Bacteria scare shuts bank's city office

By CHRIS DANIELS

ANZ staff have been offered free medical tests for the potentially fatal legionnaires disease after bacteria were discovered in the air conditioning of their Queen St office.

The bank moved 130 staff to other offices around Auckland after legionella bacteria were found in one of two air-conditioning cooling towers at ANZ House, on the corner of Queen and Victoria Sts.

The bacteria were found during a routine check of the cooling towers, and staff were told of the problem and moved out yesterday.

The building was closed at 2 pm. Security guards were outside the five-storey building and signs were posted saying it had been closed "for health and safety reasons."

ANZ staff were sent a memo warning of the risk from the bacteria.

The memo added: "It is unlikely that any of our staff and customers have contracted legionnaires disease from our building."

The building and a branch of the bank housed on the ground floor are likely to be closed until next week.

Bank spokesman Steve Fisher said no one had become sick, but some staff members now wanted to be tested for legionnaires disease.

The ANZ would pay for the tests.

The cooling tower has been treated with chemicals to kill the bacteria. The building was renovated over several months last year, in part to remove asbestos, which also prompted a short staff evacuation.

ANZ human resources manager David Laragy said the bank had been told that closing the building exceeded its obligations.

But it had done so in the interests of staff and public welfare.

Auckland Healthcare medical officer of health Virginia Hope said legionella bacteria bred in water pipes that had been disused for a long time, then brought back into use.

The most recent major outbreak of legionnaires in this part of the world was early last year, when two people died and nearly 100 fell seriously ill after visiting the newly opened Melbourne Aquarium.

The disease and the bacterium were discovered after an outbreak traced to a 1976 American Legion convention in Philadelphia.