HC Deb 17 December 1986 vol 107 cc541-2W
Mr. Hoyle

asked the Paymaster General (1) if the Health and Safety Executive is satisfied that all establishments handling and storing pathogenic materials in ACDP categories 3 and 4 have satisfactory arrangements for keeping inventories of such materials;

(2) if establishments handling and storing pathogenic materials in ACDP categories 3 and 4 have satisfactory systems for rendering potentially infective material safe before disposal.

Mr. Trippier

Establishments handling or storing hazard group 4 pathogens scheduled under the Health and Safety (Dangerous Pathogens) Regulations 1981, must notify the Health and Safety Executive. All establishments visited following such notifications had satisfactory arrangements for keeping inventories of such material and satisfactory systems for rendering potentially infective materials safe before disposal. Premises which handle hazard group 3 pathogens are not notifiable and it is not possible to retrieve information about the standards at these premises without disproportionate costs.

Mr. Hoyle

asked the Paymaster General how many improvement or prohibition notices the Health and Safety Executive has issued in the current year in relation to an establishment's failure to maintain complete records of all human pathogens stored.

Mr. Trippier

Between 1 January and 31 March 1986 no notices relating to failure to maintain complete records of stocks of human pathogens were issued by the Health and Safety Executive. Statistics from April 1986 are not yet available centrally.

Mr. Hoyle

asked the Paymaster General if the Health and Safety Executive has taken any prosecutions against establishments which fail to maintain records of the storage of human pathogens.

Mr. Trippier

No.

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