Legion firm to pay £15,000

A Walsall company has been ordered to pay more than £15,000 after bosses admitted putting workers at risk of the potentially fatal Legionnaires Disease through a water chiller system at its factory.

Linpac Materials Handling UK Ltd, was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay £13,000 costs after pleading guilty to a failure to comply with health and safety regulations.

However, the plastic mouldings firm insisted it was unaware that a chiller unit, used in the production process as a cooling device, was at risk of carrying legionella.

The Health and Safety Executive examined the Newfield Close factory after workers Trevor Humpage and Anthony Wojcieszyn were struck by the disease, which can prove fatal, in February 2004.

There was no evidence to suggest the company was the cause of the outbreak, although the chiller system was found to carry the risk, and the HSE reduced the severity of its case.

Mr Simon Belfield, prosecuting for the HSE, said the water system was not properly maintained and could have become infected with legionella.

He added the firm had failed to implement safety procedures following risk assessments between 1997 and 2001 and although there was no death Linpac had failed to heed warnings.

But Mr Chris Morrison, defending, said checks had only been carried out on two water towers, which had passed safety requirements, and there was no guidance to assess the water chiller unit. Magistrates said they were satisfied the risk was not identified to the company which would have put measures in place if made aware.