These latter visits were undertaken by the Department of Statistics as from September, 1948.
Inspections for the general improvement of working con- ditions and the suppression of industrial diseases have included investigations into the lighting of factories and the extraction and removal of dust. To date the lighting of 60 factories has been thoroughly checked and the lighting re-arranged or improved to conform with recognized standards; and over 20 factories, in which abrasive or polishing dust is generated are now proceed- ing with the installation of dust exhaust systems. This work has been delayed owing to the shortage of suitable materials and the lack of technicians capable of undertaking the construction of such apparatus.
A total of 436 accidents involving 460 per- sons were reported and subsequently investigated.
Of these 140 occurred in the shipbuilding industry where 68 were caused by falls from staging or by falling objects. Fatal accidents totalled 20 and included 12 from falls and falling objects, 2 from burns, and the remainder from a variety of causes. The apparently large increase in industrial accidents (245 more than the pre- vious year) is due rather to a tightening up of the system of reporting accidents than to an increase in the number of accidents themselves.
Prosecution is only resorted to when repeated warnings fail, but 95 successful prosecutions were undertaken during the year. The majority were for employing women in prohibited hours or in prohibited trades, the employment of children, the use of unfenced machinery, obstructing fire exits and failing to register factories or workshops.
Women and Young Persons in Industry
There has been an average of just over 23,000 women in more or less regular employment in a large variety of industries during 1948. This number does not include fairly large numbers of women who are employed as unskilled manual workers in the building trade, as earth carriers and stone breakers, etc., for road building. All these women are engaged by con- tractors on a purely casual basis and, as numbers and personnel fluctuate continually, returns are extremely difficult to obtain. Of women engaged in indstry, at least a third work in the textile trade. Hitherto textiles have been confined to weaving and knitted piece goods, but 1948 has seen the installation of several cotton spinning mills, and more are in-process of construction. As these are all large concerns and much of the labour female, the total number of women employed in the textile trade is likely to increase. Rather less than a third of the total number in
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