View report page

42.
HEATING APPLIANCES (FIREGUARDS) ACT,1952.
General observation was kept on the sale of heating appliances to ensure
that they complied with the Regulations made under the above-named Act. In
several cases the sellers and users of heating appliances requested that their
guards be tested.
The Chief Public Health Inspector made several tests of appliances at
the request of manufacturers and others in the Borough.
PREVENTION OF DAMAGE BY PESTS ACT, 1949.
The rodent staff employed for this particular work consists of one
rodent supervisor, Mr.Bryant (part-time), one investigator and two rodent
operators.
The whole of the sewer system throughout the Borough was treated and
poison baiting was carried out twice during the year. The sewer maintenance
treatment as reported last year was carried out with a full scale Warfarin 5
treatment and as reported this was the first time that this method of baiting
had been carried out in the sewage system in the London area. The results
being satisfactory, this method was again used during the sewer treatments in
1957 and has proved so satisfactory from many points of view that it will be
continued.
The number of complaints arising in connection with the common rat
increased during the year, probably owing to the amount of new building being
done in the Borough and the consequent disturbance of old drains during
demolition. It is customary when buildings are demolished for the Public
Health Inspector to visit and ensure that the old drains and drain outlets
are effectively sealed off from the sewer.
In connection with rodent complaints received, 596 drains were tested
as against 271 last year and in 167 cases it was found that the drainage
was defective, as against 70 cases last year, and there has been a considerable
increase in this work during the year which takes up a considerable
amount of time for the whole of the staff. In all cases where defects were
found Notices were served to remedy the defects.
There has been a continued decrease of complaints regarding infestation
by the ship rat.
The system of arranging for contracts with business firms to assist them
in rodent disinfestation was continued. During the year 23 new contracts were
entered into and with existing contracts were to the value of £809.16.8d.
Charges for servicing business firms by single treatments carried out from
1st April 1957 to 31st March 1958 amounted to £204.15s, a considerable
increase over the previous year.