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At the present moment the River is covered, by three Sanitary
Inspectors, each with a launch, whose duty is to visit all ships and other
craft lying in the River, principally for the inspection of crew accommodation,
general hygiene and sanitation, including rater tanks, latrines, galleys, food
lockers etc., and for the presence of rodents on boards
There are no Rodent Operatives specifically posted to the River
and where a Rodent Operative is required by an Inspector to assist him in the
inspection of a vessel he has to be temporarily detached from one or other of the
Dock Groups where he is normally working.
Coastal vessels lying at the wharves, of which there are a large
number, could, of course, be visited from the shore but this would involve a
great deal of time -wasted in travelling and it is generally found to be more
convenient to visit these vessels from the River. If the Sanitary Inspectors
are to do their work properly and to look sufficiently carefully into the
hygiene and sanitation of crew accommodation of each vessel, they will not be
able to find much time to go closely into the state of the vessels qua rodents.
It may be, therefore, in the light of experience, found necessary to
appoint either an additional Inspector or Inspectors or additional Rodent
Operatives, or both, to carry out this -work, particularly having regard to
the need to supervise the measures taken by the Operating Companies called
in by the owner to rid a ship of rats. This may even involve the acquisition
of one or more additional launches.
The Port Medical Officer hopes that experience will point to a simple
and economic solution of this new problem and he wishes to make ho specific
recommendations at the moment. It must hot be forgotten that in addition to
coastal vessels the Sanitary Inspectors stationed on the River have also to
visit and inspect 'foreign going* ships laying in the River, house-boats, refuse
barges, water boats etc., etc.
LIGHTERS. BARGES ETCe
The rodent inspection of this very large number of craft is going
to be a difficult problem to solve. In the first place they are seldom
idle (there is in fact a great shortage at present of lighters in this Port)
and they are scattered throughout the greater length of the Port, i.e., between
Brentford and the Lower Reaches of the Thames. They are, of course,
occasionally to be found collected in numerous "tiers" throughout the Port
area and also at the repair yards, some 60 in number, when they go for a refit.
It is at such places and probably only at such places that they
can be picked up and properly dealt with by the Port Health Inspectorate.
Incidentally the lighters and all other craft that remain within
the port are not required to carry a periodic certificate such as is required
for coastal vessels but it is the duty of the owner or lessee to maintain
the lighters free from rodents and of the Port Health Authority to see that
this is done.
Owing to the wide distribution of these craft it is doubtful whether
the Operating Companies irould be able, or even wish, to undertake their
deratting and it seems that the Port Health Authority will have to carry
out this -work by direct labour on behalf of the owner if such work is to
be done at all efficiently.
The Port Medical Officer has had a number of consultations with
the industries concerned and has come to the conclusion that at least three
whole time Rodent Operatives will be required to carry out an inspection of
all these craft, particularly at the "tiers" and at the repair yards and to
destroy rodent colonies found on board.
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