London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
The nature of the work given out to the 188 home workers on the register is as follows:—
| Tailoring | 56 |
| Hand knitting | 43 |
| Dressmaking | 30 |
| Bootmaking | 16 |
| Linen working | 12 |
| Drapery | 9 |
| Outfitting | 7 |
| Fancy goods | 7 |
| Sundries | 6 |
| Chair caning | 2 |
| 188 |
During the year two cases of infectious disease occurred in premises where homework is carried
on, but in neither case was the actual homeworker the patient. Appropriate measures were taken,
and the homeworkers were kept under observation. It was not found necessary, however, to
suspend the issue of the homework.
Home Office Tables. The following tables contain a summary of the inspections made and the defects found and remedied in workshops and factories within the borough where men, women, or young persons are employed:— I.—Inspections.
| Premises. | Number of | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspections. | Written notices. | Prosecutions. | |
| Factories (including factory laundries) | 777 | 60 | - |
| Workshops (including workshop laundries) | 1,383 | 43 | — |
| Workplaces (other than outworkers' premises) | 239 | 21 | — |
| Totals | 2,399 | 124 | — |
II.—Defects Found.
| Particulars. | Number of defects. | Number of prosecutions. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Found. | Remedied. | Referred to H.M. Inspector. | ||
| Nuisances under the Public Health Act:— | ||||
| Want of cleanliness | 87 | 76 | — | — |
| Want of ventilation | 13 | 13 | 1 | — |
| Overcrowding | — | — | — | — |
| Want of drainage of floors | — | — | — | — |
| Other nuisances | 54 | 35 | 3 | — |
| Sanitary accommodation:— | ||||
| Insufficient | 4 | 4 | — | — |
| Unsuitable or defective | 33 | 28 | — | — |
| Not separate for sexes | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| Offences under the Factory and Workshop Act:— Illegal occupation of underground bakehouse (S. 101) | — | — | — | — |
| Breach of special sanitary requirements for bakehouses (Ss. 97 to 100) | - | - | - | - |
| Other offences (excluding offences relating to outwork and offences under the Sections mentioned in the Schedule to the Ministry of Health (Factories and Workshops Transfer of Powers) Order, 1921) | - | - | - | - |
| Totals | 194 | 159 | 4 | — |
III.—Outwork in Unwholesome Premises (Section 108).
No case came to my notice during the year of outwork being carried on in unwholesome
premises.