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Sanitary work generally
Mr. Walker, the senior public health inspector, reports: "The
number of inspections made is very little different from last year. It is
interesting to note that of 858 intimation notices served under the
Public Health (London) Act, half were complied with before the service
of a statutory notice. Of the 430 statutory notices served only 32 were
not complied with, and legal proceedings were instituted in these cases.
A noticeable feature is the great reduction in applications for
certificates of disrepair under the Housing Repair and Rents Act,
1954. The supervision of drainage work continues to be an important
part of the inspector's work. Particular attention is paid to the
sealing of old drains where demolition is carried out as this can be
a troublesome source of rat infestation. Samples of water from the rivers
in the Borough are regularly taken, and where pollution is suspected
the inspectors' make inspections to ascertain the source. The housing
inspectors' time has been increasingly occupied on the work of improvement
grants, while continuing their work under Section 9 and 11 of the
Housing Act, 1936, as far as possible. The work required under Section
9, seems to be increasing."
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 were visited periodically by the district public health
inspectors.
The following is a list of trades concerned, extracted from the
August, 1956 lists received: —
Trade Outworkers
employed
Wearing apparel 141
Christmas crackers 1
Boxmaking 12
Stuffed toys 1
Paper bags 1
Lampshades 17
Lacemaking 2
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