2002 Barrow-in-Furness legionellosis outbreak

Last updated

The alleyway between the Forum 28 and Wilkinson where the faulty AC unit was located Forum 28 Alley.jpg
The alleyway between the Forum 28 and Wilkinson where the faulty AC unit was located

The 2002 Barrow-in-Furness Legionnaires' disease outbreak was a fatal outbreak of Legionellosis which occurred in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It was and still remains among the worst such outbreaks in history.[ citation needed ]

The first fatality occurred on 2 August 2002. [1] The source of the bacteria was later found to be from steam coming out of a badly maintained air conditioning unit. The system was located in the council-run arts centre Forum 28, with the vent emitting the disease over a busy alleyway in the town centre. Ultimately seven people died and 172 cases were reported (a case fatality rate of around 4%), ranking as the second worst in British history and seventh worst globally by death count. [2]

The coroner for Furness and South Cumbria criticised the council for its failings with regard to health and safety at the conclusion of an inquest into the seven deaths. [3] In 2006, council employee Gillian Beckingham and employer Barrow Borough Council were cleared of seven charges of manslaughter. Beckingham, the council senior architect, was fined £15,000 and the authority £125,000. The authority maintained that Beckingham was not responsible for the building or the defective plant and dismissed the building Technical Manager Kevin Borthwick. He was later re-instated to his position following a challenge by his union. [4] The borough council was the first public body in the country to have faced corporate manslaughter charges. Beckingham maintained that a contract to maintain the plant was in place but failings of others meant that the work was never undertaken, nor was the lack of adequate maintenance pursued by those responsible for the building. Following the trials, the contractor responsible for maintaining the defective plant, Interserve, settled a £1.5 million claim by the Council for damages. [5] [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Legionella</i> Pathogenic genus of gram-negative bacteria

Legionella is a genus of pathogenic gram-negative bacteria that includes the species L. pneumophila, causing legionellosis including a pneumonia-type illness called Legionnaires' disease and a mild flu-like illness called Pontiac fever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrow-in-Furness</span> Town in Cumbria, England

Barrow-in-Furness is a port town in Cumbria, England. Historically in Lancashire, it was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1867 and merged with Dalton-in-Furness Urban District in 1974 to form the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness. In 2023, the borough merged with Eden and South Lakeland districts to form a new unitary authority: Westmorland and Furness. At the tip of the Furness peninsula, close to the Lake District, it is bordered by Morecambe Bay, the Duddon Estuary and the Irish Sea. In 2011, Barrow's population was 56,745, making it the second largest urban area in Cumbria after Carlisle, and the largest in the Westmorland and Furness unitary authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough of Barrow-in-Furness</span> Former local government district in England

Barrow-in-Furness was a local government district with borough status in Cumbria, England. It was named after its main town, Barrow-in-Furness. Other settlements included Dalton-in-Furness and Askam-in-Furness. It was the smallest district in Cumbria, but the most densely populated, with 924 people per square kilometre. The population was 71,980 in 2001, reducing to 69,087 at the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumbria Constabulary</span> English territorial police force

Cumbria Constabulary is the territorial police force in England covering the unitary authority areas of Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness in the ceremonial county of Cumbria. As of September 2017, the force had 1,108 police officers, 535 police staff, 93 police community support officers, and 86 special constables.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrow and Furness (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in Cumbria, England

Barrow and Furness, formerly known as Barrow-in-Furness, is a constituency in Cumbria which has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Simon Fell of the Conservative Party since 2019.

Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council in Cumbria, England was elected every 4 years. This was changed in 2011 from the previous situation where one third of the council was elected each year, followed by one year where there was an election to Cumbria County Council instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furness General Hospital</span> Hospital in North West England

Furness General Hospital (FGH) is a hospital located in the Hawcoat area of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It is managed by the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Lakes Safari Zoo</span> Zoo in Cumbria, England

South Lakes Safari Zoo is a 51-acre (21 ha) zoo established in 1994 by David Gill, and located in Cumbria, England. Its name refers to its proximity to the Lake District, though it lies entirely within the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness on the outskirts of Dalton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Barrow</span> Human settlement in England

