OSHA Will Not Probe UHS Lab

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor will not launch a full-scale investigation of alleged mishandling of dangerous specimens in the clinical laboratory of the University Health Services (UHS), a government official said yesterday.

K. Frank Gravitt, area director for OSHA, said his office would not go forward with a probe because the UHS response to the charges had acknowledged problems in specimen handling and listed specific methods of correcting them.

"University Health Services' conclusion is they acknowledge some of those problems existed," said Gravitt. "In part, there were deficiencies in enforcing some of the policies that were in place. Their response also says they would undertake new policies."

In interviews with The Crimson, UHS officials had denied that any problems existed with specimen handling.

An electronic mail memo dated April 1--nine days after OSHA informed UHS of the allegations--indicates that fundamental changes were recently made in the packaging of specimens. In the memo, Laboratory Manager Barbara Skane said UHS would transport specimens in clear biohazard bags and fluid-resistant containers instead of the paper bags used previously.

But in separate interviews during the past week, six former and current UHS lab employees stepped up their charges against the lab. The employees alleged that the UHS lab had sent blood and feces specimens in substandard packaging to five area hospitals and laboratories: Massachusetts General Hospital, Cambridge City Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, SmithKline Laboratories and MetPath Labs.

UHS has been under pressure to control costs since Dr. David S. Rosenthal '59 became director four years ago. (Ser related story, this page). Some employees suggested that in the lab, controlling costs can put workers at additional risk.

The employees said specimens containing blood-borne pathogens--a category which includes HIV, the virus which causes AIDS--were transported in brown paper bags. Two of the employees said an unsealed plastic bag was used inside the paper bag, but said the plastic did nothing to prevent leaks. Gravitt said such packaging, which is less expensive, falls short of OSHA standards.

"If that tube breaks and shatters, that's going right through the plastic bag," one worker said.

And feces specimens were transported in envelopes without the proper protective barriers, according to the employees. The employees also confirmed previous charges that specimens from satellite clinics at the Law, Medical and Business Schools arrived at the UHS lab in bags that leaked.

One worker said that after picking up a bag to perform a semen analysis "I came up with a wet hand."

"We hated getting those specimens in brown paper bags," the worker said.

Officials at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, SmithKline and MetPath Labs said they had never received UHS lab samples in sub-standard packaging.

But a woman who said she handles incoming specimens for Cambridge City Hospital described receiving Harvard samples in brown paper bags up until this year. But her supervisor came on the line and cut off the woman's phone interview.

"That's correct," said the woman. "They were in brown paper bags, sometimes with a plastic bag inside."

The workers said a recent decision to shorten employee breaks from a half hour to 15 minutes was indicative of management's uncaring attitude towards its workers.

"It's busy," said one worker. "If you can't get away, you make mistakes when you get tired and stressed out. And with the work we do, that's playing with people's lives."

Workers described a laboratory which made for a stressful working environment with low employee morale. They said Skane and other lab professionals were abusive towards members of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers, particularly during contract negotiations last year.

Two of the employees, who were non-union, said they were instructed not to speak with union workers unless it was absolutely necessary. Skane had also attempted to mete out discipline to employees without first permitting them union representation, workers said.

And workers said union literature was removed by laboratory management when it was posted. "It went right back up, though," said one worker.

The employees said they were reluctant to approach Skane with these and other problems.

"A lot of workers are afraid to approach her," said one worker. "She's very vindictive."

Skane and Rosenthal did not return phone calls yesterday.

Margaret Boyer contributed to the reporting of this story.

UHS has been under pressure to control costs since Dr. David S. Rosenthal '59 became director four years ago. (Ser related story, this page). Some employees suggested that in the lab, controlling costs can put workers at additional risk.

The employees said specimens containing blood-borne pathogens--a category which includes HIV, the virus which causes AIDS--were transported in brown paper bags. Two of the employees said an unsealed plastic bag was used inside the paper bag, but said the plastic did nothing to prevent leaks. Gravitt said such packaging, which is less expensive, falls short of OSHA standards.

"If that tube breaks and shatters, that's going right through the plastic bag," one worker said.

And feces specimens were transported in envelopes without the proper protective barriers, according to the employees. The employees also confirmed previous charges that specimens from satellite clinics at the Law, Medical and Business Schools arrived at the UHS lab in bags that leaked.

One worker said that after picking up a bag to perform a semen analysis "I came up with a wet hand."

"We hated getting those specimens in brown paper bags," the worker said.

Officials at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, SmithKline and MetPath Labs said they had never received UHS lab samples in sub-standard packaging.

But a woman who said she handles incoming specimens for Cambridge City Hospital described receiving Harvard samples in brown paper bags up until this year. But her supervisor came on the line and cut off the woman's phone interview.

"That's correct," said the woman. "They were in brown paper bags, sometimes with a plastic bag inside."

The workers said a recent decision to shorten employee breaks from a half hour to 15 minutes was indicative of management's uncaring attitude towards its workers.

"It's busy," said one worker. "If you can't get away, you make mistakes when you get tired and stressed out. And with the work we do, that's playing with people's lives."

Workers described a laboratory which made for a stressful working environment with low employee morale. They said Skane and other lab professionals were abusive towards members of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers, particularly during contract negotiations last year.

Two of the employees, who were non-union, said they were instructed not to speak with union workers unless it was absolutely necessary. Skane had also attempted to mete out discipline to employees without first permitting them union representation, workers said.

And workers said union literature was removed by laboratory management when it was posted. "It went right back up, though," said one worker.

The employees said they were reluctant to approach Skane with these and other problems.

"A lot of workers are afraid to approach her," said one worker. "She's very vindictive."

Skane and Rosenthal did not return phone calls yesterday.

Margaret Boyer contributed to the reporting of this story.