IAH Pirbright - Legionnaire's disease contact investigation by HPA

Things don't get any better for the IAH - a nice early Christmas present from the HSE Inspectorate ;

Dec 12, 2006: Failed to protect staff and visitors from "substances hazardous to health" - including the Legionnaires' Disease bacteria at Compton. Ordered to improve safety standards.

Today the BBC report a case of Legionnaires' disease linked to the Pirbright laboratory site in Surrey is being investigated by Health Protection Agency (HPA) officials.

The Health Protection Agency confirmed that the probe related to the Institute of Animal Health.

So far it appears that the Legionnaires' case pre-dates the outbreak of foot and mouth.
A statement from the HPA (not available at time of writing on HPA website) said its early findings indicated that an individual linked with Legionnaires' had been working at the ISO10 building on the Pirbright site.

"These findings, backed up by temperature monitoring in the same area, suggested that the Institute was carrying out all necessary maintenance and monitoring work in compliance with the Approved Code of Practice for the control of Legionella. Results of tests carried out on further samples are still being awaited" it continued.

Investigators were examining where the patient had visited in the 10-14 days prior to falling ill, including their home, workplace and anywhere else they may have travelled to.

Meanwhile let's hope they have sorted out the HSE complaint from february earlier this year :

Feb 28, 2007: Failed to protect staff from exposure to potentially deadly asbestos dust at Pirbright.

The Good News - The Archers keep up to date

One of the Archers and his wife - the soppy Geordy who nearly had it away in the cowshed with the hired staff, lamented in today's episode about the plight of the Surrey farmer's and the lab staff. Listen again tonight. 7.0pm BBC2 as the drama unfolds.