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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, provisions of sanitary conveniences and the
provision of running water for washing facilities. No application for exemption from the requirements was
made during the past year.
On the 28th May, 1969 regulations came into operation imposing requirements as to the
construction, maintenance and examination of hoists and lifts in all premises to which the Act applies. Six
lifts were reported to the Council where defects were found needing immediate attention. All six were immediately
made safe to use.
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. There were no
fatal accidents but 48 non fatal accidents were notified, and an analysis of their causation and injuries
sustained is shown in Table 48. Thirty-four of the accidents were investigated but no prosecutions were
instituted. Three employers received formal warning, ten informal advice and no action was 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, four new licences were granted and 39 were renewed. All the applicants are suitable
persons to hold licences and their premises were found to be satisfactory.
RODENT CONTROL
A new rodent officer was appointed at the beginning of the year. This was considered to be an
opportune time, having regard to the difficulty of maintaining a full establishment of rodent operators, to
reorganise the administration and work of the Section for the purpose of securing maximum efficiency.
It became expedient to terminate all contracts in business premises and to cease treating mice
infestations in private dwellings except in special circumstances, e.g. old age pensioners, etc., and recurring
infestations.
Letters giving detailed instructions on methods of rodent elimination were sent to all who complained
of mice, and business premises were visited by the rodent officer who determined the extent and
type of infestation and advised on methods of control and referred the matter to the Public Health Inspector
for such action as was found to be necessary.
In large urban areas such as Brent, the natural habitat of the predominent species, i.e. the brown
rat, is the sewer, and rats emerge from the sewer via broken and defective drains to the surface where they
forage for food. To discover defects in drains, smoke tests are applied to determine whether or not rats are
present in a drain. Manholes within the curtilage of dwellings are inspected and where necessary baits are
laid in the manholes.
During the current year, 1,840 manholes were inspected and defects were found in 435 and action
was taken to have these defects remedied. During the industrial dispute when refuse collection was interrupted,
826 visits were paid to 67 temporary refuse dumps.
One thousand, one hundred and twenty-seven complaints were received of rats and 89 additional infestations
were found by rodent operators making a total of 1,216 complaints and initial visits. 3,648 revisits
were made for treatment.
Three hundred and forty-four initial visits were made following complaints of mice and four further
infestations were found by the rodent operators making a total of 348. 1,044 visits were made for treatment.
Two hundred and fifty-six complaints of rat infestations were found to be mice infestations and
advice was given by the rodent officer on methods of treatment.
CONTROL OF WILD PIGEONS
During the year, the ten railway bridges in the Borough, for which there is a contract for the
exterminating of pigeons, were kept under surveillance. Regular systematic treatment by the Contractor,
under the supervision of a Senior Public Health Inspector, resulted in 305 birds being destroyed.
UNCLEANLINESS AND SCABIES
(Table 49)
Treatment for scabies, lice and nits continued at Stonebridge Clinic. Compared with 1968, there has
been an increase in the number of cases treated for scabies (89 in 1968 to 156 in 1969), the increase being
mainly among children aged 5—15 years. The number of cases treated for lice and nits increased slightly
from 41 in 1968 to 52 in 1969. However, the numbers treated are still small, and there is no evidence of a
significant increase in the prevalence of these conditions among the population.