Barrow legionella case: internal enquiry launched

Barrow Council has launched its own enquiry into the 2002 Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, which happened at its Forum 28 arts complex and killed seven people.

The internal enquiry has been launched following the conclusion of the criminal investigation, the publication of an HSE report and the findings of a coroner’s inquest.

Ola Oduwole, from Barrow Council, said to the BBC:

“The review will ensure that all steps are now being taken to prevent a reoccurrence and show that proper Health and Safety procedures are now in place.

“It is being held behind closed doors for legal reasons, but nothing will be hidden from the public. The review’s findings will be presented in full to the council’s executive committee.”

Seven people died and roughly 200 people fell ill in 2002 after an air conditioning unit emitted steam into the street containing the legionella bacteria.

In July, almost 3,000 people signed a petition calling for Barrow Council's chief executive Tom Campbell to resign.

The Legionella Policy and Management Guide version 3.0 has been recently updated to help employers in England and Wales ensure that they comply with their duties under law, and to provide a clear record of the policy and procedure.

The draft policy covers:

• Responsibilities
• Assessment of the Risk of Legionellosis
• Control of the Risk of Legionellosis
• Elimination of the Risk of Legionellosis
• Management Control
• Record Keeping
• and more...

The draft policy also comes with a 27-page Management Guide containing helpful notes on the policy and six Appendices, including a glossary of definitions, ‘Chain of Command’ and ‘Action Plan’ diagrams, and two example record forms.