41. The number of children employed in factories shows no tendency to increase and the employment of children under the age of 16 years has practically ceased in the large factories.
42. Legislation.—The Factories and Workshops Ordinance, No. 27 of 1932, came into force on 1st March, 1933, and has already resulted in a considerable improvement in general factory conditions.
43. Registration of Factories and Workshops was made compulsory under the new Ordinance and the power to refuse registration has resulted in the removal of a large number of tenement factories from old and dilapidated houses to newer and better constructed premises. Five hundred and twenty factory owners applied for registration during the ten months operation of the new Ordinance and four hundred and eighteen certificates of registration were issued, the premises having been inspected and the owners having complied with all the requirements necessary. In the majority of cases where registration has not yet been granted it is owing to the alterations to premises being on a larger scale involving partial re-construction and in most cases the work is in hand and will be completed at an early date.
44. Careful attention was paid to measures for the prevention of fire dangers in factories and various factories were found to be unsuitable for their purpose and a potential source of danger to life. In twenty-three of such cases the occupiers were given varying periods of grace in which to remove to other premises or prepare plans for re-building the existing premises. The advice of the Fire Brigade authorities was sought in all such cases and the co-operation and assistance given by them was much appreciated.
45. The working of the new Ordinance considerably increased the duties of the Factory Inspectorate, and a special tribute is due to Inspector Meade for his sterling work. In consequence of the new Ordinance, the staff was increased by the appointment of an assistant Inspector of Factories and an additional Chinese clerk.
46. Accidents.—The total number of accidents in factories during the year was seventy of which eight were fatal, as compared with ninety-one (five fatal) for the preceding year. A large proportion of the accidents occurred in the shipbuilding yards (thirty-four with six fatalities) most of them being due to falls from stagings or into ships' holds. Of the accidents occurring in factories in nine cases women were involved. These accidents were all slight and owing to the better fencing of machinery in the textile factories there was again a welcome freedom from the severe scalping accidents which were once so frequent amongst women workers. (See Table XXXII).
C 9
41. The number of children employed in factories shows no tendency to increase and the employment of children under the age of 16 years has practically ceased in the large factories.
42. Legislation.-The Factories and Workshops Ordinance, No. 27 of 1932, came into force on 1st March, 1933, and has already resulted in a considerable improvement in general fac- tory conditions.
43. Registration of Factories and Workshops was made compulsory under the new Ordinance and the power to refuse registration has resulted in the removal of a large number of tenement factories from old and dilapidated houses to newer and better constructed premises. Five hundred and twenty factory owners applied for registration during the ten months operation of the new Ordinance and four hundred and eighteen certificates of registration were issued, the premises having been inspected and the owners having complied with all the require- ments necessary. In the majority of cases where registration has not yet been granted it is owing to the alterations to pre- mises being on a larger scale involving partial re-construction and in most cases the work is in hand and will be completed at an early date.
44. Careful attention was paid to measures for the preven- tion of fire dangers in factories and various factories were found to be unsuitable for their purpose and a potential source of danger to life. In twenty-three of such cases the occupiers were given varying periods of grace in which to remove to other pre- mises or prepare plans for re-building the existing premises. The advice of the Fire Brigade authorities was sought in all such cases and the co-operation and assistance given by them was much appreciated.
45. The working of the new Ordinance considerably increas- ed the duties of the Factory Inspectorate, and a special tribute is due to Inspector Meade for his sterling work. In consequence of the new Ordinance, the staff was increased by the appointment of an assistant Inspector of Factories and an additional Chinese clerk.
46. Accidents.-The total number of accidents in factories during the year was seventy of which eight were fatal, as com- pared with ninety-one (five fatal) for the preceding year. A large proportion of the accidents occurred in the shipbuilding yards (thirty-four with six fatalities) most of them being due to falls from stagings or into ships' holds. Of the accidents occurring in factories in nine cases women were involved. These accidents were all slight and owing to the better fencing of machinery in the textile factories there was again a welcome freedom from the severe scalping accidents which were once so frequent amongst women workers. (See Table XXXII).
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.