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98
Cleanliness.
Twenty workrooms were found on inspection to require cleansing;
16 of these were cleansed on the request of the Inspector, in
two cases it was necessary to serve a notice before the work was
carried out, and two cases were being dealt with at the end of the
year.
Ventilation and Warming.
In 3 workshops the means of ventilation were found defective,
and the defects were remedied. There is, unfortunately, a marked
tendency for the workers to close all windows and other ventilating
openings except in hot weather, and it is difficult to make them
realise the importance of free ventilation. The inspectors make
special efforts to educate the workers on this point, and to impress
upon them the importance of fresh air. Considerable difficulty has
been experienced in this respect, but some improvement have now
been effected, especially in the case of the younger women
workers.
Means of warming were improved or provided in five cases.
Three workshops were found to be warmed by gas stoves that
were unprovided with flues to carry off the products of combustion.
This is a contravention of section 6 of the Factory Act, in which it
is laid down that the measures which in every factory and workshop
"must be taken for securing and maintaining a reasonable
temperature in each room in which any person is employed,
must not interfere with the purity of the air of any room in which
any person is employed." In these cases the warming arrangements
were made satisfactory by the provision of fires or of gas
stoves fitted with proper flues. Two workrooms were found without
means of warming; in one case such means were provided, in
the other the use of the room was discontinued and another room
with a proper fireplace used instead.
Overcrowding.
All the workrooms in the workshops are measured by the
inspectors, and the cubic space in each room is ascertained. The