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It is pertinent to point out that of the two accidents in which warning letters
were sent to occupiers in the current year, one was due to a missing handrail and the
other to defective flooring. In another accident the condition of the staircase may
well have been a contributory factor.
A particular problem in shops and warehouses with storage problems e.g. SelfService
stores, is obstruction of staircases and passages with stock.
Dangerous machines Action has been taken for inadequate guarding of machinery.
The difficulties experienced with the adequate guarding of gravity feed machines
is only just begining to be resolved. The Ministry have arranged with most
manufacturers to fit satisfactory guards but the installation is proceeding very
slowly.
Second-hand machines can still be purchased without adequate guards. These
machines are usually not serviced by the manufacturer and consequently are unlikely
to have guards fitted.
First Aid Most premises had first aid boxes, though they were often not up to the
prescribed standard.
As the standard required varies, according to the number of persons employed or
the nature of the business, it has been found helpful to supply on request a list of
the first aid contents required at any particular premises.
The Inspector recommends that the list be given to the person in charge of the
first aid facilities so that the contents can be readily checked against the list and
kept up to the standard.
In the larger office blocks (with more than 150 employees) a qualified first
aider must be available at all times. Most occupiers of large offices are not aware
that this inevitably means two qualified persons so as to allow for the absence of one
at times of sickness or annual leave.
Accidents During the year 70 accidents have been noitiified to the local authority.
30 of these accidents warranted further investigation to see if they were the result
of non-compliance with the Act or to see if advice could be given to prevent a
recurrence.
As a result of the investigations 6 letters were sent giving advice on accident
prevention and in two of the six cases, letters were sent pointing out the duty of
occupiers to ensure that their premises complied at all times with the provisions of
the Act.
To ensure that occupiers are aware of their responsibility to report accidents
they are told at the time of the Inspector's initial visit and a duplicated Notice is
enclosed with the letter sent to them after the initial visit.
Special Report on Lighting Standards
As requested by the Ministry of Labour, in the last three months of 1965 particular
attention has been paid to lighting conditions in premises inspected under the Act.
1. General impressions
Generally the lighting in modern office blocks appeared to be satisfactory. In the
older blocks bad arrangement made for poor natural lighting and dark decorations tended
to make the premises gloomy even when artificial lighting was in use.
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