[Report 1913] / Medical Officer of Health, Brighouse Borough.

  • Brighouse (England). Council. nb2008024084.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1913] / Medical Officer of Health, Brighouse Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    57/90 (page 57)
    SMOKE OBSERVATIONS. Ninety-seven observations have been made during the year. The following table shews the number taken during each month of the year : Month. No. No. sliowing moderate smoke No. sheuing dense black smoke. No. exceeding the limit for dense black smoke. January 6 4 2 —■ February ... 11 11 5 — March 9 9 4 1 April 10 9 5 ■—- May 8 8 5 1 June 7 7 4 — b 2 1 August 13 13 i -—- September ... 4 4 4 2 October 6 6 3 — November ... 6 5 5 3 December ... 10 10 8 ■—- 97 92 54 8 The limit for black smoke was fixed by the Health Committee in July, 1911, at 3 minutes per half hour observation. By their instruction also every observation taken during the month isi reported at the; following monthly meeting of the Cbmmitteei I believe that an improvementi has taken plaoei during the past year in regard to Factory chimneysi, and a oontinuance of this is gaeatly to be desired. Smoke is a pollution of the atmosphere, and it- is quite as necessary that the air we breathe should be as pure as that the food we eat should bei of pure ingTedients and manufaetured in cleanly sur- roundings. The Public Health Act, 1875, specifically aims at the prevention of black smoke; it is a limited prohibition, for in ariy prosecution it must bei proved that the smoke; was black, and it is obvious that great pollution of the' atmoisphere may be taking place without emission of black smoke. The 97 observations recorded during the year shew that though only 8 chimneysi exceeded the 3 minutes’ limit, 54 emitted black smoke during the half-hour observations, and no fewer than 92 out of a total of 97, moderate smoke in varying quantity. House chimneys are* exempt from the; law excepting when they are fired, and part of the pollution of the atmosphere is due to the careless stoking of domestic fires. From a sanitary point of view, a large increase in the use of gas and electricity for heating and cooking is commendable. FACTORY AND WORKSHOPS ACT, 1901. Seventy-seven visits have been made to Factories, 84 to V orkshops, and 30 to Outworkers’ premises, a total of 191. Sixty-one defects were found, 7 notifications of sanitary defects were received from Factory Inspector, and 17 notices have been served on owneis and occupiers tO' remedy the following matters; —