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86
Two cases of such infirm persons were reported during the year.
One was persuaded to enter hospital and the other was kept under observation
at home, after increased attention and medical care had been provided, until death.
9. SHOPS ACT, 1934.
Inspections carried out for the purposes of Section 10 of this Act numbered 466.
In 17 instances notices were served requiring additional sanitary accommodation,
washing facilities or improved heating.
For the purposes of administration a temperature of 55°F. has been regarded as
a suitable minimum, and the shops have been divided into three classes:—
(1) Shops for the sale of non-perishable articles.
(2) Shops for the sale of perishable articles.
(3) Open shops and Forecourt Traders.
The problem of heating in respect of the three types of shops has been dealt
with in the following manner:—
(1) General heating for the whole shop ;
(2) Local heating by gas or electricity from ceiling fires at the positions where
the assistants are on duty; and
(3) Local heating with coke-bucket fires and withdrawal rooms where heating
is provided for the assistants when disengaged in the shop.
The purchasing public are accustomed to the open shop door and I am afraid
rarely give a thought to the discomfort of the shop assistants arising from this
"convenience."
The maintenance of a reasonable temperature in a shop with an open door is
another of our problems.
Several instrumental methods of measuring the standard of warmth and
ventilation have been carried out by research workers and most have agreed that a
dry kata-thermometer reading within the limits of D.K. 5.0 and D.K. 7.0 indicates
a zone of comfort which can be obtained in most shops.