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50
No doubt as a result of high overheads in new office blocks, there is a
tendency on the part of some occupiers to overcrowd their premises. Recognition
of overcrowding and maintenance of effective ventilation, particularly
where there is partitioning of offices, requires careful inspection and survey,
In my report for the year 1967 I recorded that a Certificate of Exemption
was granted for a period of six months in respect of a large office, which
was overcrowded. The Certificate of Exemption expired on the 6th June,
1968, and, in the meantime the Company had taken over occupancy of adjoining
offices in addition to their existing accommodation on the same floor,
thus abating the overcrowding. The Certificate of Exemption was therefore
withdrawn.
A type of electric water heater is on the market which consists of a
container filled manually by connecting a rubber tube to the water supply
tap. When the container becomes empty, the manual operation in filling has
to be repeated. Reinspections have revealed neglect in refilling, extending
in some cases, it is thought, over a number of days. Occupiers have been
warned, when served with a notice to provide running hot or warm water,
that this type of heater is deprecated, and, if found empty on reinspections,
will be considered as a contravention of the Act.
Water closet compartments are still found which are cluttered up with
tools or commodities, and obstructed passages are still frequently encountered
for the same reason. Problems arising from insufficient sanitary
accommodation shared by the sexes where more than five persons are employed
have been investiaged and resolved.
Lack of running hot water in laundry receiving offices seems to be a
speciality of the trade. It is extremely rare on primary inspection to find
a supply of hot water in such premises, and notices have been served in
plenty, often with a threat of proceedings in default. As the employees
have to handle soiled and dirty clothing, one would regard the provision
of hot water almost as essential as that required for food handlers, and
that this would have long been the concern of the trade in question.
Petrol service stations have been found without running hot water for
hand washing. Complaints have been received that employees dislike
eating their food on the premises with hands from which petrol odour has
not been fully removed by cold water washing.
It is the policy of the department to investigate all accidents. Such
investigations are worthless unless painstaking investigation is carried
out. Frequently the stated cause of the accident reported has been found
to be quite incorrect, and failure to interview the injured person would
have resulted in faulty administrative action. Reports of accidents are
often given by managers of premises who have not witnessed the accident
and have to report from hearsay. When interviewing an injured person, one
is able to assess the personal characteristics of the individual concerned,