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(38)
FACTORY AND WORKSHOPS ACT, 1878-1895.
Prior to the passing of the Factory Acts, 1895,
Laundries were excluded from the operation of the
Factory Acts.
By the passing of this Act the control of Workshops
are now placed under the supervision of the
Sanitary Authority. The provisions of the Act are
set out under three principal heads, Cleanliness, Overcrowding
and Ventilation.
The Factory Act of 1895 lays down specific
Rules and requirements regulating Laundries.
The Laundries are placed under two heads, those
using team power are known as Factories and are
under the supervision of the Factory Inspector.
All other Laundries using only manual power
come under the definition of a Workshop and are
controlled by the Sanitary Authority.
The number of such in district aggregate a
total of 140. A very large number of these do not
employ more than two outside hands and are thus
exempt from the provisions of the Act, but are visited
from time to time during the systematic inspection of
Houses. The workrooms of the larger premises were
all measured up and the necessary papers properly
filled in and forwarded to the proprietors for the
information of their employees.