Central Barrow refers both to the town centre of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England and to the electoral ward that roughly covers the eastern part of that town centre. In 2001 5,584 lived in the Central ward. The population density was 55.96 per hectare, which was well above the local average of 9.24, and England average, 3.77. The population of Central ward had reduced to 4,583 at the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Askam and Ireleth</span> Civil parish in England

Askam and Ireleth is a civil parish close to Barrow-in-Furness in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it originally consisted of two separate coastal villages with different origins and histories which, in recent times, have merged to become one continuous settlement. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 3,632, reducing at the 2011 census to 3,462.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindpool</span> Human settlement in England

Hindpool is an area and electoral ward of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It is bordered by Barrow Island, Central Barrow, Ormsgill, Parkside and the Walney Channel, the local population stood at 5,851 in 2011. The ward covers the entire western half of the town centre and includes Barrow's main shopping district. Other local landmarks include the Furness College Channelside campus, the Dock Museum and the Main Public Library. Hindpool is also home to two stadia - Barrow Raiders' Craven Park and Barrow A.F.C.'s Holker Street.

The Forum is a theatre, media and arts centre located in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The complex is currently home to a large theatre and stage, several conference and function rooms, Barrow's main tourist information centre and a Costa Coffee outlet. The Forum is situated in Central Barrow, opposite the town hall and perhaps is most famous for being the source of one of the world's worst Legionaires outbreaks in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newbarns</span> Human settlement in England

Newbarns is an area and electoral ward of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It is bordered by Hawcoat, Parkside, Risedale and Roose, the local population stood at 5,515 in 2001, decreasing to 5,487 at the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrow-in-Furness Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England

Barrow-in-Furness Town Hall is a Gothic Revival style municipal building in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The building, which served as the headquarters of the former Barrow Borough Council, and now one of the bases of Westmorland and Furness Council, lies within a Conservation Area with Grade II* listed status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craven House</span>

Craven House is a large office building in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England located on Michaelson Road close to the eponymous bridge. Constructed in the 1960s the building is noted for its length of roughly 90 m (300 ft) and consists of seven floors making it one of the tallest storied buildings in the town. The gross floor area stands at around 8,100 square metres (87,000 sq ft). Craven House is owned by the Department of Work and Pensions through Barrow Borough Council and currently houses the town's principal Jobcentre alongside leasing office space to the headquarters of successful shipping company James Fisher & Sons - the only Barrow based company listed on the London Stock Exchange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrow-in-Furness Main Public Library</span> Grade II listed Beaux-Arts style building in Barrow-in-Furness, England

Barrow-in-Furness Main Public Library is a Grade II listed Beaux-Arts style building located at Ramsden Square, Barrow-in-Furness, England. Operated since 1974 by Cumbria County Council, it is the largest library in the town and the present structure, designed by J A Charles was originally built as a Carnegie library with support from the Carnegie Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nan Tait Centre</span> Protected building in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England

The Nan Tait Centre is a Grade II listed building located at Abbey Road in the Hindpool area of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legionnaires' disease</span> Legionellosis that is characterized by severe form of infection producing pneumonia

Legionnaires' disease is a form of atypical pneumonia caused by any species of Legionella bacteria, quite often Legionella pneumophila. Signs and symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle pains, and headaches. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. This often begins 2–10 days after exposure.

The following is a timeline of the history of Barrow-in-Furness, England, United Kingdom.

References

  1. ↑ Legionnaires' alert claims first victim
  2. ↑ "Legionnaires' source officially traced". BBC News. 20 August 2002. Archived from the original on 14 August 2003. Retrieved 21 July 2003.
  3. ↑ "A Total Shambles". North West Evening Mail. 12 June 2007. Archived from the original on 23 June 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2007.
  4. ↑ "Bug Death Council Worker Cleared". BBC News. 31 July 2006. Retrieved 21 July 2007.
  5. ↑ "Back in the Line of Fire". www.publicfinance.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 October 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2007.
  6. ↑ Report of the public meetings into the legionella outbreak in Barrow-in-Furness (PDF) (Report). Health and Safety Executive. August 2002. Retrieved 13 May 2020.

54°06′44″N3°13′40″W / 54.11223°N 3.22776°W / 54.11223; -3.22776

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.