Lab’s radioactive procedures rapped

May 16 2008 by Paul Loraine, The Journal

A NORTH medical laboratory has been issued with two enforcement notices by the Environment Agency for a range of failings regarding their use of radioactive substances.

Gordon Laboratory Group Ltd, based in Sedgefield, County Durham, has failed to comply with a number of requirements specified in its permits for handling the substances.

Its shortcomings included failing to provide adequate training to staff and not appointing suitably qualified and experienced people to supervise and advise.

It was also criticised for failing to have adequate arrangements to prevent and detect radioactive contamination and not reporting releases into the environment to the Environment Agency.

Issued under the Radioactive Substances Act, the notices mean the company is now obliged to demonstrate a range of improvements within two months.

The Environment Agency’s inspector for the site, Stuart Page, said: “A number of issues relating to poor management arrangements were identified during a previous inspection of the premises, and the company, at that time, was given the opportunity to put its house in order.

“Unfortunately, upon re-inspecting it became clear that little had been done.

“While there is no indication that any environmental harm has resulted from the failings that have been identified, the company is clearly falling well short of the high standards that we expect to see where radioactive substances are concerned.

“These enforcement notices will require significant improvements to be put in place over the next two months.

“Failure to comply with an enforcement notice is an offence for which an operator can be prosecuted.”

Chris Gordon, chief executive of Gordon Laboratory Group, said the company had responded promptly to the notices.

He said: “Since they have carried out their inspection we feel confident that we have already responded in a positive manner to the concerns that they have.

“It is worth remembering as well that the radioactive isotope levels that we are dealing with are very small.

“We have employed an external agency to do on-site training with our staff.

“And they are also monitoring our radio isotope laboratory procedures on an ongoing basis.”

He said the company hold their hands up to the fact that standards were not acceptable before the inspection and they are now endeavouring to put things right.

“We have not been trying to do things in an improper way,” he said. “They have told us what needs to be improved and we are making the changes.”