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197
In the "breaker" the waste passes round a "deviller," which
disintegrates it, and then it is passed over wire netting. Dust, &c.,
is drawn through the wire by means of air suction by a fan,
which then forces it into a tank. From this the draught is
taken up to the top floor to the dust-room. The flax is sent
through a "shoot" after going through the "breaker," and is fed
into machines by women, who toss it loose to spread it evenly.
Here again it is drawn over wire netting, but the air blast is taken
direct to the dust room.
The "dust-room" is on the top floor, and the heavier particulate
matter falls to the floor, while the air is expelled through a cowl
in the roof. Throughout the process there are no means provided
for dealing with the dust in the rooms, and consequently it is
blown through the open doors, windows, and cowl.
At the time of my visit, over the whole of the roofs and in the
gutters of the premises, there was a considerable quantity of the
dust. The engineer stated that the gutters were cleared out
periodically, and I gathered from observation that the creation of
dust was very considerable, especially (a) where the flax was shaken
on the top floor, and (6) where it was spread out by women on the
machines.
One of the complaints respecting this nuisance came from the
authorities at the Roman Catholic Schools in Bunhill Row, and I
paid visits to this school to make observations as to the existence
and degree of the dust nuisance. In effect I found a considerable
nuisance to be existing on account of the flax dust. Samples of
this were collected for bacteriological examination, but apart from
fibrous dust and material and a certain amount of siliceous dust
nothing specific of a bacterial nature was found. I have no doubt
however that the inhalation of this dust by the women engaged in
the factory, and by the children in the school, is in a greater or less
degree injurious. I formed the opinion, notwithstanding apparently
contradictory statements, that to the women the injury must be
great and permanent.