NEWS
LOCAL AUTHORITY SENTENCED FOR LEISURE CENTRE
LEGIONNAIRES’ CASE Tendring District Council has been fined after a member of public contracted Legionnaires’ Disease having been a regular user of its leisure centre facilities.
Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard how the member of public frequently used the showers at Walton Lifestyles when, in November 2016, he fell seriously ill and was taken to hospital where he remained for 18 days. He was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, sepsis, pneumonia and chronic kidney failure.
Water samples taken from the men’s shower tested positive for the legionella bacteria. Legionella bacteria can proliferate in hot and cold-water systems that aren’t properly maintained or cleaned.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Tendring District Council had failed to adequately manage the water systems at a number of leisure centres in the district, including Walton Lifestyles, Dovercourt Lifestyles and Clacton Leisure
TWO SENTENCED FOLLOWING
ASBESTOS BREACH A landlord and building contractor have been fined after large quantities of asbestos fibres were released from the demolition of a conservatory at a rented property.
Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard how the landlord commissioned a building contractor to replace a conservatory containing asbestos panels at a property in Selly Oak, Birmingham between Friday 18 August and Tuesday 29 August 2017. Asbestos was spread as the panels were removed in a haphazard and uncontained way.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the landlord should have had an asbestos survey carried out prior to work beginning, and the building contractor should not have started work without one. The building contractor took no precautions and asbestos was spread to the home, contents and next door.
Wah Kei Dany Ng of Penns Lane, Sutton Coldfield pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4 of the Construction (Design and
Centre. The significant failings included not having suitable and sufficient Legionella Risk Assessments for the leisure facilities and not providing adequate control measures required for Legionella control. Staff were not adequately trained and a lack of monitoring meant these failings went unnoticed for several months.
Tendring District Council of Town Hall, Station Road, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and has been fined £27,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,500.
HSE Inspector Tania van Rixtel said: “Hot and cold water systems can provide the ideal breeding ground for the potentially fatal legionella bacteria if certain control measures are not in place. Controls such as maintaining water temperatures, regular flushing of low-use outlets and adequate cleaning are all necessary in order to reduce the risk of legionella developing.
“Tendring District Council failed to ensure controls such as these were being implemented therefore causing a potential risk to human health. This could have easily been a fatality and given the number of people who use the facilities, the potential legionella risk to the public would have been significant.”
Management) Regulations 2015 and has been fined £1,200 and ordered to pay costs of £607.21.
Jasvir Singh Sangha of Tunnel Road, West Bromwich pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 5 and 16 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and has been sentenced to 150 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £596.61.
Speaking after the hearing HSE Inspector Gareth Langston said: “Asbestos surveys need to be carried out prior to any construction work which disturbs the fabric of a structure.”
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