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While no abatement notices under Section 103, Public
Health Act, 1936, were served during 1938, action taken by the
authorised Officers according to Section 102 brought about the
cessation of 34 smoke nuisances. Of these, 8 were effected by
improvement in plant, 5 by improvement in fuel, and 21 by the
exercise of greater care in the manipulation of the plant.
Experience has continued to show that as a general rule
greater improvements are achieved by personal visits and consultations
than by the service of notices, and that factory
proprietors are generally co-operative in their attitude to the
advances made by the technical staff of the Public Health
Department.
SWIMMING BATH AND POOLS.
The swimming baths open to the public in the Borough
remained as described in the report for 1937.
With regard to bacteriological control of these baths, both
of which draw their water from the Colne Valley Water Company,
it has to be realised that it is far more important to
examine numerous samples by a simple test, than occasional
samples by a more complicated test or series of tests. From
the Vale Farm Swimming Bath two samples of water were
submitted for full chemical and bacteriological examination,
while, more important, were the 28 samples submitted to the
orthotolidine test by members of the public health staff, all of
which samples were found to be satisfactory. In addition, the
Borough Engineer and Surveyor accepted the recommendation
that such a test should be carried out three times daily by the
resident staff. At the Empire Pool chemical and bacteriological
examinations are made of samples of the water at weekly intervals,
while the orthotolidine test is carried out at two-hourly
intervals during the bathing season.
ERADICATION OF BED BUGS.
(1) Number of Council Houses:—
(a) found to be infested 17
(b) subsequently disinfested 17
(2) Number of other Houses:—
(a) found to be infested 49
(b) subsequently disinfested 49
117 visits were paid to verminous premises during the year.
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