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26
Private Water Supplies—Deep Wells
The water from 66 boreholes is used for drinking and domestic purposes in 49 premises. Of these,
18 bores supply water to 16 premises occupied by Government departments or Crown Agents, and
examination and maintenance of these are in the hands of the Government Chemist and the Ministry
of Public Building and Works.
In relation to the 48 boreholes in private ownership, 48 (77) samples of water were submitted for
bacteriological examination and 22 (26) for chemical analysis. With one exception, the results of all
these tests were satisfactory.
One sample showed an abnormally high bacterial plate count, which on investigation appeared,
to be due to recent servicing of a pump. This deduction seemed to be confirmed when further samples
were taken from the same point in the supply after 2 days and 10 days, both being found satisfactory.
Swimming Bath Water Examination
Monthly examinations were carried out at each of the 11 municipal swimming baths in the City.
Two hundred and two (210) samples were submitted to the Public Health Laboratory Service for
bacteriological examination, and the same number of samples were also examined at the baths for
residual chlorine and pH value.
The results of these examinations were generally satisfactory. One case of slightly lower bacterial
purity was probably due to a pump breakdown, and another to a fully clothed man having fallen into
the bath shortly before the sample was taken.
River Thames Flood Precautions
The Health Department, in co-operation with other departments of the City Council concerned in
precautions in the event of flooding, has prepared plans to be brought into operation immediately on
receipt of warning by the Police, in accordance with the London Tidal Flood Warning System.
Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act, 1963
The number of new registrations received during 1969 was 1.042 and, after taking into account
removals, the total number of registered premises at the end of the year was 17,728, the number of
persons employed therein being 352,727.
The number of registered premises receiving one or more general inspections during the year was
1,924. The decrease on the previous year's figure (2,960) was due to a shortage of staff which
included technical assistants who could be made available for this work, arising from the
Department's commitments in relation to the North Westminster Project. For the same reason, the
number of visits of all kinds to registered premises fell from 6,821 to 5,789.
Employers are required under the Act to submit details to the appropriate authority of all notifiable
accidents occurring on their premises and 471 notifications were received during the year. Of these
171 required investigation revealing 9 contraventions. There was 1 fatal accident concerning an
electrician who fell from a height of 8 feet.
The Offices, Shops and Railway Premises (Hoists and Lifts) Regulations, 1968 came into operation
on 28th May, 1969 and require the submission, to the appropriate authority, of copies of reports
from competent lift engineers concerning lifts and hoists where examination has shown that the
appliance cannot continue to be used with safety.
Since the operative date there has been a progressive increase in the number of reports received and
by the end of the year 287 had been submitted. The necessary work to meet the requirements of the
Regulations had been carried out in 34 cases by the end of 1969. This aspect of the Act has greatly
increased the duties of all the staff concerned with its administration.
Statistics, including some contained in the Annual Report to the Department of Employment and
Productivity, are set out in Table 20, page 75.
Factories
There were 4,314 (4,639) factories on the register at the end of the year. Statistics of matters dealt
with by the Health Department under Parts I and VIII of the Factories Act, 1961, are given in Tables
21 and 22, page 76.