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34
REPORT OF WORK DONE DURING 1907
BY MISS M. W. RICHARDSON, Lady Sanitary Inspector.
The work done during 1907 has comprised the following:—
(1) Inspection of workshops and laundries at which women are
employed.
(2) Inspection of outworkers' premises.
(3) Investigating cases of infantile mortality.
(4) Visiting cases of phthisis.
(5) Visiting cases of measles and other non-notifiable infectious
cases notified by the school authorities.
(6) Visiting to give instruction re management of infants.
(7) Visiting special cases reported from hospitals, or other
charitable agencies, &c.
(1) Inspection of Workshops and Laundries.
During 1907 there were 59 new workshops registered, and 56
were removed from the register, the total number at the end of the
year being 360. Of this number 236 were dressmaking workshops.
The number of assistants employed in this class of work varies considerably
according to the time of year. In several workshops more than one
hundred girls are employed during the season.
Overcrowding.—During the year 97 workrooms were measured.
As far as possible the measurements are taken when the workrooms are
registered. Several cases of overcrowding were dealt with. Many of
these were due to the assistants crowding together in one room instead
of keeping to their allotted places.
Basement Workrooms.—Three new workrooms were added and
two were removed, making a total of twenty-two on the register.
Considerable difficulty has been experienced with regard to the ventilation
of these rooms, more especially during the winter months when
artificial lighting is continually being used. Basement workrooms are
generally large, but the means of ventilation and lighting are not in
satisfactory proportion to the cubic space. It often happens, therefore,
that more workers are allowed by law to be accommodated than is
desirable.
Laundries.—There were 15 workshop laundries on the register at
the end of 1907, one being removed during the year. These were all
visited by the Medical Officer of Health in December. In addition,
there were also 4 factory and 15 domestic laundries. In the case of the
latter the work done is often very irregular, generally one woman only
being employed besides members of the family. All the workshop
laundries were lime-washed during the year.