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
St Pancras 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, Metropolitan Borough]
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56
3.—Home Work.
In certain industries specified in the Act, if work is given out by Employers or
Contractors to be done by workers at home, lists containing the names and addresses of such
workers must be forwarded to the Local Authority. The object of this is to prevent work
being carried out in premises which are insanitary, or in which infectious disease is present.
The following lists were received during the year:—32 in respect of the making, etc.,
of wearing apparel, comprising the names of 67 outworkers (contractors) and 74 outworkers
(workmen), 1 in respect of upholstering, comprising the name of 1 outworker (workman),
1 in respect of the making or filling of Christmas crackers, etc., comprising the names
of 2 outworkers (workmen), 1 in respect of embroidery, comprising the names of 34
outworkers (workmen), 1 in respect of making, etc., of coat hangers, comprising the
names of 18 outworkers (workmen), and 1 in respect of general furnishers, comprising the
names of 15 outworkers (contractors) and 2 outworkers (workmen).
The following table gives the number and type of outworkers' premises in the Borough and the principal industries concerned:—
| Nature of Work. | Nature of Premises. | Total. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factories. | Workshops. | Workplaces. | ||
| Wearing apparel | 29 | 274 | 199 | 502 |
| Bootmaking | 2 | — | 104 | 106 |
| Embroidery | — | 3 | 32 | 35 |
| Miscellaneous | 1 | 8 | 31 | 40 |
| Totals | 32 | 285 | 366 | 683 |
4.—List of Factories, Workshops (
| Nature of Work. | Factories. | Workshops. | Workplaces (including Outworkers). | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakehouses | 65 | 89 | — | 154 |
| Cabinet makers | 58 | 66 | — | 124 |
| Coach builders | 22 | 16 | — | 38 |
| Dressmakers | 72 | 120 | 23 | 215 |
| Engineers | 209 | 34 | — | 243 |
| Foundries | 14 | — | — | 14 |
| Furniture makers | 13 | 19 | — | 32 |
| Furriers | 7 | 13 | 1 | 21 |
| Laundries | 10 | 6 | — | 16 |
| Metal workers | 35 | 36 | — | 71 |
| Milliners | 1 | 18 | 2 | 21 |
| Organ builders | 8 | 3 | — | 11 |
| Pianoforte manufacturers | 39 | 18 | 1 | 58 |
| Printing | 70 | 10 | — | 80 |
| Restaurant kitchens | — | — | 291 | 291 |
| Tailors | 17 | 231 | 140 | 388 |
| Upholsterers | 6 | 36 | 2 | 44 |
| Wood carvers | 6 | 18 | — | 24 |
| Other occupations | 511 | 500 | 380 | 1391 |
| Totals | 1163 | 1233 | 840 | 3236 |