BLOOD SPECIMEN STATUTE SENT TO GOVERNOR'S DESK.

Byline: Staff and Wire Services

Bills by two area legislators that would require health care workers to put vials of blood and other human specimens in a locked container when they are being sent out for testing were sent to the governor Friday.

``Earlier this year, several Burbank children were exposed to blood and tissue samples left unlocked and unattended in a public place,'' said Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, who authored SB 765.

Assemblyman Scott Wildman, D-Glendale, carried AB 1558.

The bills complement each other. They were written after four boys got into an unsecured box of blood and other specimens outside a Burbank medical facility in February.

After police and the Burbank City Attorney's Office investigated the incident, officials said there was no criminal wrongdoing by the medical facility.

The boys, ages 7-13, played with blood vials and other specimens that were left in foam coolers and metal boxes for pickup by a courier. They made a mess, but no health problems were detected as a result, officials have said.

``Kids are naturally curious,'' Wildman said. ``An unlocked box of glass vials filled with unidentified materials is definitely a temptation. These bills codify (reasonable) precautions to protect our children and the general public.''

Aside from a possible health threat to the public, unattended blood or urine specimens that are tampered with could skew medical tests, officials have said.

The bills would order licensed health care professionals to put specimens in locked containers when they are placed in a public area and are outside the control of the licensee.

The bills also direct lab employees to notify the violating licensee and the Department of Consumer Affairs if they find that a specimen was improperly secured in its container.