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28.
DISINFECTION AMD DISINFESTATION.
The number of disinfections of rooms after infectious disease and for
other reasons was 77. The number of articles disinfected in this connection
at the Council's disinfector was 519. During the year 505 rooms were
sprayed for verminous conditions and the number of articles disinfected
was 7866. In this connection sanitary notices were served in respect of
23 houses (87 rooms).
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 £14 were made.
It will be noticed that the number of rooms and articles disinfected
was greater than in previous years.
The new method of disinfection reported in 1956 has proved satisfactory
and the economy in cost as compared with the previous methods was maintained.
It is estimated that on a full year's working the saving was £180.
During the year 322 families were removed to new housing accommodation
on the Borough Council's housing estates, as compared with 288 families in
1956. This increase of 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 goods 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
disinfocting 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.