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ing Form OSR.l to known employers though the onus of making
a return was obligatory on the employer. It should be noted that
employers who did not register within the period or who have not
notified of their intention to employ persons in shop or office are
liable to a fine of £20.
A most important feature of the Act is that employers must
notify the authority of any accident on the premises of employees
or visiting employees of other employers, which result either in
the death of that person or absence from work for more than three
days from doing his usual work.
During the period 1st August (when the main provisions of the
Act came into force) and the 31st December 1964, 17 accidents
were notified to the department. Fortunately, there were none to
warrant legal action though possibly in breach of a statutory duty.
All these accidents are reported to the Ministry for statistical purposes
and causation.
The 'accident rate' in industry is grave and, in November,
Mr. Richard Marsh, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
of Labour, announced, when launching the quarterly publication
of "Accidents" in its new format published by H.M.S.O., that
during 1963, 1¾ million man hours were lost through industrial
action whereas 19 million man hours were lost due to accidents in
industry.
The number and types of accidents occurring in the non-industrial
field which now come under the jurisdiction of local authorities
is, as yet, an unknown quantity but the required notification
of accidents will enable this to be assessed. This information
will be published in "Accidents."
It cannot be over-emphasised in this report that employers
and their employees must do everything possible to decrease this
ever mounting toll of accidents. A fall, as was reported in one
case to this department impaired the employee for more than
three months. Failure to notify an accident is a punishable offence.
The Minister has made Orders and Regulations relating to
dangerous machines, first aid, sanitary accommodation and washing
facilities. Lighting regulations are under active consideration.
To denote the importance of this Act, the Ministry of Labour
has sent out no less than 24 Circulars to local authorities on the
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