The bacterium responsible for Legionnaires’ disease has been found in changing rooms at Northampton racecourse.
According to the BBC, the changing room was closed on 27th January 2010 following routine testing.
Northampton Borough Council took action to disinfect the water supply and showers in the room. The Council has taken steps to ask a specialist firm to come in to the racecourse to see if there are any steps that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of this occurring in the future. The changing room will be closed this week to allow for work to be undertaken on the premises but the Council hopes to have the room reopened shortly.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, Legionnaires’ disease is a kind of pneumonia and is uncommon but serious. Legionnaires’ disease occurs in water, usually in rivers and ponds, but can also be found in artificial water systems.
The Council should be applauded for their efforts in acting quickly to limit the possibility of spread of disease, but it should be noted that they do have a responsibility to do so. Under the Occupiers Liability Act 1957, the owner of a premise owes a common duty of care to take such care as is reasonable in the circumstances to make sure that a visitor to their premises will be safe.
However, as noted by Steve Elsey, head of public protection for Northampton Borough Council, the Council “have gone over and above the actions we needed to take so that people can use the changing room with confidence”. The speed of the response by the Council and the frequency of the tests that they conducted on the premises would make it difficult for anyone who was found to have contracted Legionnaires disease from the site to make a claim for injury.
