NewsSecond company served notice in Edinburgh legionella outbreak
A second Edinburgh company has been issued with improvement notices by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as part of its on-going investigation into the legionnaires outbreak in the city.
The improvement notices served on pharmaceutical company Macfarlan Smith Ltd require thorough cleaning of one of its cooling towers and provision of access for inspection and maintenance of that cooling tower. Both Notices can be appealed by the company within the next 21 days.
Macfarlan Smith is located in Wheatfield Road, the same road as the North British Distillery Company Ltd who were served with an improvement notice last week.
The improvement notices require Macfarlan Smith to take steps to improve its management systems and do not mean that this cooling tower has been identified as the source of the outbreak. HSE said the source of the outbreak may never be conclusively identified, based on experience from previous outbreaks.
The improvement notices have been served because the company has allegedly failed to maintain their control measures for the safe operation of the cooling tower to the required standard. It does not indicate an immediate risk from legionella, as this was being controlled by the emergency dosing of chemicals and the company's subsequent voluntary shutdown of the cooling tower.
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Legionella breakout - pointing the finger elsewhere
By P Skeet
Why does it have to be a cooling tower? Couldn't it also be the local duck pond, which is full of stagnant water, all manner of fowl fouling, dead frogs, fish, and mosquito larvae etc.??!!
Legionella breakout - pointing the finger
By Peter L
In response to Paul Skeet, and with respect to those adversely affected, it would make it a very popolar duck pond.
Legionella Outbreak - Pointing the Finger
By C. Whitaker
With respect to Mr Skeet. You should learn more about Legionella before making such comments, unless of course people are drawing water from the pond to use in their showers!!!
Confused? You will be
By Neil Everitt
This was a statement sent to me in a press release by a well known firm of consultants, who I will protect from embarrassment by not naming:
"rather confusingly the term often used in relation to Legionella is 'cooling towers' but this can be anything from the familiar towers seen on power stations through to a roof- or wall-mounted air conditioning unit, which so many buildings have."
Legionella Outbreak - Pointing the Finger
By Andrew Ball
Mr Skeet, If you find someone lying in the middle of the road covered in tyre marks, you suspect they've been run over. Not attacked by ducks!
Confused? You will be
By Andrew Ball
Mr Everitt, You have tactfully not named the consultants who have completely misunderstond the difference between "water-cooled" and "air-cooled" but in the interests of the general public it might be useful to know who these buffoons are, so as not to employ them!
Legionella Outbreak Edinburgh
By Tony Rycyk
The UKAS Lab SAL in East Kilbride is the only Scottish company to have a PCR 3hr Legionella rapid testing machine. Why does it take 21 days to find out, pharmaceutical company Macfarlan Smith Ltd has a problem. SAL could have told them the following day. I belive they are using tests for Legionella that take 11 days. Is this why its taken so long ?
Legionella Outbreak Edinburgh
By Legionella Leads
Absolutely bang on Tony!
Legionella breakout - pointing the finger elsewhere
By P Skeet
Why does it have to be a cooling tower? Couldn't it also be the local duck pond, which is full of stagnant water, all manner of fowl fouling, dead frogs, fish, and mosquito larvae etc.??!!
Legionella breakout - pointing the finger
By Peter L
In response to Paul Skeet, and with respect to those adversely affected, it would make it a very popolar duck pond.
Legionella Outbreak - Pointing the Finger
By C. Whitaker
With respect to Mr Skeet. You should learn more about Legionella before making such comments, unless of course people are drawing water from the pond to use in their showers!!!
Confused? You will be
By Neil Everitt
This was a statement sent to me in a press release by a well known firm of consultants, who I will protect from embarrassment by not naming:
"rather confusingly the term often used in relation to Legionella is 'cooling towers' but this can be anything from the familiar towers seen on power stations through to a roof- or wall-mounted air conditioning unit, which so many buildings have."
Legionella Outbreak - Pointing the Finger
By Andrew Ball
Mr Skeet, If you find someone lying in the middle of the road covered in tyre marks, you suspect they've been run over. Not attacked by ducks!
Confused? You will be
By Andrew Ball
Mr Everitt, You have tactfully not named the consultants who have completely misunderstond the difference between "water-cooled" and "air-cooled" but in the interests of the general public it might be useful to know who these buffoons are, so as not to employ them!
Legionella Outbreak Edinburgh
By Tony Rycyk
The UKAS Lab SAL in East Kilbride is the only Scottish company to have a PCR 3hr Legionella rapid testing machine. Why does it take 21 days to find out, pharmaceutical company Macfarlan Smith Ltd has a problem. SAL could have told them the following day. I belive they are using tests for Legionella that take 11 days. Is this why its taken so long ?
Legionella Outbreak Edinburgh
By Legionella Leads
Absolutely bang on Tony!
