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Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health—1895. 41
cubic space, a minimum of 500 cubic feet should be provided for each workman. At
the same time additional space must be allowed where gas or other artificial luminant,
except electricity, is used.
2. Structure of Walls and Ceiling.— The walls should be smooth, dry, nonabsorbent,
and made of some material that can be easily washed. These conditions
may be satisfied by the use of a good lining cement, or, better, of glazed bricks or tiles.
Whitewash over brick or plaster is undesirable, as it soon gets dirty, has a rough
surface, and cannot be properly cleansed. The walls should be furnished with a dampproof
course below the floor level, and if such a course does not already exist it must
be inserted, if necessary, by deepening and underpinning the foundations. If the
basement walls be unprotected by an area or by adjoining buildings, they must be
shielded against damp in one of the following ways (a) by making an outside area,
(b) by constructing a hollow space in the centre of the wall, or (c) by building a second
wall outside, so as to prevent the soil coming into contact with the main wall of the
basement. Without these precautions it would be impossible to prevent dampness,
eepecially where the building is of porous brick. The ceiling should be lined with
plaster, with tongued matchboarding, or with a smooth glazed material that can be
periodically cleansed.
3. Window Space.— Where a front and back outside area already exist there will
be no difficulty in providing ample window space ; indeed, that part of the workshop
facing the area can be converted practically into one large window. Where there is
no outside area there is no satisfactory way of getting room for windows except by the
unsatisfactory expedient of digging a space down in front of the window itself. In all
cases the windows should reach to the ceiling, and be made to open flapwise in their
upper halves ; they should be placed at each end, or on two sides of the basement,
whether the latter be an open chamber or divided off by cross partitions. The total
window surface should be equal to one-eighth of the floor area.
4. Light and Ventilation.— These must be to a certain extent regulated by the
special conditions of each case. An open outside area and ample window space are
great aids to natural light and ventilation. Artificial ventilating inlets may be furnished
by Tobin's tubes, by perforated bricks, by louvred panes, and by other well-known
methods. In dusty situations they must be guarded by filters of wire, of gauze, or of
other suitable material. In an underground chamber the outlet often presents a good
deal of difficulty. The most usual way is by an exhaust shaft, the draught of which is
created by waste heat from the furnaces. by lighted gas burners, by a steam jet, or by
a mechanically driven fan. An open fireplace and chimney should be provided in every
basement room intended for human occupation, whether by day or by night. The
difficulty of getting good ventilation will be, of course, much increased if the builder
descend to a second or third downstair floor.
5. Light.— Artificial light is best obtained from electric lamps, which do not unduly
warm and foul the air. Where gas is used, an extra allowance of air space should
be made, each burner counting as three adults. The amount of day and sunlight will
depend very much on the size of the outside area and of the window space.
6. The Floor.— This should be made of good concrete, at least 9 inches thick. Its
surface should be of smooth cement, of glazed brick tiles, or of tesselated paving. On
no account must any gully or sink connected with a drain open through the floor.
7. Drainage and Lavatory Accommodation should be ample, especially in cases
where food is prepared. Waterclosets should be of good modern type, supplied with
automatic flushing tanks and wash-out pans. They should be placed away from the
workshop, if possible, in the area. As the ventilating air for the basement passes
through the area, it will be well to cut off connection with closets as much as possible,
and to provide them with a separate system of ventilation. Washing accommodation
should in all cases be provided. If any drains pass under the basement, they should
be encased in 6 inches of concrete, and laid at least a foot below the concrete floor, and