A local council and a contractor failed to manage the risks of legionella at a leisure centre in Northern Ireland.
In September 2011, Carrickfergus Borough Council contracted Patrick Buckler, trading as Water Management Services Ltd, to assess the risks associated with its water systems at the Carrickfergus Amphitheatre. Mr Buckler had no specific training in legionellosis, or health and safety.
The HSE carried out a routine visit to the site in November 2011 and found the risk assessment for the water system to be insufficient. The Executive issued an Improvement Notice, which ordered the council to carry out a proper risk assessment.
The council subsequently employed a different water management company, which found the risk of legionellosis was high. The council voluntarily closed the leisure centre until remedial work on the water system was completed. The issues highlighted in the most recent risk assessment included a build-up of slime and scale, which are known hazards associated with the proliferation of legionellosis bacteria.
Carrickfergus Borough Council appeared at Laganside Magistrates’ Court on 19 March and pleaded guilty to breaching article 4 and article 5 of the Health and Safety at Work Order (NI) 1978. It was fined £1500 and ordered to pay £61 in costs.
Appearing at the same hearing, Buckler also pleaded guilty to same breaches of the 1978 Order, as well as a breach of reg.6 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (NI) 2003. He was fined £750, plus £61 in costs.
After the hearing, head of HSENI’s major investigation team Louis Burns said: “This case highlights the need for duty-holders to properly manage the risks associated with legionellosis, a potentially fatal infectious disease. If they sub-contract this work, they must ensure that the contractors are competent to do the work properly and professionally.
“In this case, Mr Buckler, trading as Water Management Services Limited, was not competent and should not have been allowed to carry out important health and safety work involved in controlling legionellosis.”
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Just curious how an organisation can judge whether the legionnaires risk assessment company they are contracting are competent. Are there any accreditation schemes for this sort of work?