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Consumer Protection Act, 1961
The provisions of this Act and the regulations made thereunder are enforced by the
public health inspectors.
Particular attention was given during the year to secure compliance with the Oil
Heater Regulations at premises selling second.hand oil heaters to ensure that unsafe
heaters were not on sale. The London Fire Brigade reported that they were called to
988 fires in 1967 in which oil heaters were involved. Retailers were advised to offer
for sale only oil heaters which bore a BSI mark and specified warning notice, were in
good condition and included operating instructions.
Gas and electric fires were found on sale which did not comply with the Fireguard
Regulations. Most second.hand dealers were supplied with details of the test probes
in order that they could check for themselves the spacing between the bars of fireguards
and their distance from the heating element or flames. The Toys (Safety) Regulations
prohibit the sale of cellulose nitrate toys and limit the amount of lead, arsenic,
antimony, barium, cadmium and chromium in the paint on toys. No contraventions of
these Regulations were found during the year.
Registration of Hairdressers
All hairdressing establishments had to be re-registered under the provisions of the
Greater London Council (General Powers) Act, 1967. New byelaws came into
operation on 1st July, 1968. Few contraventions of the byelaws were found. In view
of the increase in the use of wigs, hairdressers and wigmakers were warned of the
dangers of using benzene, carbon' tetrachloride and trichloraethylene for cleaning
wigs except in the open air or in well ventilated rooms.
Coin Operated Launderettes
There has been an increase in the number of complaints regarding noise and effluvia
nuisances produced at these premises due not only to the greater number being opened
but also due to the installation of larger boilers and machines and coin operated
dry cleaning machines.
The power to control the installation of the apparatus, the operation and maintenance
of these premises is limited but every effort is made to persuade those installing
the equipment and the subsequent operators to use the best practicable means to
avoid complaints being made later when it may be more difficult to rectify the cause.
HOUSING ACTS, 1957—1964
(a) Clearance Areas
These are groups of houses found unfit for human habitation and that the most
satisfactory method of dealing with them is by demolition. In most cases the Council
seeks to acquire the sites for redevelopment. This procedure is followed by the Greater
London Council and Lewisham, a programme for the years 1965/70 having been
agreed. Additional areas do come to light and when these are identified they are
added to the programme.