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The number of men who have bathed and had their
clothes disinfected during the thirteen weeks of the first
quarter of 1901 is 1,117, the number of women 20; or, put
in another way, about 50 men have been cleansed to every
woman. There is therefore every probability of increase,
considering that during the whole of 1900 only 28 females
underwent the cleansing process.
The Warming of Factories and Workshops.
Under the 32nd section of the Factory and Workshops
Act of 1895 "In every Factory and Workshop adequate
measures shall be taken for securing and maintaining a
reasonable temperature in each room in which any person is
employed."
There is no definition in the Act as to the meaning of
a "reasonable temperature," obviously this must vary
according to the nature of the employment: persons
engaged in working on wood or metal, that is to say
sawing, drilling, turning, riveting, or any other
process demanding more or less continuous muscular
exertion may feel quite comfortable in open sheds
in a temperature at or below freezing point; on the
other hand persons like milliners and seamstresses,
sitting perfectly quiet and only moving their hands, will
suffer considerable discomfort unless the workroom in winter
is warmed up to a certain point. In a recent prosecution
by the Home Office, in which the Sanitary Officers of this
district gave evidence, it was proved that a particular workroom
was on several occasions below sixty degrees and that,
from the appearance of the workers, there were signs of
general chilliness. It was the opinion of the writer as well
as that of Dr. Legge, who has had special experience in the
matter, that for this class of work, a temperature of at least
sixty degrees Fahrenheit should be maintained. The
magistrate adopted this view and issued an order accordingly
for the defendant in future to Avarm her rooms up to that
extent.
It is important, therefore, for the various employers of
that class of labour to note that in this district a "reasonable
temperature" in winter, when artificial warming is
necessary, will be interpreted to mean a temperature of
about 60 degrees.
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