View report page

abatement conscious. A copy of the film "Guilty Chimneys" produced on behalf
of the Gas Council has been purchased and shown extensively. A number of
lively meetings were held dealing with smoke abatement, and 5,000 leaflets designed
by the staff of the Department were distributed.
During the months of November and December preparations were made for a
campaign devoted to persuading householders and factory owners to instal efficient
approved grates and furnaces and to use only smokeless fuel, this campaign to
be held during the months of February and early March, 1955, in conjunction
with the Solid Smokeless Fuels Federation. Public meetings and discussions on air
pollution were arranged to coincide with the visit to Woolwich of the Mobile
Exhibition of the Solid Smokeless Fuels Federation.
Home Safety.
During the year arrangements were made with a firm of publishers for the
production of 3,000 copies of a Home Safety booklet, to be presented by the Health
Committee of the Council and distributed locally.
The booklet contained a Foreword by His Worship the Mayor and an Introduction
by myself drawing attention to the tragic loss of life, injury and suffering
caused by accidents in the home.
The booklet contained articles on common accidents to children; the safe use
of electricity; danger from unguarded fires; the safe use of gas and paraffin
appliances; fire prevention in the home; industrial safety; notes on first aid; and
care in the kitchen and bathroom.
In order that as many residents as possible might have the opportunity of seeing
this booklet, copies were distributed via doctors', dentists' and hospital waiting
rooms, local welfare centres, old people's welfare organisations and political
organisations, and through the Council's public libraries and health and housing
departments.
The booklet was well illustrated and was issued free of charge and without
cost to the Council, the revenue being obtained by the publishers from advertisements
obtained from local tradesmen.
As in past years, the Council made a financial contribution towards the work
of the Home Safety section of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
A campaign drawing attention to the harm caused by accidents among children
due to medicinal poisoning was also undertaken during the year. Several hundred
copies of a placard pointing out this danger were distributed to local medical
practitioners and to hospitals for display in waiting rooms, and to chemists for
display on their shop premises. Over 3,000 leaflets dealing with this subject were
also distributed.
Leaflets and Literature.
As in past years, 500 copies of the booklet "Better Health" were made available
each month to members of the public, and were distributed through the
Council's libraries and other public offices, and at Health Education sessions.
The two large poster sites in Woolwich were used for the display of posters
obtained from the Central Council for Health Education, and were also utilised for
the display of Civil Defence posters.
By arrangement with a local cinema, 5,000 handbills advertising a film being
shown currently in the Borough were distributed at a Woolwich cinema ; the title
of the film gave an opportunity to draw attention to the importance of diphtheria
immunisation.
As in past years, the Council made a contribution towards the work of the
Central Council for Health Education.
33