I have walked by hundreds of these “misters” and never considered this hazard! A 59-year-old male employee contracted legionnaires disease from exposure to water from a cooling mist fan while working in the banbury/mixing area. This company manufactures tires for consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and the agricultural, forestry, and mining industries.
The plumbing system, heating, and cooling systems in the banbury area were installed in 1973 (over 48 years ago). The building system components have been routinely neglected from proper operation and maintenance, influencing Legionella and bacterial amplification in the plumbing system. The banbury is warm with an ambient temperature range from 75.6 to 78.5 degrees F, which is an ideal temperature for Legionella amplification.
The cooling mist fans had not been cleaned or maintained since they were purchased around August 2019. Sediment from the environment and water minerals coated the water reservoir. This sediment, biofilm, and warm temperature provided a growing media for the Legionella bacteria to grow and thrive. When the Legionella amplification contaminated the water in the cooling mist fan and was aerosolized, it enabled employees to inhale Legionella bacteria.