London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Harrow 1967
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
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115
The coin-operated launderette is another modern development that is
giving rise to noise problems. In most cases the noise emitted by the
appliances and ancillary equipment is not great, but it tends to start in the
early morning and continue until a late hour and, sometimes, throughout
the night. The closing of car doors by the night users of these twenty-four
hour establishments is another noise problem that causes distress to nearby
residents. In some of these cases, with the co-operation of the owners of
the business, a marked improvement has been obtained by isolating the
machinery from the structure and also by the adjustment of operating
times.
The following is a summary of the complaints received:—
| Source of Noise | No. of Complaints | Visits made |
|---|---|---|
| Noisy Animals | 10 | 13 |
| Factory Processes and Machinery in Shops | 18 | 90 |
| Road and Construction Works | 11 | 22 |
| Clubs and other Places of Entertainment | 1 | 1 |
| Ice-Cream Vendor's Chimes | 1 | 3 |
| Neighbours' Activities | 9 | 13 |
| Total | 50 | 142 |
OFFICES, SHOPS AND RAILWAY PREMISES ACT, 1963
Working conditions in offices, shops and railway premises are
regulated by the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act of 1963 and a
number of regulations made thereunder. Pursuant to Section 60 of this
Act, an Annual Report is submitted to the Minister of Labour and the
following is an extract from the Report for the year under review:—