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107
The insanitary conditions referred to in the factory inspector's notices, included
absence of, or insufficient water-closet accommodation, foul and defective waterclosets,
and defective water supply apparatus, want of proper separate sanitary
accommodation for the sexes, overcrowding, defective ventilation of work-rooms,
dilapidations of walls, ceilings, staircases and roofs, general want of attention to
cleanliness and neglect of limewashing of the walls and ceilings of workshops. In
several instances in addition to the defects specified in the factory inspector's
notices, on the visit of the Vestry's inspectors, further serious insanitary conditions
were found to exist, necessitating the execution of extensive works to rectify them.
SANITARY ACCOMMODATION IN FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS.
In this Parish we have for some few years past been accustomed to regard
in factories, workshops and workplaces a proportion of one water-closet to every
fifteen male employees and one to every twelve female employees as a reasonable
basis to work upon; where there are very large numbers of employees some reduction
in the number of water-closets required being made according to circumstances.
From enquiries I have made with regard to other sanitary districts in the Metropolis it
appears that in eighteen out of thirty-two districts from which I obtained information,
in factories and workshops where males are employed one water-closet is required
for every twenty persons employed; in four districts the proportion is one to twelve,
in three districts it is one to twenty-five, in three other districts the proportions are
one to eighteen, one to sixteen and one to fifteen, and in four districts there are no
fixed proportions but each case is dealt with on its own merits.
In the case of factories and workshops where females are employed, in 17 districts
the proportion is one water-closet to every 20 persons, in 6 it was one to 12, in 2, one
to 25, in 3 it was one to 18, one to 16, and one to 15 respectively, and in 4 there were
no fixed proportions.
These figures give an average for 29 of the sanitary districts in the metropolis
(including Shoreditch, and excluding the districts having no fixed proportions) of one
water-closet to every 18.8 persons in the case of males, and one to every 18 persons
in the case of females.
The provision of proper and sufficient water-closet accommodation in places
where people are engaged in work—and it should be remembered that a very large
proportion of people in many of our large cities and towns spend the major portion
of the day-time in factories and workshops, oftentimes too far away to enable them to
go home in the dinner hour—is a matter of great importance in connection with the
public health. Deficient and improper sanitary accommodation in work places,
especially where young persons are employed, exerts a very potent influence in
inducing habits of constipation, with all its attendant evil results and the
probability of laying the foundation of ill-health in after life.