London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1947
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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VI. HYGIENE OF CREWS' SPACES.
TABLE J.
CLASSIFICATION OF NUISANCES.
| Nationality of Vessel. | Number inspected during the year. | Defects of Original construction. | Structural defects through wear and tear. | Dirt, vermin and other conditions prejudicial to health. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRITISH | 6,543. | 166. | 439. | 951. |
| OTHER NATIONS | 785. | 10. | 9. | 76. |
| TOTALS. | 7,328. | 176. | 448 | 1,027. |
The routine inspection of ships entering the Port to
ascertain the hygiene and sanitation of spaces occupied by crews and
passengers has continued to be carried out by the Port Health
Inspectors.
Table 'J' shows a summarised classification of the
nuisances discovered and Appendix VII gives details of the types of
nuisances dealt with.
Defects are dealt with in two ways depending on whether
their remedy would require a structural alteration or not.
In the latter case direct contact is made with the owners
or agents who are requested to remedy or improve minor defects
along suggested lines.
If the remedy of a defect would require a structural
alteration, attention of the Inspectors of the Ministry of Transport
is drawn to the matter and it rests with the Ministry to decide
whether the owners should be called upon to remedy the defect,
having regard to its nature and the amount of work involved.
It is satisfactory to record that it is very seldom that
owners fail to comply with requests to improve the accommodation and
the sanitary condition of their vessels and in no instance has it
been necessary to issue an Order.
While certain vessels still fall far below modern
standards in their accommodation for crews they are, for the most
part, old and it will not be long before they will be replaced by
modern ships.
Ships built during and since the war show a vast
improvement in crews accommodation and in many cases leave nothing
to be desired save the proper care and maintenance of the accommodation
by the crews themselves. It is to be regretted that,
despite the powers now given to masters to secure a proper observance
of hygiene and cleanliness, crew accommodation is often found in a
filthy condition and showing obvious evidence of neglect. This is
more frequently seen in British than in foreign owned vessels and is
a reflection on the attitude of certain crews towards their living
quarters.
Nevertheless, despite these isolated instances, the
maintenance of crew accommodation has generally shown a great
improvement all round,
PUBLIC HEALTH (IMPORTED FOOD) REGULATIONS.1937.
Circular No.110/47 dated 30th June,1947, from the
Ministry of Health authorises the recognition of an Official
/Certificate
(24)