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Ventilation.—This is a difficult problem in many instances. The
Home Office has issued a circular to employers, from which the following
is an extract:—
" Occupiers are required by the Act of 1901 to provide sufficient
means of ventilation. The inspectors are instructed to pay special
attention to this. In the absence of mechanical ventilation it is
incumbent upon the occupier to see that the other means upon which
he relies for adequate ventilation of each room are sufficient for the
purpose, and maintained in use throughout the working hours. This is
especially necessary where the average air-space of each worker is small,
say under 500 cubic feet, and in all workrooms in which gas is
consumed. Reliance should not be placed upon occasional ventilation
by doors or windows not always kept open, or upon any other ventilating
openings which the workers are allowed to close. The means must be
such as in practice to secure at all times during working hours
reasonable purity of the air, and the occupier is responsible not only for
providing them, but for seeing that they are used. All permanent airinlets,
whether by windows or special ventilating openings, should be
so arranged that the current is directed upwards and does not impinge
directly upon any worker; this is essential, and can be secured by
simple arrangements at small cost.
" The same observations apply to mechanical ventilation by fans.
This, whether for purposes of general ventilation or for the removal of
dust or fumes, should be installed under the advice of a competent
engineer. Many installations have failed to give satisfactory results,
owing to faulty planning, or omission to provide adequate counteropenings.
The whole question of ventilation has been the subject of a