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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 H]STS ACT 194^-
The rodent staff employed for this particular woik 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 la3t year was again carried out with a full scale
Warfarin 5 treatment. The results being satisfactory, this method was again
used during the sewer treatments in 1958 e*nd has proved so satisfactory from
many points of view that it will be continued.
During the year 160 complaints were received of rat infestation and 95
of mice infestation. All complaints are thoroughly investigated, drains
tested and the surrounding buildings surveyed, and where any old drains or
drain outlets are found they are effectively sealed off from the sewer.
In connection with rodent complaints received, 651 drains were tested as
against 596 last year and in 125 cases it was found that the drainage was
defective, as against 167 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 disinf estation was continued. During "the year 18 new contracts
were entered into and with existing contracts were to the value of £1,275* 5« 0«
Charges for servicing business firms by single treatments carried out from
1st April 1958 "to Jlst March 1959 amounted to £195- 5- 0.
At 31st December 1958 there were 64 contracts in force for 64 premises,
yielding an income of £1,200. 3. 6. for the year.