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
Hillingdon 1967
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hillingdon]
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67
Environmental Health
The Chief Public Health Inspector, Mr. A. Makin, reports:—
During the year much progress has been made in the eradication of unfit houses and in the improvement
of existing houses. The Council's programme for Slum Clearance will be completed during 1968.
Photographs of typical Clearance Areas are included (following page 64).
The first Improvement Area is proceeding and 1968 should see considerable progress in the
provision of standard amenities of bath, internal W.C.'s and hot and cold water services, in houses
where these are lacking. Few requests are being received from tenants for the provision of standard
amenities.
As regards food hygiene, efforts have been made to improve standards by means of lectures to
kitchen staff and by advice during the course of inspections.
GENERAL
Accidents
Any accident necessitating absence from work for three days or more is notifiable, and all notifiable accidents were investigated. Statistics of the accidents are set out below.
| Workplace | Number Reported | Action Recommended | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal | Non Fatal | Prosecution | Formal Warning | Informal Advice | No Action | |
| Offices | None | 7 | None | — | 5 | |
| Retail Shops | None | 19 | None | 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Wholesale shops Warehouses | None | 9 | None | — | 2 | 7 |
| Catering establishments open to public, canteens | None | 2 | None | — | 1 | 1 |
| Fuel Storage Depots | None | 1 | None | — | — | 1 |
| Totals | None | 38 | None | 3 | 16 | 19 |
Investigation of the accidents showed some of them to be caused by unsatisfactory conditions which
were not necessarily contraventions. The absence from the Offices, Shops & Railways Premises Act,
1965, of a general requirement that a safe means of access and safe place of employment be provided,
as is included in the Factories Act, 1961, is a matter that should be rectified in any future legislation.
The majority of the accidents were due to falls or caused by handling goods in an awkward manner,
and the injuries were mostly sprains or bruises of a not too serious nature. The use of machinery, in
offices, shops and warehouses was also responsible for some accidents. One was due to an electric shock.
FACTORIES ACT, 1961
Factories
There are 802 registered factories in the borough. Some employ one or two persons, others several
hundreds; some occupy modern air-conditioned buildings, others temporary structures. Some are situated
on planned industrial estates, others are surrounded by residential properties. Their products cover
a wide range from aircraft to woven cloth. Some are internationally known, all have an effect on the
environment of this borough.