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168
1903]
cubic feet of space to every person." By sec. 3 (3) of the Act the
Secretary of State has power to alter this amount in the case of
a workshop, not being a domestic workshop, " which is occupied by
day as a workshop and by night as a sleeping apartmentand by
his Order of the 17th January, 1902, the amount in such cases has
been increased to 400 cubic feet. The Act requires (sec. 3 (4)) a notice
" specifying the number of persons who may be employed in each
room," to be affixed in every workshop.
(c Ventilation (sees. 2, 7).—Every workshop and workplace must be
ventilated in such a manner as to render harmless as far as practicable
any gas, vapours, dust, or other impurities generated in the
course of the work, that are a nuisance or injurious to health ; and
any such place may be dealt with under sec. 2 (ii) of the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891. This provision is supplemented by a
special requirement (sec. 7 (i) of the Factory and Workshop Act), that
" in every room in any factory or workshop sufficient means of ventilation
shall be provided, and sufficient ventilation shall be maintained,"
and when a standard has been presented by the Secretary of State,
which he has power to make under the succeeding subsection for
any class of workshops, that standard must be observed. By section
157 of the Act, men's workshops, that is to say, workshops conducted
on the system of not employing any woman, young person or child
are excluded from the operation of this requirement.
In workshops where dust, gas, or impurities are generated, and inhaled by
the workers, the Factory Inspector may direct that a fan or other mechanical
means be provided, if he thinks that thereby such inhalation can be prevented ;
and the Home Office recommends that " if in any case the Council are of
opinion that this power could be usefully employed, they should refer it to the
Inspector of the District."
(d) Drainage of Floors (sec. 8).—This is a provision which requires that
adequate means shall be provided for draining off the wet in every
workshop or part of a workshop in which any process is carried on
which renders the floor liable to be wet. A workshop not so drained
may be dealt with as a nuisance under sec. 2 of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891. This section does not apply to men's workshops,
or to domestic factories or workshops, but it does to laundries,
which are practically the only places affected in Islington.
Sanitary Accommodation (sec. 9).—This section does not apply to London,
but it enacts that every factory and workshop must be provided with sufficient