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11
On 5th June, 1958, the Council made a second Smoke Control Order in respect of Lord's Ward,
operative as from 1st October, 1959.
A survey of Hamilton Terrace Ward was commenced in preparation for the consideration by the
Council of a third Order during 1959.
Section 3 of the Clean Air Act, 1956, requires that the Council be notified of proposals to install
new furnaces. Sixteen such notifications were received and in eight cases application was made for
the Council's approval of the appropriate plans and specifications. Approval was given in two instances
and six applications were outstanding at 31st December.
Atmospheric pollution was continuously measured at five sites within the Borough and the
information obtained was sent regularly to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The
statistics are shown in Tables 7, 8 and 9, page 31.
Factories.
There were 1,927 factories on the register at the end of the year, 29 more than last year. A report
on the administration by the Department of matters under Parts I and VIII of the Factories Act,
1937, is given in Tables 11 and 12, page 32.
Outworkers.
Seventy-seven employers submitted lists in respect of a total of 737 outworkers (140 contractors and
597 workpeople). Of these, thirty-four contractors and twenty-four workpeople operated in the
Borough. The nature of the different classes of work and the numbers of outworkers engaged is
indicated in Table 13, page 33.
Fireguards.
Inspection continued under the provisions of the Heating Appliances (Fireguards) Act, 1952. Of
the comparatively few heaters that were found not to comply with the requirements, the majority
were second-hand and the main fault was inadequate guards. Four notices were served and in each
case the vendors immediately withdrew appliances from sale or fitted new guards and sought
approval before again displaying for sale. No legal proceedings were necessary.
It is to be noted, however, that auctioneers can still legally sell heating appliances which do not
comply with the Regulations unless they do so as agents for someone whose normal business is the
selling of heating appliances. This loophole in the Act leads to administrative difficulties and in some
degree defeats the aim of legislation designed to safeguard the users of these appliances from accidents.
Hairdressers and Barbers.
The Council's Byelaws regulating these establishments came into operation on 18th December,
1955. There are in the Borough 132 registered hairdressers and barbers and 97 inspections were made.
One notice was served but otherwise conditions generally were found to be satisfactory.
Pet Shops.
The Pet Animals Act, 1951, provides for a system of inspection and annual licensing of pet shops
by local authorities, a fee of 10s. being payable for each licence, eleven of which were issued during
the year. A few of the licensees kept puppies and other mammals for sale but mostly they deal in
cage birds, goldfish and tropical fish. The premises concerned were kept under observation by the
public health inspectors who made 27 visits and inspected weekly the stalls licensed to sell pets in
the street markets. Conditions under which the livestock was kept were reported as satisfactory.
Poisons.
At the end of the year the names of eighty-four traders were on the Council's list of persons entitled
to sell poisons included in Part II of the Poisons List (Pharmacy and Poisons Acts, 1933-1941). Details
of the premises concerned are given in Table 14, page 33.
Protective Helmets.
The Motor Cycles (Protective Helmets) Regulations, 1957, makes it an offence for any person
to sell or hire or offer to sell or hire any helmet as a helmet affording protection to motor cyclists, in
the event of an accident, which is neither of a type prescribed nor of a type authorised under
Regulations made by the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation as being a helmet recommended
as affording such protection. These Regulations prescribe the types of helmet which may be sold or
hired to motor cyclists.