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88
SANITARY CONDITION OF WORKSHOPS WHERE
WOMEN ARE EMPLOYED.
The workshops where women are employed are on the whole
satisfactory. The majority of these workshops are occupied by
milliners, dressmakers, and tailors. They are systematically
inspected by the Lady Health Visitors.
(a) Cleanliness.—The premises are as a rule clean, including
the sanitary conveniences which are suitable and sufficient.
(b) Air Space.—There is a tendency, especially amongst
dressmakers, to use the air space quite up to the limit of persons
allowed. 250 cubic feet is altogether an insufficient amount of
air space for a woman sitting closely at work often for 12 hours
with only one hour's interval for dinner and 20 minutes or half an
hour for tea. Yet this is often grudgingly given, as it is inconvenient
to separate the workers who cannot then be constantly
under the immediate supervision of the employer.
The average dwelling room will allow 250 cubic feet of air
space for four or five persons only, and it is in the dwelling
houses that dressmaking is for the most part carried out in
Willesden. It is not unusual to find the workers all together in
one room when they might well be distributed over two rooms.
(c) Ventilation.—The means of ventilation are usually
adequate, but there is little desire on the part of the workers to
use those means, and it is no easy matter to compel their use.
Workrooms with French windows are unsatisfactory as it is
only in the very hot weather these are found open.