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11
Disinfection and Disinfestation
A summary of the routine work carried out in 1959 by the
disinfecting staff is shown in the following table
Houses disinfected after infectious disease
220 (344 rooms)
510 (892 rooms)
Loads of furniture treated with hydrogen
cyanide
5
Total weight of furniture, bedding, etc. dealt with:15
tons 18 cwt. 1 qtr. 6 lb.
It is the practice of certain foreign countries to prohibit
the import of parcels of clothing, unless accompanied with a certificate
that the articles have been disinfected. The Council afford facilities
to persons desirous of sending clothing abroad, but make a charge of
2/6d. for each certificate provided. During the year, 181 parcels of
clothing were disinfected and the income amounted to £22. 12s. 6d. The
following table indicates the destination of these parcels:-
No. of parcels
Czechoslovakia 102
Spain 15
Bulgaria 2
Rumania 61
Italy 1
TOTAL 181
Some countries allow the import of clothing if accompanied by
a certificate stating that no case of infectious disease has occurred
at the sender's address within twenty-one days prior to mailing. During
the year, thirty-one such certificates were issued.
H.C.N, (hydrogen cyanide) Disinfestation
With the manufacture and sale for general use of effective
insecticides, such as D.D.T. there has been a considerable reduction in the
number of infested houses in the borough. The Council have, therefore,
discontinued their policy of treating with H.C.N, the furniture of all
incoming tenants of new flats irrespective of whether there was evidence of
infestation or not. The present scheme provides for the Council's Chief
Housing Officer to notify the Medical Officer of Health, in advance, of
the names and addresses of prospective tenants, and inspections of the
furniture and effects at the old. homes are made by a public health inspector.
If infestation is found, the contents of the home are collected by the
Council's staff, disinfested at Wood Lane with H.C.N, and then taken to
the new flat. If no infestation is found, the prospective tenant is
allowed to move in directly to the new flat. In all cases, the walls and
ducts of the new flats are treated with Gammexane smoke generators (B.H.C.)
as a preventive measure.
During 1959, no new flats became ready for occupation, but in
four cases the furniture of families selected to move into vacated Council
flats (or conversions) was found to be infested and was treated with H.C.N,
at the disinfecting station.
Prevention of Damage by Pests
The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949, imposes a duty
on occupiers of premises to notify the Council of rodent infestation, and
the Council are required to ensure that the borough is, as far as practicable,