View report page

70
Section 15.—Sufficient and suitable sanitary accommodation must be
provided, regard being had to the number and sex of the shop
assistants.
The Secretary of State may, by order, determine what is sufficient and
suitable. The Sanitary Accommodation Order of 4th February, 1903,
will presumably be taken as a model. This Order provides, inter
alia, that the sanitary conveniences shall be so arranged and maintained
so as to be conveniently accessible to all persons employed at
all times during their employment. In shops in which only one
person is employed, some such provision is urgently needed.
A contravention of this Section constitutes a nuisance liable to be dealt
with summarily under the Public Health Acts. This is quite a
departure from precedent. No provision is made with regard to
(i) cleanliness, (ii) ventilation and cubic space of sleeping rooms
where assistants "live in," (iii) temperature.
The Departmental Committee appointed in 1906 to enquire into the
operation of the Truck Acts, and incidentally into the "living-in"
system, recommended the regular inspection of shops where the
assistants are lodged and boarded by their employers, and the
passing of regulations providing for sanitation, sanitary accommodation,
ventilation and cubic space in bed-rooms.
In this connection I may point out that the Bye-laws in force in the City
for dealing with employment agencies prohibits the use of any room as a
"sleeping place" unless there is at least 350 cubic feet of air space for each
person accommodated therein. It seems only reasonable that women in
actual employment and "living in" should receive from the State as much
consideration as those seeking work at employment agencies.
Part 4, Section 16 (i), seeks to enact that Inspectors are to be appointed
with the powers of Inspectors under the Factory Acts. No qualification
is insisted on, though these Inspectors have to carry out duties
with regard to Sanitary Accommodation which, under the Factory
and Workshops Acts, are delegated, in factories as well as workshops,
to Sanitary Inspectors.
Section 22 exempts any premises in which Post Office business is carried
on from the provisions of this Act (except as regards hours), and
makes no provision with regard to the health of the persons
employed in such shops.
In Crown factories and workshops, the duties of Local Authorities are
transferred to Inspectors under Factory and Workshops Act (Factory
and Workshops Act 1901, Sect. 150). Some such regulation is
surely needed in these shops.