November 13, 2018 zacherlaw 0 Comments

As previously reported in a blog posted October 12, 2018, the US approach to controlling legionella is different from the United Kingdom. The UK approach is national in nature and very strict. Two recent examples include a leisure center in Walton-on-the-Naze being criminally prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive ( UK government agency responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare) for an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease two years ago. Another case involved a care home being fined 600,000 pounds (approximately $777,000.00) after pleading guilty to the death of a 90 year old who died from Legionnaires’ disease. This approach is in distinction  to the US approach which is haphazard at best. The only state to pass legislation dealing with curtailing Legionnaires’ disease is New York. Apparently this approach is not working, as it has been determined that a Harlem high-rise apartment is once again the source of a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease. Perhaps stiffer fines and criminal prosecution similar to those of the UK may be in order, particularly when people are dying.

English v US Approach to Legionella Control was last modified: November 13th, 2018 by zacherlaw

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