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Further Information About Babergh Incident Council Media Release http://www.babergh-south-suffolk.gov.uk/polypers/media/2003/09/hadpool.pdf 1.9.03 BABERGH ACTS SWIFTLY TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE HADLEIGH POOL ON SAFETY GROUNDS Babergh District Council has today instructed Leisure Connection Ltd. to temporarily shut Hadleigh’s swimming pool pending further investigations into higher than expected chlorine levels in the water. Leisure Connection Ltd. manage Hadleigh Pool on behalf of the Council. Babergh’s Environmental Health team was called at 1.41pm today by a member of the public who was experiencing eye irritation after having swum in the pool earlier in the day. Two Babergh officers immediately went to the pool and on discovering higher than acceptable levels of chlorine in the water immediately requested the closure of the pool as a prudent measure pending further investigations. Accordingly, the pool was shut by 2.45pm.... From:
Longhurst, Sue [mailto:Sue.Longhurst@babergh.gov.uk]
To:
'paul.burns' Paul, The failure of the dosing plant was the catalyst for the events in relation to the problems with the chemical dosing plant. The dosing plant failed and did not involve any human element and maintenance checks were adequate. Human element can be blamed for details which followed the breakdown of the dosing equipment and our concerns were conveyed to Leisure Connection in respect of lack of staff training, knowledge and initiative. Environmental Health did visit site on 1st Sept following a complaint from a user at the pool. The first sample they took registered at (>6ppm) [parts per million], they then diluted the sample two-fold which still gave an unacceptable reading and following a further four fold dilution gave a reading equivalent to 16ppm free chlorine. There was no combined chlorine, an expected result given the free chlorine levels. These readings differed from those taken by Leisure Connection staff on site at the time. It was due to these readings that they made the decision to close the pool at this time. A
RIDDOR report was not completed to my knowledge. [RIDDOR
= Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)
1995, a legal requirement in some circumstance. PB] The
Council was satisfied that prior to the incident the operator was fully COSHH
compliant.
[COSHH = the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health, a set of regulations and
standards developed by the Health & Safety Executive with the assistance of
the TUC and CBI. They apply to all workplaces. PB] The chlorination system was indepently assessed, it was a Wallace & Tiernan unit which was some 13 years old with a life expectancy of 8-10 years. It has since been replaced with a Stanco unit. Sue Longhurst From:
Paul Burns To:
Longhurst, Sue Dear Sue, thank you for your reply but as you intimated, it is rather unhelpful. Your reply does indicate whether the failure of the dosing plant involved any human element. I would like to know if any aspect would have been avoidable with more effective maintenance/ checking / training / staff levels etc.? While there may be details that the council is reluctant to comment on for commercial reasons, I assume Environmental Health tested the water and such factual data on September 1st and this information is available. Please forward their report or at least details of readings for pH and chemicals found in the pool in parts per million? I
would also be grateful for information on the following: l Has the council checked that a RIDDOR report was filed on the incident? l
Is
the Council satisfied that prior to the incident was the operator was fully
COSHH compliant? l What type of chlorination system is installed and the age of the plant? Paul Burns -----Original
Message----- Paul,
Thank
you for your enquiry and apologies for not getting back to you earlier.
As far as the
incident involving Hadleigh Pool is concerned, operational issues arose as a
result of the failure of the dosing equipment. We undertook a full
investigation and took appropriate action under the terms of the contract.
We feel unable to provide more information as the action taken is a matter
between the Council and Leisure Connection alone. Don't wish to be
unhelpful but hope this is useful. Sue Longhurst
CLIENT
OFFICER - BABERGH DISTRICT COUNCIL From:Paul Burns Dear
Tim, thanks for your time on Wednesday As
I said I am a ratepayer in Brent concerned about poor standards at Vale Farm
Leisure Centre, managed by Leisure Connection.
For over three years I have complained to LC and Brent Council about poor
standards, especially cleaning and failure to open on time but also about safety
issues. Sadly little has changed even after two stage three complaints to
Brent’s Chief Executive have accepted such failings. You
expressed interest in seeing the information about LC’s problems elsewhere.
With the exception of the Which? Report I have found all the
items below through Internet Searches. I wonder how many other incidents
involving LC have either not been made public or are not published on the
Internet. I worry that this company may not be up a job that involves the safety
of the public. I
would like details of the incident reported in your council’s press release on
1.9.03. Ideally, I would like a copy of your Council’s findings into what
happened and causes of this. I believe such information should be in the public
domain. It would be tragic if there was a similar incident elsewhere because the
lessons learnt in Babergh were not readily available to others. The space below is reserved for any information or link LC may wish to provide about the incident. |
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