Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Report on the vital statistics and sanitary work for the year 1909
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WORKSHOP SUPERVISION. 67
Inspections.—The inspections of workshops made during the year numbered 2,280, as
compared with 1,583 in 1908. The principal results of the inspections are set out in Table
44. Notices are required but infrequently, a verbal request to set matters right being usually
sufficient.
Complaints.—The Home Office forwarded 18 complaints during the year (see below), seven
more than in 1908.
Home Office C omplaints —
Dirty conditions 8
Overcrowding 2
Other matters 8
From other sources 2 complaints were received, as compared with 8 in 1908 and 2 in
1907.
Overcrowding.—No cases of overcrowding were reported by the Inspectors and only 2
by the Home Office during the year. In 1908, 9 cases were discovered by the Department
and four reported bv the Home Office.
Deficient Ventilation.—In 1906, 3 workshops were reported as insufficiently ventilated,
in 1907, 4, in 1908, 6, and last year, none.
Warming.—This matter is under the jurisdiction of the Home Office, but the Inspectors
of the Department are instructed to report premises which are either too hot or without
adequate means of maintaining a reasonable temperature in cold weather. The latter
always receives special attention whenever there is a marked fall in the temperature, but only
once was a workshop reported as too cold during the year.
Sanitary Conveniences.—The general improvement which has taken place is manifest from
the appended statement.
Water-closet Accommodation.
1902. | 1904. | 1906. | 1907. | 1908. | 1909. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Insufficient | 9 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | — |
Not separately provided | 33 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Badly placed | 18 | 13 | — | — | 3 | 1 |
Unventilated | 8 | - | - | - | - | - |
Defective | 29 | 23 | 23 | 15 | 11 | 13 |
Sickness.—The cases of infectious disease, of all descriptions, reported during the year on
"workshop premises," numbered 90, including 8 cases in the homes of outworkers, shown in
parentheses in the appended statement.
Scarlet Fever 20(2) Erysipelas 2(—) Chickenpox 18(1)
Diphtheria 9(1) Measles 24(3) Whooping Cough 17(1)
The deaths from the foregoing diseases numbered 3, viz., one each from diphtheria,
measles and whooping cough, none of which took place on outworkers' premises. There were
also 14 deaths from "consumption," including 2 on outworkers' premises.
On receipt of information of any case of infectious illness the premises are specially
visited. Inasmuch as practically all cases of the notified diseases are removed to hospital it
is only necessary to see that any articles liable to convey infection are properlv dealt with.
No orders, to prohibit work were required during the year, and nothing transpired leading to
a suspicion of any spread of infection from such source.