London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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St Pancras 1900

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]

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73
September—Summer Inspection of Factories.
October, November—Winter Inspection of Workshops A.
Domestic Workshops,
December— Winter Inspection of Workshops.
There are about 60 classes of workshops in St. Pancras, each class capable of
sub-division. The busy seasons differ in each class, and are not constant in
any trade, but vary from year to year as trade fluctuates. All this makes it
difficult to work on a systematic plan.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
A. J. Safford,
Sanitary Inspector Workshops (Women).
Workplaces.—The following case heard on June 15th, 1900, and reported in
the Times Law Reports, throws some light upon what are intended to be included
as workplaces:
Bennett v. Harding.
This case raised the question whether a stable and stable-yard constituted a
"work-place" within the meaning of section 38, subsection 1, of the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891, so as to make it necessary for the owner or
occupier of such premises to provide sufficient and suitable accommodation in
the way of sanitary conveniences for the persons employed in or in attendance
at such premises. The respondent was the owner or occupier of premises in
Ormond Yard, within the jurisdiction of the Holborn District Board of
Works. The appellant, the sanitary inspector of the Board of Works, served
a notice on the respondent requiring him to provide the necessary sanitary
conveniences in accordance with section 38, sub-section 2 of the Act. The
respondent failed to comply with this notice, and thereby, as the appellant
contended, rendered himself liable to a fine of £20, and a further penalty of
40s. for every day during which the non-compliance continued, fie accordingly
laid a complaint against the respondent. 1 he premises in question
consisted of ten stables and a stable-yard, and were in the occupation of the
respondent, who was a cab proprietor in a large way of business. He kept on
the premises 110 horses and a large number of cabs, of which he was the
owner. He employed upon the premises a number of men as horse-keepers
and cab-cleaners. Ilis business consisted in letting out cabs and horses by
the day to drivers who were daily in attendance for the purpose of
hiring, changing, and returning cabs and horses The horse-keepers and
cab-cleaners when not at work lived with their respective families in different
rooms, having sanitary conveniences situate over different portions of the
premises. In the stables and stable-yard there was no accommodation in the
way of sanitary conveniences for the horse-keepers and cab-cleaners employed