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during 1963 The subjects covered first aid
vaccinations against smallpox typhoid and
tetanus for employees at occupational risk
occupational dermatitis and respiratorv hazards
from irritant gases The occupational physician
can do much in the wav of incidental health
education by observing men at work and discussing
health and safety matters with small groups
of workers
The number of follow-up medical consultations
of workers found to have a health problem
on joining the service was increased Also the
number of requests for medical checks and consultations
from employees increased slightly
Workers approaching retirement age are offered
a medical consultation and advised to attend
the pre-retirement course organised by the
Adult Education Department
During the year a number of requests from
managers of factories in the borough for advice
on industrial health problems were received
These included problems concerned with ventilation
and lighting industrial dust toxicity absorption
of heavy metals from metallic food containers
and the physiological problems associated
with metallic alloy electrodes used for in planting
into human tissue It is anticipated that this
aspect of the service will grow in view of the
large number of small and medium sized industrial
concerns in the borough

Occupational Health
Dr A R Broadbent Occupational Section writes
The aims of an occupational health service have
been admirably defined in the 1961 Report of the
British Medical Association entitled The Future of
Occupational Health Services
These aims are -
maintaining and improving the physical and mental
well-being of workers
protecting workers against any health hazard
which may arise from their work or from the conditions
in which it is carried out
contributing towards workers physical and mental
adjustment to their jobs in particular by adapting the
work to the workers and assigning men and women to
jobs for which thev are suited
providing emergency treatment in case of accident
or sudden illness
providing a link with other health services
To the last phrase should be added and with
community and social services (1968 Tunbridge
Report The Care of the Health of Hospital Staff)
A survey of the present patchwork of occupational
health services in this country soon reveals deficiencies
in established services in the light of the
above aims while over three quarters of the working
population have no occupational health supervision
at all
During the industrial revolution of the last century
medical men of vision such as Kay Thackrah and
Legge studied and wrote about the effects of work
on the health of people The certifying surgeon service
now called the Appointed Factory Doctor Service
was established in 1844 and the Medical Factory
inspectorate in 1893 These two services with their
limited functions are all that exists today on a country
wide basis seventy years later
During the first half of the 20th century almost all
progress in establishing occupational health services
was made bv private industry No mention was made
of any need for occupational health services in the
1946 National Health Service Act in 1943 the first
group industrial health service for small factories
and offices was set up at Slough Twenty vears later
there are only seven of these group services
scattered throughout England each being financed
by the industries they serve
Local Health authorities have remained curiously
passive about occupational health services In
spite of being one of the largest employers of labour
very few local authorities have set up occupational
health services for their own staff not one so far