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47
During the year 1959 this arrangement was taken advantage of
the respective Baths Establishments as follows:—
Males
Females
Latchmere
3,846
4,022
Nine Elms
1,035
453
Plough Road
1,171
1,120
Total
6,052
5,595
Public Swimming Baths.
The Council maintain four public swimming pools—three at
Latchmere Baths and one at Nine Elms Baths.
The source of water supply at the Latchmere Baths is from deep
wells. In the event of breakdown or any temporary cessation of supply
from the wells, the water is obtained from the mains of the Metropolitan
Water Board. The Nine Elms Baths are supplied from the Board's
mains. The Bath water is effectively chlorinated, and there is a turnover
or change of water in the Baths approximately every 3½ hours.
Samples of water from the swimming pools are taken at fortnightly
intervals and submitted for bacteriological examination. The results
have been consistently satisfactory.
Public Lavatory Accommodation.
Five public conveniences for both sexes and one for females only
are Provided by the Council in various parts of the Borough, two
being underground. All the lavatory accommodation at each of the
conveniences is provided free, and, in the interests of public health, free
washing facilities are also available.
Two Public urinals are maintained, and in addition the urinals
attached to ten licensed premises are, by arrangement with the owners,
available to the general public.
Accidents in the Home.
In last year's report I dealt at some length with the problem of
accidents in the home particularly the inadequacy of existing information
on this subject. It will be remembered that I included a table covering
the years 1956, 1957 and 1958, incorporating figures calculated from
reports made by the London Ambulance Service. I emphasised that
these figures were not absolutely accurate, but they probably gave a
reasonably accurate picture of the home accidents which had occurred
in Battersea.
The table is extended this year by the inclusion of figures for 1959.
They are again under the disadvantage of being calculated and not
actual figures. Assuming, however, that they do not vary very much
from what the actual figure is, it will be seen that the number of home
accidents were fewer in 1959, there being 22.1 home accidents per
ten thousand of the population, compared with 23.7 in 1958. In actual
proportions the incidence of the age-groups and the types of accidents
have not varied very markedly. Too much attention should not be
paid to these returns, but it is at least satisfying to know that apparently
there was no marked increase in home accidents during 1959.