A highly-critical Health and Safety Executive report has blamed Barrow BC for ‘a catalogue of basic failings' which led to Britain's worst outbreak of Legionnaires' disease and caused the death of seven people. The outbreak occurred in August 2002, when 180 people suffered ill health as a result of an outbreak of legionella at a council-owned Forum 28 arts and leisure facility in the town centre of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The report said a catalogue of errors by the council led to the outbreak, and it highlights poor communication, failure to act on advice, failure to carry out risk assessment, poor management of contractors, inadequate training, and lack of co-ordination at the council. Following a court case, two public meetings were held in December last year to allow members of the public, and those affected, to learn more about the circumstances and causes of the outbreak. The meetings were chaired by former West Lancashire MP, Colin Pickthall, who said in his forward to the HSE report: ‘Several awful flaws were apparent from the start. ‘Like most accidents, this tragedy could have been avoided if the risks had been properly managed,' said Mr Pickthall. A council spokesman said: ‘The council is currently engaged in litigation with its contractor and in the conduct of an internal disciplinary process. ‘We are, therefore, unable to make further comment at this time.'
