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37.
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 again carried out with a full scale
Warfarin 5 treatment. The results being satisfactoiy, this method was again
used during the sewer treatments in 1959 and has proved so satisfactory from
many points of view that it will be continued.
During the year 116 complaints were received of rat infestation and 80
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 J20 drains were tested,
in 166 cases it was found that the drainage was defective, as against 125
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 period 1st April to
Jlst December seven new contracts were entered into and three existing
contracts were terminated. The income from contracts for the period was
£1,168. 9' 0d. Charges for servicing business premises by single treatment
carried out from 1st April to 31st December amounted to £115.
At the end of the year contracts were in force for 64 premises yielding
an annual income of £l,475*17*Od.