research at its high-security biolab after a malfunction forced a partial shutdown of the South End facility’s ventilation monitoring system in March, university officials said Wednesday.
A faulty network switch impeded air flow from two laboratories, prompting an eight-hour shutdown, BU officials said. The National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories was closed at the time, and the shutdown posed no threat to public safety.
The malfunction was immediately reported to the Boston Public Health Commission and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a BU spokesman said.
“We reported the incident, as required, within 24 hours to the regulators,” Colin Riley said.
BU has suspended research in the affected laboratories until an outside engineering firm completes a review of the system. Freezer units containing pathogens were not affected by the malfunction, officials said, and redundant safety systems operated as intended.
In a statement, the city’s public health commission said there was “no public impact from the ventilation shutdown.” The commission will review the engineering report and inspect the lab before it reopens.