London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Lewisham 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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50
Outworkers
Under section 110 of the Factories Act, 1937 the occupier of every
factory and every contractor employed by him must keep lists showing
the names and addresses of all outworkers directly employed by him and
of the places where they are employed, and must send to the district
council in February and in August of each year, copies of those lists
showing all outworkers so employed by him during the preceding six
months.
Section 111 of the same Act empowers the district council by notice
in writing to the occupier of a factory or to any contractor employed by
him to prohibit the employment of any persons as home workers in
premises which the council regard as injurious or dangerous to health.
The Home Work Order, 1911, specified the kinds of work to which
these two sections apply. The types of work consist mainly of wearing
apparel and various textiles, the making of paper bags, boxes, brushes,
baskets, artificial flowers, metal fittings, etc.
Outworkers are visited periodically by the woman sanitary inspector.
The following is a list of trades concerned, extracted from the August, 1952 lists received:—
| Trade | Outworkers employed |
|---|---|
| Wearing apparel | 185 |
| Umbrellas | 1 |
| Artificial flowers | 2 |
| Boxmaking | 14 |
| Carding, etc., of buttons | 2 |
| Stuffed toys | 1 |
| Cosaques, Christmas crackers, Christmas stockings, etc. | 5 |
| 210 |
The inspector made 559 visits and revisits during the year, which
included some to places in which no work was being done at the time
of the visit, although the outworkers were prepared to restart work
when required. Reports were submitted to the Council at the end of
the first six months and again at the end of the year setting out the
position with regard to outworkers in the borough.
At the end of June three premises in the West division were
noted to be untidy, while lack of cleanliness or untidiness noted in
respect of two premises at previous visits had been much improved.
In one case cleanliness was noted as only being very fair. In the North
division cleanliness was reported as being only very fair in two instances,
whilst in three others it had improved. In one case the condition of
the sanitary accommodation had improved. At four premises in the
South division cleanliness had improved (although one could still be
tidier), and in one case cleanliness was reported as being only very fair.