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
City of London 1903
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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89
Sanitary Defects in Factories and Workshops notified in
1903 by H.M. Inspectors of Factories.
In 1903 sixty-six notifications of Factories and Workshops where sanitary
defects existed that were remediable under the Public Health (London) Act,
1891, were received from H.M. Inspectors of Factories under the provisions of
Sec. 5 (1) of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901.
Under the latter statute the local sanitary authority is under the obligation
of informing the Factory Inspector of the action taken by them in each
instance, and further, to commence proceedings to remedy the defects
discovered within one month of the date of the notice.
With five exceptions the sanitary defects reported at the sixty-six places
referred to above were remedied before the end of the year, and the works
required at those then outstanding have since been completed.
A comparison of the number of such notifications received in past years with the year under review shows as follows:—
| Year. | No. of Complaints received. |
|---|---|
| 1897 | 34 |
| 1898 | 65 |
| 1899 | 55 |
| 1900 | 49 |
| 1901 | 51 |
| 1902 | 54 |
| 1903 | 66 |
| Average | 53 |
On investigating the reports of H.M. Factory Inspectors, defects other than
those notified have been remedied when necessary. The additional defects
found included:—
(1) W.C's opening directly into workshops, &c.
(2) Gas stoves, &c., not ventilated.
(3) Defective drains.
(4) Defective soil pipes.
(5) Defective urinals.
(9) Defective waste pipes, &c.