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81
WORKSHOPS SUPERVISION.
more than in the previous year. The numbers of nuisances discovered and dealt with in the
course of inspection are given in Table 46. Fifteen (15) notices of all kinds were served during
the year, as against twenty (20) in 1910.
Complaints.—The Home Office forwarded 23 complaints, 1 less than in 1910, the matters
complained of being—
Dirty conditions 9 (10)
Overcrowding 5 (1)
Other matters 9 (13)
No complaints were received from any other sources.
Overcrowding.—No case of overcrowding was discovered by the Staff during the year, but
5 cases were reported by the Home Office. In 1908 9 cases were reported by the Staff and 4
reported by the Home Office, the corresponding figures for 1909 being 0 and 2 respectively and
for 1910, 0 and 1.
Deficient Ventilation.—The numbers of workshops reported to be insufficiently ventilated
in 1906 and each succeeding year are 3, 4, 6, 0, 0, and 0. It seems justifiable to conclude
that a real improvement has been effected in this direction. In one instance, a workshop
laundry, the special arrangements provided by direction of this Department to secure efficient
ventilation were completely destroyed under an Order issued against fire risks. The case was
still under consideration at the end of the year.
Warming.—Although the maintenance of a proper temperature is intimately connected
with ventilation, yet the former is under the jurisdiction of the Home Office exclusively. The
Staff of the Department are, nevertheless, instructed to report any workshop which may be
either too hot or too cold, with a view to the case being brought to the notice of the Home
Office. No infraction of this enactment was reported last year.
Sanitary Conveniences.—The following figures .show the improvement which has taken
place in this matter.
Water-closet Accommodation.
1902. 1903. 1908. 1909. 1910. 1911.
Insufficient 9 2 2 — 3 —
Not separately provided 33 4 2 2 2 3
Badly placed 18 13 3 1 8 3
Unventilated 8 — — — — —
Defective 29 23 11 13 16 13
Sickness.—One hundred and forty-three (143) cases of infectious disease occurred on
workshop premises, 4 less than in the previous year. Of last year's cases 45 were on outworkers'
premises. The number of each disease are shown below.
Scarlet Fever .. 9 (2) Erysipelas 13 (2) Chickenpox 22 (5)
Diphtheria 15 (3) Measles 46 (25) Whooping Cough 31 (7)
Enteric Fever 3 (-) Puerperal Fever 1 (-) Ophthalmia Neonatorum 3 (1)
Note.—The figures in parentheses refer to out-workers' premises.
The deaths from the above diseases numbered 5 (2) last year (as compared with 11 in
1910), 2 having been due to measles and 3 to whooping cough. In addition, 7 deaths from
pulmonary tuberculosis occurred on workshop premises, 2 being premises occupied by home
workers. In 1910 the corresponding numbers were 11 and 1.
A careful scrutiny is made of the addresses whence cases of all forms of infectious
disease are reported, and if any case occur on workshop premises, the necessary steps are
taken to prevent any work becoming the vehicle of infection. The majority of patients
suffering from the diseases mentioned in the Act are removed to hospital, and the subsequent
disinfection includes that of any work or work material which has been exposed to
infection. No difficulty has been experienced in securing the observance of all necessary
precautions, and neither notices nor summonses have been required.
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