A report on lab safety at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put together by a committee of external safety experts revealed that the agency’s laboratory safety training is inadequate.

The panel, which includes a group of 11 experts in biosafety, laboratory science and research, has heavily criticized the CDC’s practices and called the agency's commitment to safety as inconsistent and insufficient.

The four-page report was completed in January and posted on the agency's website this week. The panel mentioned that they are deeply concerned that the CDC is imminent to losing its credibility.

The advisory group was created by CDC in a bid to improve lab safety in July following two mishaps and other issues that happened at CDC.

The report has summarized the groups’ findings and offered recommendations after investigating CDC labs, conducting meetings with CDC staff and a surveying about the laboratory safety culture at CDC.

The report highlighted about a multiple high-profile and dangerous blunders that happened at CDC labs.

One incident happened in May in which avian influenza samples were accidently mixed with the deadly H5N1 influenza virus and then shipped to a USDA lab.

Another incident happened in December when employees in the Ebola lab were potentially exposed to that deadly virus when a technician mistakenly transported the wrong specimens from a high-level lab to a lower-level lab.

Following this incident, internal investigations were conducted and various changes were recommended.

Cameras were added to some labs and certificates were made mandatory to transfer samples from some labs. The advisory group is already working to reduce lab safety risks and improve the culture of safety.

The report has recommended that all CDC labs must go through an external review and accreditation process.

More recommendations include funding for lab safety programs and standardized training, implementing risk assessments, establishing a system of responsible science and accountability, rewarding researchers who run safe labs and hiring a director to oversee lab safety.