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Section 23 - Prohibition of Heavy Work
Apart from the inability of shop assistants to load and off load directly outside their
premises due to obstruction by other vehicles or parking restrictions, no complaints were made.
In these cases advice as to the use of trolleys was tendered. In some multiple grocery shops
it was found that the male manager with an entire staff of females, was solely responsible for
carrying loading or off loading stock.
Section 24 - First Aid
Most premises were found to have a first aid box.
One prosecution in a bakers shop showed the first aid box to consist of an oxo tin
containing 2 plasters, 2 candles, I bottle of gum, one roll of sellotape, 2 ink markers and
3 biro pen refills.
Sections 28 and 38 - Fire Precautions
Again action under these sections has been confined to common sense advice on
obstructions to exits and in relation to legal requirements as to the issue of fire certificates.
Information has been passed to the enforcing authority where glaring anomolies were found to
exist.
Section 50 - Information to Employees
Several prosecutions have been taken for failure to display an abstract of the Act on
the premises. While this offence may appear to be trivial, its purpose in informing employees
both of the requirements of the Act and their rights and responsibility under it, is most
important.
Section 48 - Accidents
This section requires occupiers of premises which are subject to the Act to report any
accident which causes the death of an employee or disabled any such person from doing his
usual work for more than 3 days.
(a) Number of Accidents Reported
Causation
Falls 18
Injuries whilst handling goods (strains etc.) 5
Hand Tools (cuts etc.) 8
Struck by falling objects
Machinery 2
Miscellaneous 6
Total 39
(b) General Observations
The number of accidents reported is roughly comparable with the 1967 figure and the
conclusion reached after that period still remains, namely, that the requirement to report
accidents is still not being complied with. No excuse can be made for these lapses as the
requirement is clearly printed on Form OSR.9 which should be permanently posted in all
business premises. In addition, printed advice as to employers responsibilities is provided on
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