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72
SANITARY CONDITION OF WORKSHOPS WHERE
WOMEN ARE EMPLOYED.
During the year 1910 all the Laundries on the Register were
inspected and, where necessary, re-inspected and kept under observation
until the defects were remedied. On the whole the laundries were
found to be in a fairly satisfactory condition. In 5 cases the washhuuse
floors needed to be more efficiently drained; and cleansing was
required and other defects were discovered in a number of instances.
The stoves used for heating the irons in the workshop laundries
are in many cases inadequately screened. Notification of this contravention
of the Factory and Workshop Act has been made to His
Majesty's Inspector of Factories.
The dressmaking and other workshops where women are employed
are for the most part satisfactory. A large number of these—38 in
all—have been discontinued since 1909, and a number of new workrooms
have been registered.
Infectious disease occurred, on two occasions during the year, in
premises occupied by dressmakers. The patients were removed to
hospital, and the necessary disinfection was carried out.
There is still a tendency, especially amongst dressmakers, to
employ assistants in their workrooms to the utmost limit of the air
space. In three cases overcrowding was discovered ; this was abated in
each case after informal notice had been given to the occupier of the
respective rooms.
Very few outworkers are employed by the occupiers of workrooms
in this district. Many of the workshops take work from factories and
shops during the slack periods ot the year for private work, thus
becoming outworker as well as workshop premises. This enables the
occupier of the workshop to retain workers who would otherwise be
put ofl' until the busy season.