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Surrey research facility fined over foot-and-mouth

An animal research facility in Surrey has been fined for shortcomings in safety during experiments with cattle deliberately infected.

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Animal research facility fined over experiment safety

The research facility in Surrey has been fined for its experiments on cattle Credit: PA Wire

A world-renowned animal disease research facility in Surrey has been fined over lack of safety during experiments with cattle.

Two incidents at the Pirbright Institute in November 2012 and January 2013 were considered serious enough to warrant legal action

The subsequent court case heard how two incidents occurred when a ventilation system designed to create negative pressure was operated in a different way.

Shortcomings did not result in the release of FMDV to the outside world and safeguard were sufficient to ensure no diseases escaped.

Dr Simon Warne, a Principal Specialist Inspector from HSE’s Biological Agents Unit, said: "At facilities where research is undertaken with foot-and-mouth disease virus it is imperative that control measures are applied in a rigorous way.

" In common with other sites that pose major or significant hazards, either to people or the environment, there needs to be protection in depth."

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