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Conditions of Employment (Cont'd.)
Failing to keep a record of Sunday employment 45
Failing to allow a holiday in lieu of Sunday employment 16
OFFICES, SHOPS & RAILWAY PREMISES ACT 1963
The general application of this expanding Act has proceeded
steadily and has brought many improvements in the safety,
health and welfare of those workers employed in the Borough.
Employers, in the main, have appreciated the advice given to
them by the Council's Inspectors and comment hopefully that
their competitors' premises have not escaped inspection.
During the year one very important Regulation came into
force concerning safety, namely, the Offices, Shops and Railway
Premises (Hoists and Lifts) Regulations 1968. The Regulations
impose strict requirements as to the construction, maintenance
and examination of lifts. Owners are required that a lift shall be
examined by a competent person at least once in every period of
six months. The competent person is required to give the owner
a report of the result of the examination. Where the examination
reveals non-compliance with the Regulations a copy of the report
must be sent to the enforcing authority. The inspector has the
duty to ensure that the defects are remedied before the lift may
again be put into use, and also has the duty of inspecting this
machinery for general compliance with the safety requirements
and to check examination reports. The application of this new
Regulation has already revealed that some lifts in the Borough
were in a state liable to cause accidents to the employees or to
members of the public.
A routine visit to one shop revealed a very dangerous
practice of placing a piece of wood in the lift interlocking device,
which allowed the gates to be opened while the lift was in motion.
Under the Act it is an offence for any person to interfere
with equipment likely to endanger the health and safety of
persons employed to work in shops and offices.
At the end of the year, 2,024 premises were registered
and showing 13,373 persons employed.
122