Legionnaire's outbreak: firms fined ￡300,000

摘要

Two companies have been fined ￡300,000 each following an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in Hereford in 2003, in which 26 people were infected, two of whom died.rnHereford-based cider firm, HP Bulmer Ltd, and Cheshire-based Nalco Ltd, the water treatment company Bulmer hired as part of its strategy to manage the risk from legionella bacteria in cooling towers on its site, both pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, in that they failed to ensure the safety of persons not in their employment.rnHereford Crown Court heard that there had been no effective cleansing treatment and disinfectant regime for the two seasonably used cooling towers. The prosecution said that Bulmer operated outdated water treatment policies and that systemic safety deficiencies and poor training all contributed to the outbreak.