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The other 2 complaints were those 2 mentioned in last year's
report.
Complaints were received regarding a factory and as a result of
these complaints, several reports were made to the Committee. The
factory employed a firm of consultant specialists to make a report
regarding the noise. This firm's report, of which a copy was sent to
the Public Health Department, showed that they did not consider that
a nuisance was being caused. The Public Health Department carried
out an entirely separate investigation of this matter and, on assessing
the results of this investigation, it was not considered that the noise
level was sufficiently high to be a nuisance under the Act. In assessing
the results, the report of the Committee on the Problem of Noise and
its appendices were consulted.
The noise level from this factory, whilst not sufficiently high to be
a nuisance, does cause complaints to be made especially in summer
and consequently the owners of the factory have been consulted and
they have endeavoured to reduce the noise. However, there is no
doubt that the only way to stop these complaints is for the factory to
change the method of firing the furnaces from oil to gas, as mentioned
in my Report for 1963—the roar of the oil fired furnaces being the
main cause of complaint.
The other complaint of noise was from the fiats over a 24 hour selfservice
launderette, and was mentioned in my Report for 1963. The
owners of this launderette have carried out considerable work to reduce
the noise and there is no doubt that, when the various equipment is
in good order, there is no nuisance from noise. However, several
complaints were received after the owner had carried out the work
and an investigation proved the nuisance to be caused by defects in
the dry cleaning plant. A report on this matter was made to the
Committee and a letter was subsequently written to the owners requesting
that efficient and frequent servicing of the machines was carried
out.
OFFICES, SHOPS AND RAILWAY PREMISES
This is the first time the above heading appears in the Annual
Report. The Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act, 1963, makes
provision for the safety, health and welfare of people employed in these
premises. The Act required that all premises within its scope should be
registered by the 31st July, 1963, but most of the main provisions did
not come into force until 1st August, 1964. In order to facilitate the
registering of premises, the necessary forms were delivered by the
Public Health Inspectors to such premises as were known to come
within the purview of this legislation. A register of premises had to be
compiled and an administrative system had to be devised so that the
necessary information could be obtained and records kept. Premises
which had not registered by December were re-visited to ascertain
whether or not they came within the scope of the Section. It is proposed
to send letters to persons who have not complied with this
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