WARREN (WWJ) -- Concerns about Legionnaires disease will keep an important building on GM’s Technical Center campus closed until it can get a deep cleaning.
“Our third-party lab has confirmed the presence of Legionella bacteria in select samples from the Cole Engineering building,” read a statement provided by General Motors. “The building will remain closed through the remainder of the week as we work with our third-party experts and local health authorities to review the test data received from the lab. We will develop and implement a detailed remediation plan for all affected systems before reopening."
GM says the Cole Engineering Building will not reopen until the company is absolutely sure it is safe for employees to return. That building has been closed for two weeks, after two employees who work there contracted Legionnaires disease.
It is not certain where the workers were exposed to the disease, and if the cases are related. GM says it closed the building immediately after learning of the cases, and began testing, which detected samples of the Legionella bacteria.
Roughly ten thousand people work at the Cole Engineering Center, which is one of the largest buildings on the GM technical Center campus. They have been working remotely, or at other GM locations, and will continue to do so until the building is reopened.
Legionnaire’s disease is a serious upper respiratory infection, caused by the Legionella bacteria, which is commonly found in areas with an abundance of water. There have been a number of cases, over the years, connected to workplaces, hospitals and other public buildings.
It was first identified after an outbreak at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia in 1976.