London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Brentford and Chiswick 1963
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Brentford and Chiswick]
This page requires JavaScript
Continued from previous page...
| Contravention | Found | Remedied |
|---|---|---|
| Containers not protected from contamination | 20 | 4 |
| Food so placed as to involve risk of contamination | 8 | 3 |
| Food placed within 18" of ground and not adequately protected | 1 | - |
| Water closets not kept clean and in efficient order | 18 | 9 |
| Insufficient lighting and ventilation to water closets | 30 | 4 |
| Absence of "Wash your Hands" Notices in water closets | 2 | - |
| Inadequate cold water supply | 2 | - |
| Absence of suitable and sufficient wash hand basins | 17 | 5 |
| Absence of hot water at a suitably controlled temperature | ||
| over wash hand basins | 21 | 7 |
| Absence of soap nail brushes clean towels, etc. near wash hand basins | 2 | 2 |
| Absence of or inadequate first aid materials | 6 | 3 |
| Absence of accommodation for clothing not worn during working hours | 4 | 2 |
| Absence of suitable and sufficient sinks for the washing of food and equipment | 4 | 2 |
| Absence of hot water at a suitably controlled temperature over sink | 10 | 2 |
| Absence of suitable and sufficient ventilation in food rooms | 3 | - |
| Walls, floors ceilings,, etc. not kept clean | 48 | 22 |
| Walls, floors ceilings, etc. not kept in good order | 9 | 4 |
| Covered receptacle for refuse not provided | 9 | 3 |
| Accumulations of refuse etc. | 6 | 6 |
| Specified foods not stored at prescribed temperature | - | 1 |
| Miscellaneous | 1 | 1 |
| Defective structure | 2 | 3 |
| Inadequate or defective waste, rainwater and soil drainage | 4 | - |
| Untrapped sinks etc. | 2 | - |
| Rat proofing required | 33 | 9 |
| Mobile Vans - condition of | 1 | - |
| Totals | 273 | 96 |
No prosecutions were undertaken for contravention of these Regulations.
The amount of the defects found in food shops and catering establishments
year after year is not a very good indication of the hygiene consciousness of
the owners or of the users. Visits have to be paid and penalties threatened
to get the most elementary rules of hygiene obeyed, and these figures are a sad
indication of the bad conditions that will be discovered when the work on the
Offices Shops and Railway Premises Act gets really into operation. Dirty and
insanitary food premises are breeding grounds for infection, and those premises
found to require rat proofing are offering harbourage and food to immigrant
rats, and high figures for this have been found in two successive years 33
requiring rat proofing in 1963, and 27 in 1962 out of just over 500 food establishments
in the Borough.
CATERING ESTABLISHMENTS
91 visits were made to catering establishments during the year and in 57
cases it was necessary to give written or verbal intimation that work was re
quired.
FOOD COMPLAINTS
During the year 38 cases concerning food alleged to be unsound were received
in the Department
31