View report page

58
Nuisances from effluvia are dealt with under the provisions of Sections
137 and 147 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, and smoke nuisances under
Sections 147 and 148 of the same Act and the London County Council By-laws
Regulating the Emission of Smoke. Action taken under these sections is set
out in the part of this Report relating to air pollution.
Home Work - Outworkers. The classes of outwork to which the provisions of the
relevant sections of the Act apply are specified by Regulations made by the
Secretary of State.
SECTION 110 of the Factories Act, 1937, (Lists of outworkers to be kept in
certain trades) requires the occupier of a factory, and any contractor employed
by any such occupier in the business of a factory, to keep in the prescribed
form and manner lists showing the names and addresses of all persons employed
by them as outworkers. Such lists must be open to inspection by any inspector
and by any officer duly authorised by the District Council. A copy of the
list is required to be submitted to the District Council in February and August
of each year.
SECTION 111 (Employment of person in unwholesome premises) provides that where
the outworkers' premises are injurious or dangerous to health the District
Council may give notice in writing to the occupier of the factory or to any
contractor employed by him setting forth particulars of the respects in which
the place is, in their opinion, so injurious or dangerous, and the reasons for
that opinion and, if the occupier or contractor after the expiration of ten
days from the receipt of such notice gives out work to be done in that place,
he shall, unless it is proved to the satisfaction of the court dealing with the
case that the place is not injurious or dangerous in the respects set forth in
the notice, be guilty of an offence.
PART II of the Third Schedule of the Act applies to London SECTIONS 109
AND 110 of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901, which relate respectively to the
making of wearing apparel where there is scarlet fever or smallpox, and the
prohibition of home work in places where there is infectious disease.
There were 122 firms in the Borough employing outworkers, and the premises
of 1,617 outworkers were recorded in the department; nearly half of these outworkers
were employed by firms whose premises were outside the Borough. The
inspection of outworkers' premises is undertaken by the district sanitary
inspectors. A total of 1,042 inspections was made, but in no instance was
work in unwholesome premises discovered.