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25.
DISINFECTION AND DIS INFESTATION.
The number of disinfections of rooms after infectious disease was
139. The number of articles disinfected at the Council's steam
disinfector after infectious disease was 1,253.
The number of rooms sprayed for verminous condition was 550 and
the number of articles treated by steam was 12,139.
In addition to the articles disinfected after infectious disease
etc., the Public Ha1th Pepartment carried out disinfection of articles
for private firms in the Borough, Many countries insist upon an
accompanying Certificate of Disinfection as a condition of import of
articles such as clothing, blankets, etc. When required, these
articles are disinfected at the Council's Disinfecting Station and a
charge is made according to bulk or quantity of goods so treated.
During the year under review various goods were disinfected for whioh
charges amounting to £66.5.0 were made as compared with £12.10.0 for
the previous year.
During the year 443 families were removed to new housing
accommodation on the Borough Council's housing estates. This work
entails a considerable amount of additional work for the staff of the
Public Health Department as all furniture is disinfested by the
Hydrogen Cyanide method by a firm of private contractors under the
supervision of the Health Department.
When informed by the Housing Department of the families to be
removed, it is necessary for an officer of the Public Health Department
to ascertain the amount of furniture per family and to make arrangements
as to whether one or more families oan be removed in the one
furniture van. By this means there is a considerable reduction in the
cost of removals.
The vans are usually met at 8 a.m. at a rendezvous on the date
of removal and it is our duty to see that all the furniture is placed
in the van and the tenant given instructions with regard to food as
well as seeing that arrangements are made for the reoeption of soft
furniture after disinfestation has taken place.
When the furniture is loaded on the van it is taken to the
Disinfecting Station and the van is sealed and charged with HCN. The
whole of the contents are disinfested for approximately four hours, the
van is then opened, tested, and when clear of HCN the van moves to the
new flat and the furniture is delivered. Soft goods, (that is, bedding,
mattresses etc.), which are collected at the same time as the furniture
by the Borough Council disinfecting van, are steam disinfected and
returned at the same time as the furniture. The next morning the whole
of the furniture is tested with a chemical test to make sure that the
whole of the HCN has been removed from the furniture and fittings.
Much work has been done during the year in connection with the
prevention of the breeding of cockroaches and beetles in hot water duots