No doubt you’ve heard of court cases where someone has been presented as an expert witness, for example during a coroner’s inquest, a complex prosecution, a civil claim or perhaps an appeal. So what is an expert witness… well the clue is in the name: The person is considered to be an expert in a specific field of interest or topic like the control of legionella and Legionnaires’ disease. H
News outlets are reporting a spate of Legionnaires’ disease cases that have appeared in Adelaide, Australia during the second week of January 2017. Four men have been diagnosed with the potentially-lethal disease, and all are now being treated in hospital. The youngest victim is said to be aged 37, while the oldest is 71.
Legionella Control International is pleased to announce the latest line-up of Legionella training courses for 2017 to be held across the UK and Ireland. The courses cover Legionella Awareness, Regulatory Compliance & Control, the Role of the Responsible Person and Legionella Refresher training.
When a part of your business could be a potential source for the growth of Legionella bacteria, it is your legal responsibility to ensure everything is assessed, controlled and monitored in the proper manner. If you fail to take the right precautions or if the bacteria is allowed to spread and one or more people contract Legionnaires’ disease as a result, you could well be found negligent in you
Some bodies of water are better-known as potential sources of Legionalla bacteria than others. Consider hot tubs and cooling towers, for example. Yet while some locations are often highlighted in this way, others rarely hit the headlines, even though they are still potential problem areas.
An international engineering firm found itself in court last year for failing to properly manage risks associated with Legionella bacteria at two of their UK sites. According to a report on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website, the company had two sites, located in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
When proper measures are taken to monitor and control Legionella bacteria, outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease should not occur. However, 2015 saw 15 cases of the disease reported from various locations around the world. To date, five have been reported in 2016.
A DIY warehouse at the centre of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in 2012 is to be charged with manslaughter, it has been decided. A total of 21 people fell ill after visiting the warehouse, three of whom died. The warehouse, based in Stoke-on-Trent, had hot tubs on display that had not been properly cleaned or treated.
A biofilm may sound like something you buy, perhaps to help in experiments with bacterial growth, but in reality the truth is somewhat different. A biofilm consists of a layer of microorganisms that adhere to one another. Together they form a protective layer that encapsulates colonies of bacteria inside the outer shell. Biofilms typically attach to hard surfaces and can be very difficult to remov
In cases where an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease has occurred, it is very often traced back to a facility or location where insufficient work has been done to manage the risks posed by Legionella bacteria. In the UK every business must be sure the risks are identified and managed in accordance with legislation which includes the Health & Safety Executives ACOP L8. As such, there should be