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standards of enforcement. Because of these the Government set up a working party
which after long consideration recommended standards to be adopted for uniform
enforcement. The management of the foundry agreed to the suggestion that they should
fit a wet-type grit arrestor designed in accordance with the working party's criteria.
The work had to be delayed, however, until the annual summer shut down.
The fitting of this wet-type grit arrestor also raised the effective height of the
chimney to the recommended height of 60 feet and so ensures a lower ground level
concentration of effluvia from the chimney. It is pleasant to report that complaints of
smell and grit from the cupola have now ceased indicating an acceptable reduction in
the former pollution from this source.
Dark smoke was seen arising from the burning of old railway sleepers at a disused
railway goods yard and was in contravention of Section 1 of the Clean Air Act, 1968.
The emissions ceased when informal advice was given to the contractors.
It is a measure of the public support for Clean Air that no prosecutions were
necessary during the year. The Council sent warning letters to two coal merchants
pointing out the offence of delivering coal in smoke control areas, and a similar letter to
the occupier of a building to which coal had been delivered.
4. OFFICES. SHOPS AND RAILWAY PREMISES ACT, 1963

Part 1 — Registrations and Inspections
The Act has now been in force for 6 years and a check on those premises registered
upon commencement of the Act reveals that after the initial inspections an average of
3 subsequent inspections at each premise has been achieved i.e. 4 inspections in a period
of 6 years. This is considered a satisfactory level of surveillance and it is hoped that it
will be largely maintained.
Changes in the information on the original OSR. 1 are now found to be occurring
with considerable frequency. Companies change in mergers and takeovers, the numbers
of employees vary widely and the premises themselves change hands. One large office
block had three different owners in scarcely more than 12 months and some of the
tenants were still under the impression that their landlords were the initial owners.
The Act places no obligation upon the employer to notify the registration Authority
of any changes, even those perhaps materially altering circumstances. Contraventions
may of course arise as a result of such changes e.g. insufficient toilet facilities for
an increased staff, but only at the next routine inspection are these likely to be revealed.
One is occasionally surprised at the lengths to which employers will go to avoid
compliance with the Act. When an employer of a part-time assistant was asked to
provide what one would consider nowadays to be the normal civilised amenity of hot
water to a wash-hand basin she reduced the working hours of the assistant to 20 hours
so as to place the business outside the scope of the Act.
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