SHOWERS and urinals were closed and people warned to flush the toilet 'with the lid down' nearly three weeks before County Hall was closed suddenly because of legionella bacteria.
County Hall in Worcester was closed today (Friday) and staff told to work from home as council bosses confirmed the legionella bacteria was found in the water supply.
Workers have struggled to access and maintain the water system because of ongoing issues with RAAC, the faulty concrete which is liable to collapse, which forced the closure of the second floor.
Paul Robinson, chief executive of Worcestershire County Council said: “County Hall Offices which includes the Lakeview Café are closed today after sampling has returned a detection of legionella in parts of the water system.
"As a precautionary measure, I have instructed staff to work from home or from an alternative venue, while further investigations take place.
"The impact on council services is minimal. Weddings and ceremonies will continue as planned as control measures have been put into place and all non urgent appointments will be rearranged."
Ironically, Worcestershire County Council, based inside the building in Spetchley Road, is responsible for public health in the county.
County councillor Lynn Denham said: “I’m really concerned about the health issues and health and safety for staff that have been working in County Hall all this time.
"It’s not just county council employees, it’s members of the public and, in particular, when you realise the register office is there.
"That is where people go to get married and register your newborn baby.
"I saw people with newborn babies in pushchairs and carry cots and they have been going into what we now know is an unsafe environment.”
A letter, which does not mention legionella, was emailed to councillors by Mr Robinson on Tuesday, June 4, nearly three weeks before the surprise closure.
It said water taps would be fitted with filters, urinals taped off and people to to put the lid down when they flushed the toilet.
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Paul Robinson, chief executive of Worcestershire County Council said: “Water sampling results shared with officers yesterday (Thursday, June 20) showed a detection of legionella in the water system. This is why we took the swift action to close County Hall until further notice as a precautionary step.
“The email sent to staff and councillors on the 4th of June referred to a number of control measures put into place due to routine maintenance, which includes fully flushing the water systems, not being able to take place as there was no access to the upper floors of the building. At this point, we had no sampling results confirming the detection of legionella. On detection, advice was sought from specialists, and the building was closed with immediate effect, again as a precautionary step.
“With additional control measures put into place, the Registration Service can be kept open and anyone with an appointment or ceremony will be contacted directly.
“Since the guidelines around RAAC changed in autumn last year, we have adopted an immediate, precautionary approach. At all times, we have put the safety of our staff, public, and visitors first and this remains a top priority, in addition to ensuring services are not affected.
“Our staff, partners, and members of the public have been kept informed and we will continue to ensure this happens.”
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