Welcome Guest! The IOSH forums are a free resource to both members and non-members. Login or register to use them

Postings made by forum users are personal opinions. IOSH is not responsible for the content or accuracy of any of the information contained in forum postings. Please carefully consider any advice you receive.

Notification

Icon
Error

Options
Go to last post Go to first unread
Victor Meldrew  
#1 Posted : 14 March 2010 21:27:05(UTC)
Rank: Guest
Guest

Can anyone provide me with any further help and/or advie on the above? I know of a report in the Daily Mail back in 2008 that suggested 'you can catch deadly legionnaires disease from garden compost' and that the Growing Media Association have recently stated there is no 'causal link'. So....is compost dodgy or is it just one of those myths. Any advice would be appreciated.
Steve Sedgwick  
#2 Posted : 14 March 2010 22:38:50(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Steve Sedgwick

The agent that causes Legionnaires' disease is a bacterium called Legionella pneumophilia. People catch Legionnaires' disease by inhaling small droplets of water suspended in the air, which contain the bacteria. The bacteria is found in soil, sludge etc including I suppose compost. But it will not cause legionnaires unless mixed with water, allowed to breed at certain temperatures, and sprayed. But you only get legionnaires decease by inhaling the microscopic droplets of contaminated water suspended in the air. A search on the HSE Web site will bring you up to speed with the subject Steve PS Why do you ask anyway?
leadbelly  
#3 Posted : 15 March 2010 08:18:02(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
leadbelly

Do any of the links here help: http://forum.iosh.co.uk/...aspx?g=posts&t=94188 ? LB
MEden380  
#4 Posted : 15 March 2010 10:32:51(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
MEden380

Victor Go to www.eurosurveillance.org and put Legionella longbeachae into the search box and you will get a variety of papers on the subject including the article on a cluster of Legionnaires; diease linked to potting compost in Scotland, 2008-2009
Victor Meldrew  
#5 Posted : 15 March 2010 19:51:25(UTC)
Rank: Guest
Guest

Very many thanks everyone - this has cetainly helped. Steve, you asked why?.....well one of my clients sells compost via their staff sales shops and an employee has raised the issue and is subsequently creating havoc...it would be nice if the employees had completed all their manual handling risk assessments and operated the safe system of work for working at height, but all in a days work eh
Users browsing this topic
Guest
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.