London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Stoke Newington 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stoke Newington, The Metropolitan Borough]
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OUTWORKERS
Outworkers.—Employers of outworkers in certain classes of
work are required to keep lists of the names and addresses of all
outworkers employed by them and to send twice annually (in
February and August), copies of such lists for the information of
the local authority. From this information, the local authority
is able to take steps to ensure that the places in which the outworkers
are employed are not injurious or dangerous to the health
of the workers and that goods are not distributed from premises
where there is dangerous infectious disease.
The following is a summary of the information secured from the employers' lists during the year.
| Residing in the Borough | Residing outside the Borough | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. | Aug. | Feb. | Aug. | Feb. | Aug. | |
| Number of outworkers employed by firms in the Borough | 184 | 204 | 356 | 398 | 540 | 602 |
| Number of outworkers employed by firms outside the Borough | 201 | 195 | — | — | 201 | 195 |
| Total Number of outworkers whose names were included in lists submitted during the year | 385 | 399 | 356 | 398 | 741 | 797 |
The following analysis shows the trades in which the outworkers resident in the Borough are engaged.
| Trade | No. of Outworkers | Trade | No. of Outworkers | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. | Aug. | Feb. | Aug. | ||
| Artificial Flowers | 10 | 21 | Knitwear | — | 1 |
| Babies Linen | — | 1 | Laces, Tagging | 1 | 1 |
| Belts and Braces | 2 | 7 | Leather—Fancy Goods | — | 2 |
| Brushes | 8 | 8 | Metal Chain making, etc | 6 | 4 |
| Buttons and Button Carding | 2 | 1 | |||
| Screen Process Printers | 1 | 1 | |||
| Cardboard Boxes, etc. | 32 | 17 | Shoulder Pads | _ | 1 |
| Children's Wear | 19 | 15 | Stationery | 2 | 1 |
| Cake Ornaments | _ | 1 | Tassels and Fringes | 1 | 1 |
| Cosaques, Xmas Stockings, Crackers, etc. | 21 | 18 | Ties and Caps | 2 | 3 |
| Toilet Bags | 1 | — | |||
| Druggists' Sundries | 1 | — | Toys and Games | 10 | 1 |
| Embroidered Furnishings | 1 | 2 | Trimmings | 1 | 1 |
| Fancy Feathers | 41 | 54 | Plastic Bags | — | 2 |
| Flags | 1 | Umbrellas | 2 | 1 | |
| Footwear | 8 | 4 | Wearing Apparel (Making, alteration and cleaning | 202 | 215 |
| Furs | 4 | 2 | |||
| Gloves | — | 1 | |||
| Handbags and leather goods | 7 | 11 | |||
| Total | 385 | 399 | |||