ENG-1947 — Page 24

operation. These latter were nearly all small concerns employing on an average only about 20 persons each, whose capital proved inadequate to weather the fluctuations which have affected production in a number of industries. The proprietors of these small concerns have usually been skilled workers who were themselves employed before the war in various local industries.

Employment in factories and workshops generally has not been steady, owing to irregular operation, but according to such information as is available the total expected to be employed is approximately 60,000 (males 38,368: Females 20,699). This is double the 1946 figure and two thirds of that of 1941.

8069 inspections of industrial undertakings were carried out by the department during the year. These included 629 night visits in connection with the employment of women and young persons during prohibited hours. In the inspection of industrial establishments attention was particularly devoted to the elimination, as far as possible, of some of the causes of occupational diseases. Thus improvements of working conditions in processes involving the use of lead and manganese and in the trades of glass-blowing, metal and glass polishing, making toothbrushes, and paint manufacture, have been effected mainly by the installation of dust exhaust and fume collecting systems. In the rubber shoe trade it was found that tetra-ethyl (leaded) petrol was being fairly extensively used in the making of rubber solution. Although a check medical inspection showed no signs of lead poisoning and analysis proved that the percentage of lead was small, factory managers were informed of the possible. danger of lead poisoning and advised to use lead free petrol only. Accidents reported to the department, and subsequently investigated, amounted to 191 during the year. Of this number 119 occurred in the ship-building industry, where 99 were caused by falls from staging or by falling objects. The loss of time due to accidents totalled 4583 working days. 18 fatal accidents occurred, 10 of them in shipyards. Seven of these latter were the result of falls from staging or the decks of ships, and were due to lack of care and an apparent aversion to the use of safety ropes. The remaining fatalities were due to a variety of causes. Most of the non-fatal injuries proved on investigation to have been due to careless handling of machinery and the disregard or wilful removal of safety guards.

Prosecutions, which were only resorted to when repeated warnings had been disregarded, amounted to 63. The majority of these were for employing women during prohibited hours. Others were for the employment of young persons during prohibited hours or in a dangerous trade, the employment of children below the legal minimum age, the use of unfenced machinery, failure to register factories liable to registration, and obstruction of fire exits.

In addition to the work done in connection with factories, the department is constantly engaged in the conciliation and settlement of trade disputes and minor cases (the latter averaging about 30

about 30 a month); enquiries regarding wages;

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