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
Havering 1965
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Havering]
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Dangerous Conditions and Practices
Matters dealt with included electric and oil fires not adequately
guarded; rickety step ladders, defective electrical wiring and fittings
and badly stacked goods.
The Ministry are making regulations as to ladder construction
and it will be an offence to use a ladder with a step or rung missing.
Accidents
Local Authorities have to notify the Ministry of Labour on
the number of accidents reported and these have been investigated.
Table 33 gives the type of workplace and Table 34 an analysis of
the accident. It will be observed in Table 34 that falls of persons
are the major cause of injuries and this is the pattern throughout
the country in shop or office.
TABLE No. 33 ACCIDENTS — ANALYSED BY WORKPLACE
| Workplace | Number Reported | Total No. Investigated | Action Recommended | No Action | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prosecution | Formal Warning | Inf. Advice | ||||
| Offices | 7 | 7 | - | — | 7 | - |
| Retail Shops | 39 | 32 | — | — | 32 | 7 |
| Wholesale Shops, Warehouses | 3 | 2 | — | l | 1 | 1 |
| Catering Estabs. open to public, canteens | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — |
| Fuel Storage Depots | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| TOTAL | 50 | 42 | — | l | 41 | 8 |
TABLE No. 34 ANALYSIS OF REPORTED ACCIDENTS
| Offices | Shops Retail | Wholesale Warehouses | Catering establishments open to public, canteens | Fuel Storage Depots | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machinery | — | l | 2 | — | — |
| Transport | — | l | 1 | — | — |
| Falls of Persons | 10 | 13 | — | — | — |
| Stepping on or striking against Object or Person | 1 | 4 | — | — | — |
| Handling Goods | — | 5 | — | — | — |
| Struck by Falling Object | _ | 5 | _ | _ | _ |
| Fires and Explosions | — | — | — | — | — |
| Electricity | — | — | — | — | _ |
| Use of Hand Tools | — | 5 | — | 1 | — |
| not otherwise specified | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| TOTALS | 11 | 35 | 3 | 1 | — |