The owners of a Newport-based factory have admitted liability in a case brought by workers who contracted a rare zoonotic disease, on the first morning of what was to be a six-day trial at Cardiff County Court.
SCA Packaging Ltd conceded liability after around 65 employees contracted Q-Fever during refurbishment works in August 2002 at its factory in the Docks area of the city.
A total of 61 employees, 57 of which were represented by Leo Abse & Cohen, went to court for the trial which was due to involve evidence from 22 witnesses and nine experts. The cases were based on SCA Packaging breaching The Control Of Substances Hazardous To Health Regulations 1999.
Q-Fever - named Query Fever when first discovered as its cause was unknown - is a disease normally found in sheep, cattle, goats and ticks and is caused by a bacteria agent called Coxiella burnettii. Usually contracted by inhalation of air or dust contaminated with Q-Fever spores, the disease causes a flu-like illness in humans with associated aching joints, headache, sweats, possibly leading to chronic fatigue syndrome.
The claimants' case was based on the fact that during the summer of 2002, SCA Packaging was carrying out extensive renovations to the office and main factory area, including digging holes inside the factory into the bedrock and river below for the foundations of new machines, which caused substantial dust. Evidence showed that the likely cause of the Q-Fever release was as a result of disturbance to straw board partitions and insulation used in the office block area, which had been installed when the premises were constructed almost fifty years previously.
The lead claimant in the case reported experiencing severe flu like symptoms which lasted a few weeks before he went on to develop chronic fatigue symptoms which lasted nearly two years. Medical evidence indicates that Q-Fever can stay in an individual's blood stream for up to 20 years. In some cases a condition called endocarditis, a potential long term manifestation of the disease can develop, affecting the heart.
SCA Packaging has agreed to pay the claimants 80% of damages. The case is now remitted for further hearing to decide the compensation to be awarded to each of the claimants involved.