Tufts U. Is Handed Small Fine for Lab Accident Involving Deadly Toxin

Tufts University has been fined $5,625 for an accident in which laboratory workers could have been exposed to a small amount of botulinum toxin, which is so lethal that a millionth of a gram may be enough to kill a person. No one fell ill as a result of the accident, which took place in April at the university’s veterinary school, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, a Massachusetts newspaper. The fine was imposed by the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The agency criticized the school for providing inadequate equipment and insufficient training for lab workers to deal with emergencies. The university said it had improved lab equipment, training, and procedures.