View report page

FACTORIES
In addition to ensuring healthy living conditions and a wholesome
food supply the Public Health Department has responsibility
for securing that people engaged in work of an industrial nature, or
employed in shops, shall be employed in hygienic surroundings.
These duties are placed upon the department by the Factories Act,
1937, which amended and consolidated the Factory and Workshop
Act, 1901, and other Regulations, and the Shops Act, 1950.
Previously, working conditions in factories, workshops and in
the home (outworkers) were dealt with under the Factory and
Workshop Act, 1901, but under this Act the law requiring the
provision of sanitary conveniences in factories and workshops was
somewhat complex.
The Sanitary Accommodation Order, 1903, made under
Section 9 of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901, did not apply
to London, and in the event of a factory or workshop being without
suitable or sufficient sanitary conveniences it was the practice to
serve a notice upon the owner of the premises under the Public
Health (London) Act. In this way an attempt was made to put
into operation the standards of the Sanitary Accommodation Order,
1903, but the requirements of such notices could not be enforced
in the Courts, and in consequence difficulty was experienced in
some instances. The position was, however, changed by the
Sanitary Accommodation Regulations, 1938, made under Section 7
of the Factories Act, 1937, which lays down a definite standard as
regards this matter applicable throughout the country, but whereas
it might be thought that the owner of factory premises should be
responsible for providing suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences,
this responsibility rests upon the occupier of the factory,
except where conveniences are used in common by several tenants.