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OFFICES AND SHOPS
Reg i st rat ion and inspection
Premises registered during the year under the Offices, Shops and Railway
Premises Act 1963 numbered 268, the total registrations at the end of the year
being 2,785 in which 27,317 persons are employed. There has been a steady
decline in the number of premises registered and persons employed since
registration began in 1966 when the figures were 3,197 and 33,144 respectively.
Office employees have increased by 19%, whilst employees at other premises have
reduced by 20%.
Surveillance of these premises is executed by apublic health inspector who
made general inspections of 1,535 premises, and carried out 2,006 other visits.
Statistics will be found on page 97.
Offices, Shops and Railway Premises
(Hoists and Lifts) Regulations, 1968
Mechanical Handling - Belt Conveyors
More dangerous conditions have been observed on belt conveyors than any
other type ofmechanical handling equipment, the hazard most frequently met with
being the trapping point between the moving belt, the head pulley and the first
roller of the roller conveyor.
Four accidents were investigated during the year where belt conveyors were
involved. In two cases serious injuries were sustained by persons working at the
transfer point, and a successful prosecution was taken on one of these. The
others were of injuries caused by articles falling from conveyors.
Fork Lift Trucks
The standard of care exercised by the drivers of fork lift trucks in the
exercise of their duties is deplorably low. Among the matters notio-ad by Inspectors
have been insufficient care taken to ensure stability of loads, loads
carried with the forks elevated, lifts given to workmates on forks and forks
used to assist personnel to reach goods stacked at high levels. Sufficient
consideration for the safety of others is seldom shown when trucks are manoeuvred
in confined areas, and thoughtless and careless acts are commonplace.
The possible consequences of these practices were pointed out to drivers
and management, and although employers have been made aware that courses
of instruction are held for drivers at the Industrial Training Centre at Acocks
Green, Birmingham, there is no evidence that any advantage has been taken of
them.
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