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(c) Number of water barges and their sanitary condition
There are twelve water boats working in the Port. All these boats must be
registered annually with the Port of London Authority, and before a certificate is
granted they must be inspected as to their fitness for navigation in the river and
docks. The Port of London Authority notify the Port Health Authority when water
boats are coming up for re-registration, and will not issue a certificate to any water
boat until your Medical Officer has certified that it is fit for the carriage of drinking
water. This arrangement has now worked quite smoothly for several years, and has
enabled your Officers to get repairs and improvements carried out without difficulty.
Your Medical Officer proposes, during the coming year, to exercise a closer
supervision over the quality and purity of the water supplied by the water boats, and
to that end to take frequent periodic samples for chemical and bacteriological analysis.
IV.—PORT SANITARY REGULATIONS, 1988.
Circular No. 1745 of the Ministry of Health, dated 31st October, 1938, instructed
that:—
"Any permanent arrangements which have been fully described in previous
Annual Reports and have not been altered may be omitted from the Report of
1938."
Since my predecessor, Dr. C. F. White, described in detail, in his Annual Report
for 1937, the permanent arrangements in force under the above-mentioned Regulations,
and since the arrangements have not been altered during the year, there is no
need to repeat them in this Report.
Arrangements for Dealing with Declarations of Health.
These remain the same as described in the Report for 1937.
Boarding of Vessels on Arrival.
These remain the same as described in the Report for 1937, save that the new
launch " Alfred Robertson "was brought into commission during the year.
This launch will normally be used by the Sanitary Inspector for the inspection of
vessels in the Middle River District (Greenwich to Erith), but is so designed as to be
suitable for use as a boarding launch, and will thus, to some extent, obviate the
necessity of depending upon the assistance of H.M. Customs when the regular boarding
launch, the "Howard Deighton," is out of commission.
The "Alfred Robertson" was built by Messrs. James Pollock, Sons, & Co., Ltd.,
of Faversham, to the plans and specifications prepared by your Chief Engineer,
Mr. R. J. Roberts.
The hull is of steel and the dimensions are as follows : length over all, 54 ft. 9 in. ;
breadth, 12 ft.; depth m1d., 6 ft. 6 in.
The engine is an 8L3 Gardner Diesel of 136 b.h.p., with Gleniffer reversing and
reducing gear. The draught of the launch is about 4 ft. 6 in., and the speed about
9¾ knots.
The after cabin is fitted with locker seats arranged for the carrying of ambulance
stretchers.
The crew quarters are situated forward, and are fitted with locker seats, folding
cots and a portable folding table.
Notifications to the Authority of Inward Vessels requiring special
Attention.
The arrangements described in detail in the Report for 1937 have been in operation
throughout the year, and continue to work satisfactorily.
Mooring Stations designated under Article 10.
(a) Within the docks; (b) Outside the Docks.
These remain as reported in detail last year. There has, so far, been no occasion
to make use of them.