View report page

HEALTH EDUCATION
The education of the public in matters of health and hygiene is one of the most important
functions of the Public Health Department and never ceases, as every visit paid by an
Inspector is accompanied by some form of explanation of the advantages of hygienic living,
i.e. if the Inspector is called to a food shop he will give reasons as to why it is undesirable
for food handlers to be passing germs on to the food from their hands or from breathing,
and if he visits on a housing defect, in conversation he is certain to talk about some danger
to public health.
Talks are given to local organisations, sometimes on the request of the organisation,
sometimes at the suggestion of the departmental staff.
The Council maintains close relations with the Central Council for Health Education,
so that information is always available of new methods of publicity and new publicity
material. Poster, leaflet and book-mark propaganda, while effective if carried out on a considerable
scale, must be constantly changed as the eye wearies and the mind closes if the
same prohibition or wording is uttered too frequently.
During 1959, revolving lamps carrying pictorial shades with various slogans to remind
the public of health hazards, were purchased and displayed in various Corporation departments.
There was an increase in the amount of publicity given to safety in the home, the Royal
Society for the Prevention of Accidents in 1959 made a considerable feature of health
education on this subject. Following on the "Guard that Fire" campaign, which had been
instituted by this Society during 1958, the new slogan was "Guard that Child" and various
aspects of care in the home for young children were emphasised in the poster and newspaper
publicity during various months of the year.
DEATHS FROM ACCIDENT
The number who died as a result of accident other than motor vehicle accident appeared
to rise again, being 18 in 1959, as compared with 14 in 1958 and 9 in 1957. Five of the
accidental deaths, however, occurred as the result of an aircraft falling on houses in Southall
in September, 1958; the deaths, although occurring then, did not appear in the Registrar's
figures until the findings of the Official Inquiry in 1959. This alters the true 1958 figure to
19, and the true 1959 figure to 13. Three of the accidental deaths were the result of accident
in the home, and two happened in Hospital.
Five elderly persons died from the consequences of falls, three at home, and two in
Hospital. Five persons were found drowned; one died from barbiturate poisoning; one
died from injuries at work, and one following anaesthetic administration.
30