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27.
DISINFECTION AND DISINFESTATION.
The number of disinfections of rooms after infectious disease and
other reasons was 137. The number of articles disinfected in this
connection at the Council's steam disinfector was 1138. During the year
514 rooms were sprayed for verminous conditions and the number of articles
disinfected was 11,532.
In addition to the articles disinfected for infectious disease, etc.,
the Department carried out disinfection of articles for private firms in
the Borough and various goods were disinfected, for which charges amounting
to £13.10s. were made.
During the year 417 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. All furniture is disinfected by
the Hydrogen Cyanide method prior to removal to the new accommodation by a
firm of contractors under the supervision of the officers of the 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 can 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 reception of soft furniture after
disinfestation has taken place.
When the furniture is loaded on the van it is taken to the Disinfecting
Station; the van is then 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 disinfected by the Council's disinfecting apparatus
and returned at the same time as the furniture. The next morning the
whole of the furniture is chemically tested 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. Hot water ducts in
new Council flats provide a favourable breeding ground for cockroaches and
beetles but by arrangement with the Borough Architect's Department
insecticide powder is placed in the hot water ducts when they are being
constructed. This method of control has proved to be very successful.