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 1967
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Havering]
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The Act came into operation on the 1st August, 1964, and
placed a statutory duty on an employer to comply with the various
provisions and regulations. Many, so it appears, are not aware
of their legal responsibilities but wait for the Inspector to call
before doing anything to bring their premises up to an acceptable
standard.
One of the important requirements deals with the serious
problems of accidents and measures to be taken to prevent such
happenings. Defective floors and coverings, worn treads of steps
and stairs, provision of handrails and the guarding of open sides
of staircases and the fencing of dangerous machinery. Such
causes are high on the list in the summary of infringements
found.
TABLE 60
| Offices | Retail shops | Wholesale Ware-houses | Catering Est. open to public, canteens | Fuel storage Depots | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machinery | 1 | 6 | 4 | — | — |
| Transport | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| Falls of Persons | 2 | 26 | 3 | 3 | - |
| Stepping on or striking against Object or Person | 3 | 5 | 3 | - | - |
| Handling Goods | - | 17 | 2 | 1 | - |
| Struck by Falling Objects | - | 8 | 3 | 1 | - |
| Fires and Explosions | - | - | - | - | - |
| Electricity | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| Use of Hand Tools | - | 15 | 1 | - | - |
| Not otherwise Specified | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | |
| TOTALS | 8 | 77 | 18 | 5 | - |
Notification of Accidents
Employers are required to notify the "appropriate Authority"
of accidents occuring within premises.
At the end of the year 109 accidents were reported to this
authority as against 65 in the previous year. This represents an
increase in notifications of approximately 67%.
127