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1938 56
In Part I of the Act the most important changes are: (1) that the Provision of
Section 7 (as to sanitary conveniences) and any regulations made by the Secretary
of State under that Section are to be enforced by the Local Authorities and in all
factories (whether mechanical power is used or not); and (2) that the provisions as
to temperature (Section 3) are to be enforced by the local authorities in factories in
which mechanical power is not used, together with the provisions as to cleanliness,
overcrowding, ventilation and drainage of floors. It will thus be seen that the
question whether the Local Authority will enforce the provisions of Sections 1, 2, 3,
4 and 6 will in future depend not on whether the premises are a " workshop " as
distinct from a " factory," but on whether they are " a factory in which mechanical
power is not used."
Other provisions of the Act place duties on the Local Authority (a) to secure that
the drinking water supplied to a factory shall be supplied from a public main or from
a source approved in writing by the Council, approval to be withheld only on the
ground of unwholesomeness of the water. (b) to re-examine basement bakehouses
in respect of which certificates of suitability have been issued, in the year
beginning 1st July, 1938, and in every fifth succeeding year. If the Council is dissatisfied
as to the suitability of a basement bakehouse, they may give notice to the
occupier that the certificate will cease to have effect within a given period. Alternatively,
they must give notice of the continuance of the existing certificate An
inspection of the whole of the basement bakehouses in the borough was commenced
in the year 1938, and the result of this inspection and action taken will be fully
summarised in the Medical Officer of Health's report for 1939.
The provisions of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901, are re-enacted in relation
to certain sanitary conditions in bakehouses (such as washing, painting, limewashing),
prohibition of certain sleeping places near bakehouses, employment of
women in a factory within four weeks of giving birth to a child, repairing or cleaning
wearing apparel where there is Scarlet Fever or Smallpox ; prohibition of homework
in places where there is infectious disease.
The inspection of factories and bakehouses is carried out by one male Inspector,
who supervises places where men are employed, and by two female Inspectors whose
duty it is to inspect places where women are employed. The female Inspectors also
supervise restaurant kitchens and outworkers' premises.
During the year the Inspectors made 2,197 visits to factories with mechanical
power, 1,746 visits to factories without mechanical power, 902 visits to other premises
under the Act (other than outworkers' premises) and restaurant kitchens, 1,358
visits to outworkers' premises, and 3,716 miscellaneous re-inspections and calls.
Notices served.—In consequence of the 1,061 sanitary defects discovered as a
result of inspections, 306 notices were served. Of these notices 158 were served on
the owners of factories with mechanical power, 80 on owners of non-power factories,
and 68 on the owners of other premises upder the Act. Of the 1,061 defects found,
1,003 were remedied by the close of the year.
Registers.—There were 1,772 factories with mechanical power, 665 non-power
factories, 35 laundries, 121 bakehouses, and 560 restaurant kitchens (total 3,153) on the
registers at the end of the year. During the year 93 were added to and 66 removed
from the registers.