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During the year 665 accidents (52 fatal) involving 677 persons were reported, 424 (23 fatal) being in factories and workshops. is satisfactory to record that this represents a further decrease in the accident rate to 4.5 per thousand workers as against 4.9 and 6.9 per thousand in 1950 and 1949 respectively.
Payment of workmen's compensation has not yet become compulsory but, with few exceptions, employers are prepared to pay full wages to injured workers during temporary incapacity and compensation in respect of fatal accidents and permanent disability. A total of $128,124 was paid in compensation during the year.
Despite the steady expansion of industry, the extra work caused by unemployment and a constant shortage of staff, the inspectorate carried out planned improvements in the field of safety, health and welfare. Two women inspectors passed the Royal Sanitary Institute examination for sanitary inspectors in October. The departmental training of the inspectorate continued.
Women & Young Persons
On 30th September 1951 there were 34,025 women employed in factories and workshops as against 31,945 on 30th September 1950 and 29,088 on 30th September 1949. Women are employed in most industries and with few exceptions are on daily or piece-work rates. They enjoy freedom of movement, can take short breaks for tea at time during working hours, provide substitutes should they require day off, and, since discipline is of the mildest, do not normally work at a very high tempo.
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Most women are semi-skilled and many can work at several different trades such as weaving, rubber shoe making and hand torch assembly. When one of the largest rubber factories reopened after a closure of some months caused by bad business, nearly half of the 900 women formerly employed there had found work in weaving or torch factories.
Women are also employed as coal and earth carriers, as general workers on building sites, as stone breakers and at other casual work of an unskilled nature.
During the year 635 visits were made to young persons between
the ages of 14 and 18 employed in industry to ensure that regulations
regarding their employment were being observed. 879 young persons reached the age of 18 and were removed from the register and 92 were found and registered, bringing the total on 31st December 1951 to 932.
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