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23
of the Association of Public Health Inspectors, that until such time as
sufficient Public Health Inspectors, are available, a greater use must be made of
unqualified technical staff working under the control and supervision of Public
Health Inspectors,
During the year the establishment was increased in Shoreditch to include
a non-qualified technical assistant working under the supervision of Public
Health Inspectors on smoke control work and drainage work. Consideration is
also being given to increasing the establishment so as to include a second unqualified
technical assistant whose duties will be to work under the control of
the Public Health Inspectors doing work under the Offices, Shops and Railway
Premises Act which will shortly become operative.
Towards the end of the year the Committee decided to appoint a Deputy
Chief Public Health Inspector because of the increase of work due to additional
legislation, in order that the Chief Public Health Inspector may be able to
devote his time more fully to policy matters rather than general administration.
Noise Abatement.
This has been a very significant year resulting in investigations and
research being carried out by the Department employing measures of compromise
and persuasion, particularly with manufacturers of road breaking equipment and
the principal users of the same, the results of which have gained in impetus
providing repercussions not only throughout Shoreditch and the London area, but
far beyond this country to continents overseas.
Results of such investigations and research, compromise and persuasion
are very fully amplified under the Noise Abatement section of this Annual
Report.
Pood & Drugs.
To ensure that the correct type of benefits are available, the procedure
in relation to the problems connected with Pood & Drugs Administration must of
necessity endeavour to keep abreast of modern techniques. It would, in fact be
a better concept if Government legislative policy could be formulated in such a
way as to be a step ahead of manufacturers rather than lagging behind. Such a
policy could engender a steadying influence on manufacturers and producers and
encourage the development of their particular products along lines which would
give priority to health-giving properties rather than purely sales gimmicks.
The more unscrupulous adulterations of foodstuffs of the past have disappeared,
but their place has been taken by the deliberate addition of new
chemicals and additives with all their associated claims.
With the introduction of prepacked foods of all kinds, the need for
'know how' to entirely prepare a meal is fast becoming a lost art of housewives.
It is not intended to suggest that this is a retrograde step but rather
to emphasise the need to review the system of control in the knowledge that
additives and chemicals are introduced into foods for reasons other than health
giving value.
Antibiotics undoubtedly serve a useful purpose when applied correctly,
but the connection between their use and the possible sensitizing effect on
some people could be studied more closely. To confuse the effects of an allergy