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There are 15 underground rooms used as factories; only two are not used in conjunction with
premises above ground.
Basement Bakehouses
The local authority is responsible for the supervision of basement bakehouses under Section 54 of
the Factories Act, 1937. A basement bakehouse is defined as a bakehouse any baking room of which is so
situated that the surface of the floor is more than three feet below the surface of the footway of the adjoining
street or of the ground adjoining or nearest to the room; a baking room is defined as any room used for
baking or for the process incidental thereto.
There are now ten basement bakehouses in Willesden; they have been regularly inspected and are
satisfactory, but one of these has not been used since March and, should it not be used for baking purposes
for over twelve months, will then become closed for the use of a bakehouse or work incidental thereto.
Outworkers and Homeworkers
In February and August of each year, factory owners send lists to the local authority of the
names and addresses of all persons who work at home for them on certain jobs; all persons who have
worked for them during the previous six months are included.
245 outworkers' premises were inspected in 1953.
Conclusions
As the number of factory inspectors is small, just over 300 to cover about one-quarter million
factories, it would appear desirable to supplement them by the sanitary inspectors who already have to enter
power factories to inspect sanitary conveniences. In Willesden there are only two part-time factory
inspectors. The 19 sanitary inspectors employed by The Borough Council could give appreciable assistance
bv dealing with cleanliness, overcrowding, temperature, ventilation and drainage of floors in power factories
as well as in non-power ones. Technical assistance could be given them where required in the same way as
it is given to the factory inspectors. Altogether there would appear to be need for an extension of the
l actones Act to cover the 50 per cent, of the working population who at present have no protection, and also
to unify the medical and preventive services which are responsible for the health of employees at their work.
The Borough Council have now introduced an industrial medical service for their employees to
cover environmental hygiene, first aid, and rehabilitation.
NOISE NUISANCE
As outlined in the 1950 annual report, the Borough Council deals with noise nuisances under Section
313 of the Middlesex County Council Act, 1944.
Seventeen complaints were made, but only 10 could be considered as statutory nuisances. The
owners co-operated in stopping or reducing the noise satisfactorily in 7 cases; 3 were still outstanding at
the end of the year.
1 he following is a summary of the action taken in the 7 cases:—
Noise from compressor used in melting aluminum. The owners called in a noise consultant and the
compressors were soundproofed.
(b) Noise from machinery was remedied by replacing worn bearings.