London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Shoreditch 1953

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]

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31
HOME WORK.
During the year 59 lists of outworkers were received from
employers in the Borough, 28 in the first half year due in
February, and 31 in the second half year due in August. These
lists contained the names of 1,375 outworkers, of whom 1,001 were
not resident in Shoreditch. The addresses of those non-resident
were forwarded to the Sanitary Authorities of the districts to
which they belonged.
Lists were also received from 18 other Local Authorities
containing the names of 282 outworkers living in Shoreditch
and employed by firms outside the Borough. The total number
of out-workers reported was therefore 1,657.
As has been pointed out in previous reports, in numerous
instances names and addresses of outworkers are duplicated owing
to lists being sent in twice a year, and in soma cases outworkers
are employed by more than one firm, so that the numbers
given must not be taken as representing actual numbers of
individual workers. The tables on pages 32 and 33 show the
distribution of out-workers as regards trades.
During the year 433 visits of inspection were made to
places where homo work was being carried on, but no defect
necessitating the service of a sanitary notice was found.