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Investigations are often very protracted in trying to decide
whether the best practicable steps have been taken to reduce noise
at least to a tolerable level. In some cases an informal approach
by the public health inspector has been met by willing co-operation
on the part of the "offenders" but in other cases it is
necessary to serve notices to abate the nuisances.
Noise other than industrial noise, however, is difficult to deal
with, as it is often of an intermittent character. Similar difficulties
can arise when offences related to the sounding of chimes are
committed by ice-cream vendors, for it is unlikely that an inspector
will be on the spot at the time the offence is committed. The Act
provides for any three persons aggrieved by a noise nuisance to
initiate action by complaining to the local authority.
I must thank the Scientific Branch of the Greater London Council
for the assistance which they have given to the inspectors
during the past year in recording and making observations on
various noise nuisances.
Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act, 1963
Methods of enforcing the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act
in the London Borough of Wandsworth.
The duty of enforcing health, welfare and safety standards in
any industrial premises is part of the work of the Environmental
Health Section. Inspections and visits are carried out by specialist
public health inspectors supported by technical assistants which,
in my opinion, is the ideal arrangement for any large Authority.
Steady progress was made in the enforcement of the Act during
the year under review. The policy of annual general inspections
has been continued and, in many cases, frequent follow-up visits
are made. Where contraventions are found, a communication is
first sent to the person responsible specifying the various infringements.
If on a subsequent revisit no remedial action has been
taken, a letter is sent giving a final warning of possible legal proceedings,
and during this year the procedure outlined has been
sufficient to obtain the desired result, except on two occasions
when prosecutions were necessary and taken successfully.
Standards in offices are generally satisfactory but some shops
and warehouses are still in need of improvement. The fact that
such an Act exists is now becoming better known and is causing
people responsible for health, welfare and safety in offices, shops
and related premises to give fuller consideration to conditions of
employment. Increasingly, contact is being made with architects,
surveyors and engineers, amongst others, during the planning
stages of office, shop and warehouse alteration.
In this year the Post Office premises were inspected by the Local
Authority and it is gratifying to report that, in the main, the postal
and telephone premises were both in a very satisfactory condition.