London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Croydon 1969
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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68
the yard. This type of business often lacks sufficient heating apparatus to
maintain a reasonable temperature, and spot checks, from time to time, are
found necessary.
Success has been achieved' in a large degree particularly in offices,
in obtaining the provision of sinks, with hot and cold water supplies, as a
tea making facility,
Worn linoleum and floor coverings in offices and shops are still found
and likely to give rise to accidents. In one office a hole in the carpet was
found covered over with cellotape and adhesive plaster. After much
persuasion, with a threat of prosecution, the carpet was renewed.
Frayed wire connections to electric fires and duplicating and printing
machines receive inspection, as do defective light switches, and the
occupiers'attention is directed to the.remedying of these defective and
dangerous conditions. Rickety chairs, tea chests and boxes used to gain
access to high shelves, have been removed on the instruction of the Inspectors.
Steps and ladders not regularly overhauled and in a condition likely to
cause accidents, lack of handrails, defective stair treads, broken.sashcords,
sagging and dangerous ceiling plaster are types of defect quite frequently
found during inspection.
30 complaints were received during the year, made up as follows:-
| Inadequate ventilation of shop premises | 2 |
| Low temperatures of offices and shops | 9 |
| Overheating of offices and workplaces | 3 |
| Alleged overcrowding | 3 |
| Insufficient lighting of work area | 1 |
| Defective and dangerous construction of office floors | 1 |
| Lack of adequate ventilation of sanitary accommodation | 5 |
| Alleged insufficient sanitary accommodation | 1 |
| Sanitary accommodation out of use due to defective appliances | 1 |
| Dropping of lift below floor level due to over-running | 1 |
Three complaints received concerned excessive hours of employment in
offices and did not come within the provisions of the Act.
The Offices, Shops and Railway Premises (Hoists and Lifts) Regulations,
1968, came into force on 28th May, 1969. Although the total number of lifts
and hoists in offices, warehouses and shops in the Borough cannot be estimated
at the present time, this must be very large; and checking reports of
competent inspectors of their inspections of electric goods and passenger
lifts (which inspections must be carried out twice a year) and of manually
operated hoists (which must be inspected at least once a year) will be an
ever growing and time consuming duty.