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58
It will be seen that the existing law with reference to the sanitary condition of retail bakehouses in
London may be considered under two headings, viz.—
(а) Enactments peculiar to bakehouses.—The Factory and Workshop Act, 1878, section 34, provides
that the inside walls of every bakehouse shall either be painted or varnished or be limewashed. If paint
or varnish be used, it must be renewed every seven years, and be cleansed every six months ; limewashing
must be renewed every six months. Section 35 prohibits the use as a sleeping place of any place on the
same level as the bakehouse, and forming part of the same building, unless it be effectually separated
from the bakehouse, and has adequate external ventilation.
The Factory and Workshop Act, 1883. The provisions contained in section 15 of this Act apply
only to bakehouses newly occupied after June 1st, 1883. Section 15 provides that—(i.) No water-closet
shall be within or communicate directly with the bakehouse—(ii.) The cistern supplying water to the
bakehouse shall be distinct from the cistern supplying a water-closet—(iii.) No drain or pipe carrying
off faecal or sewage matter shall have an opening within the bakehouse. Section 16 authorises a court
of summary jurisdiction to impose a fine not exceeding forty shillings if satisfied that any room or
place used as a bakehouse (whether the same was or was not so used before the passing of this Act) is
in such a state as to be on sanitary grounds unfit for use.
The Public Health (London) Act, 1891, section 26, enacts that the above sections in the Factory
and Workshop Acts shall be enforced by the sanitary authority of the district in which the bakehouse is
situate.
(б) Enactments applicable to bakehouses in common with other workshops.—A bakehouse being a
workshop is subject to the provisions of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, relating to such
premises. Section 2 (i.) (q) provides that any workshop—(i.) not kept in a cleanly state and free from
effluvia arising from any drain, privy, earth-closet, water-closet, urinal or other nuisance—(ii.) not
properly ventilated—-(iii.) so overcrowded during worktime as to be injurious or dangerous to the
workers—shall be a nuisance liable to be dealt with summarily under the Act. Section 38 requires
that every workshop shall be provided with sufficient and suitable accommodation in the way of sanitary
conveniences.
The Council has power to take action if a sanitary authority make default in carrying out the
provisions of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, or of sections 15 and 16 of the Factory and Workshop
Act, 1883, with regard to bakehouses.
The report gives the result of the inspection made by Dr. Hamer and Dr. Young, the Council's
assistant medical officers of health, of about 200 bakehouses in London, 118 of which were situated wholly
or partially below the ground level.
As regards ventilation, it was found during the inspection that in 28 bakehouses the provision for
this purpose was quite insufficient, and with four exceptions these were all underground bakehouses.
In several cases the lighting of underground bakehouses was also quite inadequate. Many bakehouses
were found to be in a dirty condition, this being due in some cases to a disregard of cleanliness
in the conduct of the business, and was most marked in bakehouses where confectionery was also made;
in others this was due to insufficient limewashing and cleansing of the walls and ceilings. The paving
in some cases was also uneven or defective, or entirely absent underneath the flour trough. Waterclosets
were found within or communicating directly with the bakehouse in four cases, and 37 bakeries
were found to have an inlet not aerially disconnected from the drains. There was no evidence of
overcrowding. The vital statistics contained in the report raise some suspicion that the occupation of a
baker is attended with certain dangers to health, but the statistics collected do not deal with a very
large number of deaths.
We are satisfied from the evidence obtained that it is very desirable that the provisions of the law
with reference to bakehouses should be amended. We think that the central metropolitan authority,
rather than the local sanitary authority, should have charge of the bakehouses of London, and that the
Council should be empowered to make regulations which might deal with the following points, viz.—
(1) The position and structure of workshops and workplaces used as bakehouses and of rooms
or places used in connection therewith.
(2) The lighting, ventilation (including air space), cleansing, drainage and water supply of such
premises.
(3) The provision and situation of water-closets and urinals in connection with bakehouses.
(4) The prohibition of the use of the bakehouses for other purposes than the preparation of food.
(5) The use of any room adjoining or opening into any bakehouse.
(6) The conduct of the business and the prevention of the contamination upon the premises of
any articles of food prepared in any bakehouse or of any materials to be used in the preparation of
food.
(7) The mode of making application for license to use any premises as a bakehouse.
We also consider that—
(а) No premises should be used as bakehouses which are not licensed by the Council, and that
a license should be operative for a period of five years, power being, however, given to the Council to
suspend any license for contravention of the regulations.
(b) That all bakehouses which are occupied for the first time after these regulations come into
force should before such bakehouses are occupied, be made to comply with all the regulations.
(c) That bakehouses which are occupied before the by-laws come into force should be exempt
for a period of five years from the regulations as far as these will require structural alterations other
than those now required under existing law, but that after this period they should be required to
comply with all the regulations.
We may point out that the Government has introduced a bill for amending the Factory and Workshop
Acts, ana this seems to afford an opportunity for amending the law relating to bakehouses.
We recommend—
That the Council do endorse the views expressed in this report, and give instructions for a
copy of this report and of the medical officer's report to be sent to the President of the Local
Government Board, with a request that he will take steps to obtain an amendment of the law
relating to bakehouses in the manner here proposed.
The Council on June 26th adopted the following amendment to the recommendations of the
Committee.
That the Council, while concurring in the view that regulations governing the position, structure,
and internal arrangements of bakehouses should be made by the Council for the whole of London, is of
opinion that the licensing and supervision of bakehouses and the duty of enforcing the Council's
regulations should rest upon the local sanitary authorities (the Council having power to act in their
default as under sec. 100 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891), and accordingly refers the
matter back to the Committee with instructions to communicate with the President of the Local
Government Board and to ask him to propose an amendment of the law for the purpose.
The Committee subsequently took into further consideration the distribution between the