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
Ealing 1965
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
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Although authority for statutory action had to be obtained in a number of cases,
no formal proceedings were required, as the makers of noise invariably work closely
with the inspectors when nuisances are drawn to their attention.
The high cost of noise reduction is illustrated by the fact that one large firm in the
Borough had to spend over £30,000 in reducing the noise emitted from its factory
premises.
OFFICES, SHOPS AND RAILWAY PREMISES ACT, 1963
At the end of 1965, a total of 2,816 premises were registered under this Act. During
the year, 172 premises were added to the register and in 29 cases, where the Act no
longer applied, the premises were deleted. The register is not yet complete as there
are still some parts of the Borough where complete inspections have not yet been
possible. It is hoped that this position will improve in the near future.
The general inspection of premises continued, and it was found that the attitude
of the occupiers of shops and offices was usually most co-operative when contraventions
of the Act and its regulations were drawn to their notice. Employees as a
whole welcomed the operation of the Act, although there were cases where some
seemed willing to accept unsatisfactory conditions without protest or complaint.
The following table gives the analysis or the accidents according to their primary cause:—
| Primary cause | Adults 18 and over | Young persons under 18 | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | Females | Males | Females | ||
| Non-power machinery in motion | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Machinery in motion under power | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 4 |
| Vehicles moved by power | 4 | — | — | — | 4 |
| Falls on or from stairs | 4 | 4 | — | 2 | 10 |
| Falls on or from ladders | 2 | 2 | — | — | 4 |
| Other falls from one level to another | 3 | — | 2 | — | 5 |
| Falls on same level | 2 | 12 | — | 1 | 15 |
| Stepping on or striking object or persons | 2 | 7 | — | 9 | |
| Handling goods | 13 | 8 | 3 | — | 24 |
| Struck by falling object | 3 | 4 | — | — | 7 |
| Use of hand tools | 9 | — | — | — | 9 |
| Not otherwise specified | 2 | 3 | — | — | 5 |
| Totals | 45 | 43 | 5 | 4 | 97 |
One prosecution under the Act was taken relating to an accident which had
occurred in 1964, in which a youth of 17 employed in a supermarket had the top of
his right fore-finger severed whilst cleaning a power-operated gravity slicing machine.
The case was taken under Section 18(1) of the Act which states that no young person
employed to work in premises to which this Act applies shall clean any machinery
used as, or forming part of, the equipment of the premises, if so doing exposes him
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