UW on probation for animal lab violations

The University of Washington has been put on probation for
widespread violations in its animal laboratory facilities, which
include its Washington Primate Research Center and several other
sites for other animal research.

More from the article:

Debra Durham, a researcher and investigator for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in Seattle, said the university's claims are preposterous and the program suffers from a systemic problem that spans decades.

"I get frustrated with the fact that they push it off as growing pains or shortage of money when animals' lives are on the line," she said.

"If you don't have the infrastructure to take on a task, the responsible thing is not to do it."

Among other findings in the report:


Only a taped line on a hallway floor separated HIV-infected primates and dirty primate cages from workers carrying their lunches to a break room, which "created the potential for humans to be exposed to the health risks associated with non-human primates."


There was no pre-employment medical evaluation or ongoing medical evaluations of lab workers who were routinely exposed to allergens.


On one floor of the Health Sciences Building, "the odor and level of dust in many of the rooms was intense."


The majority of rooms on that floor were "significantly overcrowded, creating the potential for worker injury and inconsistencies in environmental conditions for the animals."

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http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/303462_uwlabtest13.html