View report page

in December 1966 affecting 31,665 dwellings and
covering 7,563 acres.
3 further Orders affecting 4,986 dwellings and
covering 865 acres were awaiting the Minister's
confirmation.
Visits to premises by public health inspectors
and technical assistants for survey purposes
numbered 4,593, and in the implementation of
Orders, 6,448.
In the general execution of the Act outside
smoke control areas 2,124 inspections were
made and 823 smoke observations taken, 633
of them in connection with industrial installations—14
notices were served under Section 30 of
the Act.
Emissions of smoke sufficiently heavy to constitute
infringements of the Act are rare, but
during the year legal proceedings were instituted
against one persistent offender and resulted in a
fine of £5 on each of two summonses, with £3 3 Od
costs.
Under Section 3 of the Act 40 notifications and
5 applications for prior approval were received.
All the latter were approved, 3 without modification
and 2 after modification.
Plans of 20 new chimneys were examined
under Section 10 of the Act. In fifteen cases
modifications were required, and all were subsequently
approved subject to those modifications.
Factories Act 1961
The annual return submitted to the Minister of
Labour in the prescribed form appears as
Table 27.
Compliance with the requirements of the Act
and relevant Regulations was secured by informal
action save in one case where legal proceedings
for a contravention of Section 7 were commenced
but subsequently withdrawn on satisfactory completion
of works to remedy the fault.
182 inspections of outworker's premises were
made in addition to the inspections of factories
recorded in the return.
Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963
The annual return submitted to the Minister of
Labour in the prescribed form appears as
Table 26.
The number of premises shown in column 4
of Table A of the return as having received a
general inspection during the year is accurate
having regard to the definition of a 'general
inspection' laid down in Circular LA5 but is
rather misleading. Of the 2,958 total visits, over
one thousand were of a comprehensive character
but were not so recorded as to qualify for inclusion
in column 4.
Steady progress continues to be made with
inspections and general operation of the Act
despite some set-backs due to staff sickness.

1,150 contraventions were remedied during the
year. This figure of course includes some upon
which action was begun in the previous year. It
was not found necessary to resort to legal proceedings.
All notifications of accidents are closely
examined and the majority investigated on site,
whether or not there appears to have been a
breach of any provision of the Act, and the
opportunity is taken to secure amendment of
equipment or techniques so as to prevent a recurrence.
74 accidents were reported, all non
fatal, during the year. Advice was offered in
fifteen cases and two warnings were given.
The following is an analysis of the causes of
reported accidents—
89