A Merthyr Tydfil-based recycling company has been fined for failing to control the risk of Legionella bacteria following an outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease in September last year.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Merthyr Industrial Services (Biomass) Limited following an investigation of its premises as part of HSE’s response to the outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease along the Heads of the Valleys corridor in September 2010.
The firm was not blamed for the outbreak but it was prosecuted for putting workers and the public at risk. The company was fined £600 by Merthyr magistrates on Monday along with £8,577 in costs.
HSE inspectors visited the Penygarnddu Industrial Estate premises on September 8 2010 and found that over a period of five weeks, the company had sporadically been operating a cooling tower on site without taking appropriate measures to control the risk of the Legionella bacteria.
The Legionnaires’ outbreak was declared on September 3 2010 and was officially announced as over on October 12 2010.
A prohibition notice was immediately served preventing the cooling tower from being used until all appropriate controls were put in place.
The multi-agency investigation revealed that no single source was identified for the outbreak, but investigations suggested a number of different possible sources accounted for the cases.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Stuart Charles said: “While it is not alleged this company was one of the sources of the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak last year, it is essential that companies operating cooling towers fully understand the risks of Legionella, and the steps they need to take to control that risk.
“Operating a cooling tower, even for short periods, without the proper controls in place can present a significant risk to employees and members of public.
“It is important companies comply with the legal requirement to notify Local Authorities if they are operating a cooling tower. If an outbreak occurs, this information is vital to the Outbreak Control Team when planning a response.”