View report page

OFFICES, SHOPS AND RAILWAY PREMISES ACT, 1963
Registration and Inspection
A preliminary survey of all offices and shops has been made and Forms 0SR.1. distributed
where necessary. However, registration is not yet complete
Small businesses in the borough, many of which are carried on by commonwealth immigrants,
are often comparatively short lived, and are soon replaced by other similar establishments. In
these cases voluntary registration is the exception rather than the rule. When requirements
of the Act are brought to the notice of those concerned, a real or pretended ignorance is
expressed.
Attempts to overcome this ignorance by advertisement and other means does little to
improve the situation, and only when the Act has been in force for a considerable period will
registration of offices and shops be effected as readily as factories under the Factories Act.
In addition to 1,050 general inspections, referred to in the statistical section
(page 123 ), a further 410 visits of a "general" nature were made for the purpose of reports
under the Town & Country Planning Act, 1962, and the Betting, Gaming and Licensing Act, 1963.
These visits are normally made prior to occupation, and, for this reason, cannot be regarded
as general inspections of "registered premises". They do, however, ensure that employers
observe the requirements of the Act, and that occupation can be suitably planned, so avoiding
the necessity for the inspector to require internal structural alterations and additions after
occupation.
Exemptions
Exemption from the provisions of Section 9 of the Act, which relates to sanitary
conveniences, was granted to a retail shop for a period of 2 years.
Operation of the General Provisions of the Act
Measures taken by occupiers of registered premises to prevent robbery and vandalism
include the closure of window openings by steel plates, brickwork, wood and other materials.
Often this has been done on the advice of the Police. A compromise to meet the requirements
of security and of ventilation is sought, but is often difficult to achieve. A liaison with
crime prevention officers has been set up, which it is hoped will improve these matters.
The change from traditional "shop" to "self-service store", which is widespread and
increasing, frequently results in more congested conditions. Usually the largest possible
space is allocated to the sales area, the remainder being seldom sufficient for storage and
other purposes. As a consequence stock is often stored on floors of passageways, in sanitary
conveniences and lobbies thus causing obstruct ion, making walls, floors and ceilings inaccessible
for periodic cleansing, and obscuring light sources.
61