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Offices,
Shops
Rai I way
Premises Act
1963
There are now 15,942 employees in the 2,522 registered premises within the
Borough. The number of white collar workers continues to show a steady
increase and there are now an average of ten workers per office as opposed to
five workers per shop.
Lack of cleanliness in offices is a problem which has been repeatedly drawn to
the attention of employers. Sanitary accommodation especially that to the rear
of shop premises is often dirty, neglected and upon occasions cluttered with
extraneous materials. Reported accidents are thoroughly investigated in order
to assess whether or not the Act has been contravened. In this respect we are
still receiving a low annual number of reported accidents. It is apparent that many
employers are not aware of their statutory obligation to report accidents at work
which result either in death or in disablement which prevents the employees from
carrying out their usual work for more than three days.
For the reasons already described in the section outlining food control work, the
inspection of offices and shops by Public Health Inspectors has been adversely
affected during 1973. In the latter part of the year two technical assistants were
engaged to give added momentum to the routine work involved and are responsible
to the Divisional Public Health Inspector for food control.
It is now ten years since the Offices, Shops & Railway Premises Act became law.
The Secretary of State for the Department of Employment suggested that the annual
report for 1973 should review the achievements and changes during the past decade.
The following report was submitted:-
INTRODUCTION
1973 has been primarily a year of consolidation and refinement both in respect
of the internal administration of the Act and its subsequent external enforcement.
It is hoped that this will facilitate the more effective improvement of the safety,
health and welfare of employees in the premises to which the Act applies.
This report is in three parts:-
(i) Analysis of Progress since 1965
(ii) Effect of the Act upon Conditions.
(iii) Statistical Information required by the Department of Employment,
(i) ANALYSIS OF PROGRESS SINCE 1965
It can be seen from the table below that the Registered premises in the borough
have been subject to three cycles of inspection. The first was of two years
six months duration, and the second was of three years and six months duration.
The final cycle ended in July, 1973.
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