Legionnaires’ outbreak costs firm £45k

A BUTCHERY processing company has been ordered to pay £45,000, following an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at its Preston plant , which has not re-opened since the incident.

Kepak UK was yesterday fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs at Preston Crown Court , after pleaded guilty to failing to protect its employees from the risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease.

The court heard that two employees caught the disease at its premises on the Walton Summit Industrial Estate in Bamber Bridge, Preston. The first case was diagnosed on 26 September 2006 in  Boguslaw Plociennik, who was employed as a boner, and a second on 3 October 2006 in Zbigniew Rauk, who was employed as a packer.

Following notification of the two cases, water samples were taken throughout the building and significant levels of legionella were found to be present at three locations: a pressure washer hose point, an apron wash shower point, and a pressure washer header tank.

While the investigation was taking place, Kepak closed the Carr Place site and the domestic water system was drained, pumped through, chlorinated and disinfected. Kepak has subsequently not reopened the site, which was one of two the Wakefield-headquartered company operated in the Preston area.

Dorothy Shaw, principal inspector for the Health and Safety Executive, said: “Kepak failed to carry out simple checks on the hot and cold water system. As a result, many of its employees working at the site were potentially exposed to the legionella bacteria, and two individuals were made seriously ill.

She added: “Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal illness and, had the correct procedures been in place, the outbreak at Kepak’s premises would not have occurred. Legionella bacteria can build up in purpose-built water systems and, if conditions are favourable, the bacteria can multiply, increasing the risk.

“A risk assessment had been carried out in May 2001 which set out that simple and periodic checks should be carried out on Kepak’s domestic water system, and that the control measures should be monitored and reviewed. But this did not happen.”