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There are 15 underground rooms used as factories; 13 are used 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 nine basement bakehouses in Willesden. They have been regularly inspected and are
satisfactory, but one of them has not been used since June and it will be officially closed if it is not used
for baking purposes for another 6 months.
During the year 1 basement bakehouse which had not been used for baking purposes for over 12
months, was officially closed and may not be used again as a bakehouse.
Outworkers and Homeworkers
In February and August of each year, factory owners send to the local authority lists of the
names and addresses of all persons who work at home for them on certain jobs, including those who have
worked for them during the previous six months.
405 outworkers' premises were inspected in 1954, and two were found to be unsatisfactory. Notices
were served and the defects remedied.
NOISE NUISANCE
The Borough Council deals with noise nuisances under Section 313 of the Middlesex County
Council Act, 1944 (see 1950 annual report).
Three complaints were outstanding at the beginning of the year
(a) High-pitched whine and clanging from extractor fans in power station. The noise was reduced by
lining with insulating material the walls and doors of the building housing the plant.
(b) Noise at night from plastics-pressing machinery. After consultation, the management stopped night
work.
(c) Noise from cutting-in of refrigerator. This was investigated on several occasions but it did not constitute
a statutory nuisance.
Sixteen complaints were made during the year, but only twelve could be considered statutory
nuisances. One was a further complaint about (a) above, and was made before the building was insulated.
Four were about noise caused by motor-car repair firms working in Mews premises. After consultation,
the owners reduced the degree of noise and altered the times of working. In the remaining seven
the noise was reduced or abated by various simple methods, such as restricting the hours of operating
machines to the daytime, keeping doors and windows of the factory closed during the night, and replacing
worn parts.
Occupational Health Service
The Borough Council introduced an occupational health service for their employees in April.
Sanitary inspectors visit offices and workplaces at least once a month to supervise working conditions, in
particular canteens, rest rooms, cloakrooms and first aid equipment. They carried out a survey initially
and notified defects to the chief officers concerned. By the end of the year, 50 per cent. of these defects
had been remedied. Many defects had to be left until the beginning of the financial year 1955/56, because
of the cost required to remedy them. Sites for first aid boxes were selected, and their contents, including
a first aid leaflet (Form 923) issued by the Factory Department, were based on the requirements of' the