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Employers are required to register their premises and the number registered during the year together
with the number of persons employed is shown in Table 45.
The general requirements of the Act deal with matters affecting the safety, health and welfare of
the employees and covers cleanliness, overcrowding, temperature, ventilation, lighting, sanitary conveniences,
washing facilities with hot and cold water supply, drinking water, accommodation for clothing, seating arrangements,
eating facilities when provided in a shop, cleaning machinery and fencing exposed parts, training and
supervision of persons working at dangerous machines, prohibition of heavy work, first aid, penalisation of
dangerous acts and interference with equipment, dangerous conditions and practices, construction and maintenance
of floors, passages and stairs and information for employees.
Public Health Inspectors are broadly speaking responsible for enforcing the general provisions of the
Act in offices, food shops, wholesale premises and warehouses, catering establishments open to the public and
canteens in the Borough. The remainder of premises for which the Council is responsible are inspected by
the Shops Inspectors. The total number of general inspections made is shown in Table 46 and the defects
found and remedied in Table 47.
As the contraventions found were either complied with or were being dealt with, no prosecutions
were instituted by the Council during 1968.
Under Section 46 of the Act the Council have powers to grant an exemption in respect of the requirements
regarding room space for employees, temperature, provision of sanitary conveniences and provision
of running water for washing facilities. No application for exemption from the requirements was made
during the past year.
Employers are required to notify to Local Authorities accidents to employees which cause the death
of the injured person or disables him for more than three days from doing his usual work. One fatal and 54
non-fatal accidents were notified, an analysis of their causation and injuries sustained is shown in Table 48.
The fatal accident was not due to any requirements of the Act being disobeyed. 43 of the accidents were
investigated but no prosecutions were instituted. Five employers received formal warning, 19 informal advice,
and no action necessary in the remaining cases.
ESTABLISHMENTS FOR MASSAGE AND SPECIAL TREATMENT
The registration of establishments for massage and special treatment is a function of the Borough
Council under Part XII of the Middlesex County Council Act, 1944.
During the year, 3 new licences were granted and 41 were renewed. All the applicants are suitable
persons to hold licences and their premises were found to be satisfactory.
RODENT CONTROL
Rodent Control, as approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Infestation Branch) has
been carried out in the properties below :—
Business Premises 387
Borough Council Properties 124
Private Dwellings 2,954
Total 3,465
The cost of disinfestation of business premises amounted to £729.0.9d., and was recovered from the
occupiers. The service is free to occupiers of private dwellings.
Rodent Control in the Council's sewers is carried out by the Borough Engineer and Surveyor's
Department. Where surface rat infestation is due to faults in the connections of the house drains with the
sewer, the Borough Engineer and Surveyor's Department arranges for the pavement to be opened. Arising
from complaints of rat infestation, 57 drains were subject to smoke test and in 25 cases notices were served
requiring defects to be remedied.
CONTROL OF WILD PIGEONS
During the year, the ten railway bridges in the Borough, for which there is a contract for the extermination
of pigeons, were kept under surveillance. Regular systematic treatment by the Contractor resulted in
467 birds being destroyed, and the problem is now under control.
UNCLEANLINESS AND SCABIES
(Table 49)
Treatment for scabies, lice and nits continued at Stonebridge Clinic. As compared with 1967, there
has been a decrease in the number of cases treated for scabies (114 in 1967 to 89 in 1968), the decrease being
almost entirely among adults. The number of cases treated for lice and nits (41) remained almost the same
as in 1967 (39).