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survey itself which involves the school children visiting selected premises with questionnaires and subsequently
making noise level measurements using meters provided by the public health department. It is
hoped by these means to produce a noise map of the borough which will be of considerable value for
planning purposes.
(iii) Toys
Also in the field of environmental health a good deal of interest was aroused by the work carried out
by the public health inspectorate in enforcing the Toys (Safety) Regulations 1967, which prohibit the use of
celluloid in toys other than ping pong balls and impose limits on the heavy metal content of the paints used
on toys. The Council's public health inspectors have been very active in enforcing the regulations,and during
the first three years almost half the samples purchased (admittedly selected because they were thought
likely to prove unsatisfactory) were certified by the Public Analyst as failing to comply with legal standards.
The law was strengthened in 1971 following which further sampling indicated some improvement in the
situation, but an unacceptably large proportion of samples continued to be found unsatisfactory. The vast
bulk of unsatisfactory toys are imported, mainly from China, Japan and Eastern Europe, and in view of the
continued hazard it would seem that what is required is a direct ban on the importation of toys which fail
to comply with the regulations.
It is a pleasure again to thank the Chairman and Members of the Health Committee for their unfailing
interest in and support of the work of the department and its staff. I also wish to pay tribute to the staff of
the department of all grades for their loyal support so freely given to me personally and for their indefatigible
efforts in pursuit of the department's aims. Acknowledgement is also due to the many other individuals and
organisations, both inside and outside the Council, for their goodwill and co-operation without which the
smooth operation of the department would have been impossible.
C. BURNS.
Director of Public Health and
Medical Officer of Health.
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