Employers Warned to Ensure Screen Wash Added to Wiper Fluid
Legionnaires disease, the potentially fatal form of pneumonia, has been recently considered by The European Agency for Staff and Health at Work, who have published a new report and a fact sheet on the incidence of the disease.
It shows amongst other things, that employers need to be aware that a failure to advise professional drivers to put screen wash in wiper fluid could lead to cases of legionnaires disease.
Dawn Humphries advises that the new report states this contamination can be as high as 20% of community acquired sporadic cases of the disease. In August 2002, 7 people died and 180 contracted the disease, following attending a council owned arts and leisure facility in Barrow in Furness, Cumbria. The subsequent claim for damages went on to make recommendations to protect against exposure. In addition the Health and Safely Executive now has guidance notes for employers, both in respect of the water and air born contamination, it also includes advice to providers of residential accommodation to protect against such exposure - failure to follow recommendations could give rise to potential claims against them.