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17
THE FACTORY AND WORKSHOP ACTS,
1878 to 1891.
The duty of the inspection of Workshops relating to
cleanliness, ventilation and overcrowding has by the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891, been transferred from the Local
Government Board to the local sanitary authorities in London.
It therefore becomes our duty to enforce the provisions of this
Act and with that object we began in the early part of the year
to search the Hamlet for these workshops, as there is no
obligation on the part of the occupiers of workshops to notify
their existence to us, it is only by house to house inspection
throughout the Hamlet that we shall become acquainted with the
whole ot the workshops in our district. We have, however, up
to the present time upwards of 200 workshops under periodical
inspection, and I may say that on the whole they are found to
be clean; as to the ventilation very little artificial ventilation is
used and in a number of cases overcrowding was found to exist.
I think the reason of the latter defect is apparently that very
tew employers have the slightest idea of the cubical air space
required for each employee. All these workshops have been
measured and a notice is being served stating the number of
employees allowed to work at one time in such workshop; 250
cubical feet being the minimum that we require for each person;
these are the requirements of the Local Government Board,
which indeed is moderate enough; the measuring up of these
workshops and working out of their cubical capacity has been
a work of some magnitude. I am required by the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, Section 27, to give notice to the Factory
Inspector of the district where women and children are employed
at any workshop in our district, this Section has been
complied with in all the required cases. A number ot these
workshops have had notices served under Section 33 ot the
Factory and Workshop Act in regard to cleansing the internal
walls, ceilings, stairs and passages which have now been complied
with. Section 38 of the Public Health (London) Act states that
every workshop that employs male and female labour shall be
provided with suitable sanitary conveniences tor both sexes.
In 43 cases orders have been issued by the Vestry to comply
with this Section of the Act which orders have been carried out.
We now have a Register of all workshops which have come
under our notice, and a continual record is kept ot the inspection
and reinspection and the sanitary condition ot these premises.
OUT-WORKERS.
In October last an Order was issued by the Local Government
Board to all sanitary authorities in the Metropolis stating that
it was their duty to find out and frequently visit the homes of