2021
Up In Flames: Egyptian labs and their employees’ lives
Country/area: Egypt
Organisation: Cairo 24 – Arij
Organisation size: Big
Publication date: 30 Jun 2020
Credit: Nada Omar
Project description:
This investigative investigation, which lasted for a year, documents the non-compliance of governmental research laboratories in Egypt with the standard specifications of the research laboratories, which caused the lives of researchers and workers to be endangered and killed.
Our investigator spoke to six injured in the Centre’s labs, including researchers and workers. Four were exposed to severe injuries from burns, fractures, inhalation of dangerous gases and exposure to parasites and toxic bacteria. During a visit, the investigation documented the absence of occupational health and safety factors and equipment in 12 of the research laboratories.
Impact reached:
The investigation had powerful impacts
The Egyptian Parliament sent a briefing request to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Environment, after the information documented by the investigation
Administrative control in Egypt conducted an examination of what was mentioned in the investigation and prepared those responsible for these laboratories and referred them for investigation.
The formation of committees to examine the laboratories, and this was also proven by the investigation
Techniques/technologies used:
Several tools were used
The investigation was designed in a cross-media fashion
Included
Video graph
Info graph
Data design
A survey
Analyze the survey results
What was the hardest part of this project?
The hardest part is getting inside the research laboratories and shooting inside them.
Because the law prohibits filming inside research laboratories
The second thing is to persuade researchers to talk because speaking to the media threatens to dismiss them
The third thing is to prove that the cause of infection is the failure of the laboratories to comply with the standard specifications, because most researchers’ injuries are diseases that have multiple causes such as cancer, virus infection and others
What can others learn from this project?
Insistence on accessing and documenting information
Project links:
arij.net/investigations/Flammable-EN/