Csiro Man Dies In Geelong Lab
The Age
Wednesday December 12, 2001
A CSIRO laboratory employee was found dead at work in Geelong yesterday morning, apparently after being deprived of oxygen when entering a storage room filled with nitrogen gas.
The Geelong man, 44, died on Monday afternoon while trying to move through an airlocked door into a room that stored biological samples at low temperatures.
It appeared oxygen in the room at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory in East Geelong had been displaced due to a build-up of nitrogen gas from evaporating liquid nitrogen, which is used in the storage units.
Laboratory acting director Stephen Prowse said the man, who had been with the company since 1985 and was a member of the microbiological security team, was found in an airlocked space by colleagues after his wife reported him missing.
His death takes the number of people killed in Victorian workplaces this year to 29.
``It is with great sadness to lose a respected colleague, especially on duty," Dr Prowse said. ``We have sent our sincerest condolences to his wife, children and family."
Police were called at 7am and are investigating, along with laboratory occupational health and safety staff, and WorkSafe Victoria on behalf of Comcare.
The investigation is believed to include whether the air extraction system was faulty. Dr Prowse said the cause of death would be determined by the investigation and coroner.
``The area he was entering was a low-temperature storage area for biological samples," he said. ``It does not contain high-hazard disease agents, which are stored elsewhere.
``The samples were all sealed in ampoules and kept in closed cabinets. There is no evidence of any exposure to microbiological hazard."
Meanwhile, a KFC worker, 17, suffered serious burns to his lower legs when he fell into a vat of oil while cleaning an extraction fan on his first day at work. The oil was at its cooling temperature of 120 degrees.
Danial Guyanar from Narre Warren was helped by an assistant manager before ambulance officers took him from the KFC Cranbourne store to the Dandenong Hospital.
© 2001 The Age
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