Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Report on the sanitary condition of the Hackney District for the year 1900
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their abatement involved structural alterations or repairs. In 18
instances visits to workshops and laundries were prompted by
complaints to the Public Health Department, laid generally either
by H.M. Inspector of Factories or some anonymous person. We
have notified to the Home Office Authorities the existence of 46 workshops
subject to the regulations of the Factory and Workshops Acts,
as well as to those of the Public Health (London) Act, which had not
previously been visited by any inspector.
Workroom cards showing the number of persons permitted in each
room have been distributed to 220 workrooms.
Outworkers.—I began the systematic inspection of outworkers'
premises in March, 1900. Lists of names and addresses of persons
employed as such are required from the occupiers of factories and
workshops who employ them, as also from occupiers of places from
which any work of making wearing apparel is given out. I have
registered all outworkers resident in this Borough whose names have
been acquired since March, and have now 630 on the register. Of
these 345 have been visited. In two cases upon my first visit, I was
refused admission by outworkers to their houses, but was admitted a
short time subsequently upon calling a second time, With the above
figures to go upon, and after a nine months' trial, I have come to the
conclusion that with the large number of workshops to be supervised'
half the number of outworkers premises registered is as large a proportion
as I shall be able to inspect. I found nuisances existing on
113 premises occupied by outworkers. All these nuisances were
handed over by the Medical Officer to the Sanitary Inspectors of the
different districts to be dealt with. Copies of a notice drafted by the
Medical Officer have been sent to all employers of outworkers. This
notice draws attention to those sections of the Factory and Workshop
Acts, 1891 and 1895, which prescribe the duties of occupiers of
factories and workshops, and of any places from which any work of
making wearing apparel for sale is given out, as to the keeping of lists
of persons employed by them outside the factory, workshop, or place,
if so required by the Secretary of State by an Order made in