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Underground Rooms
There are 15 underground rooms used as factories; only two are not used in conjunction with
premises above ground.
Basement Bakehouses
The local authority is responsible for the supervision of basement bakehouses under section 54 of the
Factories Act, 1937. A basement bakehouse is defined as a bakehouse any baking room of which is so situated
that the surface of the floor is more than three feet below the surface of the footway of the adjoining
street or of the ground adjoining or nearest to the room; a baking room is defined as any room used for
baking or for the process incidental thereto.
There are now ten basement bakehouses in Willesden; they have been regularly inspected and are
satisfactory. The four, where baking was discontinued in 1951, have now remained unused for over twelve
months and therefore cannot be used again for baking.
Outworkers and Homeworkers
In February and August of each year, factory owners send lists to the local authority of the names
and addresses of all persons who work at home for them on certain jobs; all persons who have worked
for them during the previous six months are included.
Of the 316 outworkers' premises inspected in 1952 only one notice for a defect (dirty walls and ceilings
in the room where homework was carried on) was served upon the occupiers and it was soon remedied.
As the number of factory inspectors is small, just over 300 to cover about one-quarter million factories,
it would appear desirable to supplement them by the sanitary inspectors who already have to enter mechanical
factories to inspect sanitary conveniences. In Willesden there are only two part-time factory inspectors.
The 19 sanitary inspectors employed by the Borough Council could give appreciable assistance by dealing
with cleanliness, overcrowding, temperature, ventilation and drainage of floors in mechanical factories as
well as in non-mechanical ones. Technical assistance could be given them where required in the same way
as it is given to the factory inspectors. Altogether there would appear to be need for an extension of the
Factories Act to cover the 50 per cent. of the working population who at present have no protection, and
also to unify the medical and preventive services which are responsible for the health of employees at their
work.
The Borough Council are considering an industrial medical service for their employees which would
cover environmental hygiene, first aid, and rehabilitation.
NOISE NUISANCES
The Borough Council deals with noise nuisances under section 313 of the Middlesex County Council
Act, 1944, as outlined in the 1950 Annual Report.
There were 20 complaints referred to the Health Department during the year, but only 5 were
nuisances that could be dealt with by the Council. No legal action was taken because the factory owners
proved co-operative.
The following is a summary of the action taken by the owners:—
(a) Noise from press brake and from the machinery generally when working overtime in the evening and
on Sundays. The owners provided shock absorbers to the press brake and restricted work to weekdays
and not later than 6.30 p.m.
(b) Noise from machinery generally. To blanket off the noise, the end wall was rebuilt and a second roof
put in.
(c) Noise from vibrating pipes and from engine which caused vibration as well. Rubber coverings were put
on the pipes and the engine was shifted. Extractor fans and wireless were no longer used on night work.
(d) Noise and vibration from diesel generator was stopped by mounting it on a 4-inch cork bed.
(e) Noise caused by worn electric motor bearings and a badly mounted circular saw was remedied by replacing
bearings and changing the mounting of the saw.
CARE OF THE AGED
With an increase in the number of old people in the population it is becoming more and more necessary
to extend our medical and welfare services to care adequately for them.
Most old people can manage to look after themselves, but some require help to keep them comfortable
and happy in their own homes, while a small minority cannot be adequately cared for except in a hospital or
institution. The local health authority provides home nurses and home helps; the health visitors often
investigate the needs of old people and arrange for the necessary services to be given.
When an aged person requires to be admitted to a hospital or an institution, consultation often takes
place between the medical practitioner, the geriatric physician, the welfare officer and the medical officer
of health. Generally speaking, it has become easier to obtain hospital admission for an aged patient, and the
geriatric physician and his almoner work in close co-operation with the local health and district authorities.
There is still, however, a great need for more hospital accommodation. Very exceptionally, compulsory
powers may require to be used when the person, against his own interests, refuses to go into a hospital or
hostel.
In August, 1951, the National Assistance Amendment Act came into operation. This permitted the
immediate removal to an institution of a person certified to be in need of care and attention by the Medical
Officer of Health and another registered medical practitioner; the order for removal can be made either by