H—ll

(7) Inspections.—lt was expected in 1949 that a coverage as complete as any accomplished before would be possible in 1950. This expectation has not been realized. The actual number of inspections made was 15,422, giving a coverage of 76-1 per cent. In 1948-49 the number of inspections was 2,385 fewer than in the year just past, and the coverage was 66-2 per cent. In the peak year of 1940-41 the number of inspections was only 232 greater than in 1949-50, but the coverage was 87-3 per cent. (8) Government-owned Factories.—Table XV in Appendix I gives details of the number registered and the number of workers therein. Registered Government factories increased by 3to reach a total of 327 at 31st March, 1950. Employment in these factories then covered 11,965 workers, which is an increase of 259. During the year under review 18 factories (employing 486 workers) were registered for the first time, but 15 factories (employing 227 workers) which were registered last year were not reregistered at 31st March, 1950. In two cases re-registration has been withheld because of non-compliance with the health and safety requirements of the Factories Act, 1946. Two others were found not to be factories within the meaning of the Act, and the remainder had closed down. It is interesting to note that included in those that had closed down were a number of trade-training schools operated by the Rehabilitation Department; only 15 such schools were registered at 31st March, 1950, as compared with 24 in the previous year. • (6) Hygiene, Health, and Welfare in Factories (1) Co-operation with Industrial Hygiene Division (Department of Health). —The appointment to the Industrial Hygiene Division of the Department of Health in 1947 of medical practitioners whose duty it is to specialize in problems of industrial hygiene has been of immense value to Inspectors of Factories. Over the years Inspectors have been recruited from many occupations, and once appointed they became responsible by virtue of their office for a multiplicity of duties. While collectively they brought to the Department a wealth of expert and general knowledge of industries, it was usual to rely on Medical Officers of Health when problems coming within the medical and allied spheres required attention. The utmost assistance was given by the Medical Officers of Health but with the special officers now available who are, with only one exception, housed within this Department's office premises, Inspectors have the advantage of more direct and frequent contact. There is full co-operation between the officers concerned and joint and individual inspections are arranged without inconveniencing factory occupiers. In those trades where there is a considerable health hazard, the frequent check by medical and nursing personnel should prove of invaluable benefit to the factory occupiers as well as to the workers. Further, although the Industrial Medical Officers are located only in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, periodical visits are made to the other districts. (2) Factory Premises.—Provision was made in the Factories Act, 1891, for a plan of each building or place about to be used as a factory to be submitted to the local Board of Health. In 1894, however, the requirement was altered, and thereafter the law contained a provision that a sketch-plan be furnished to the Inspector. It was, of course, also necessary for the proposed occupier to secure the approval of the local authority under the by-laws relating to buildings, and plans were also required for this purpose. As a result there were many cases of omission to submit sketch-plans to the Inspector, and to avoid confusion the requirement was not continued in the 1946 Act. Notwithstanding this, some builders continue to submit plans to this Department and, in fact, 295 such cases covering new factories or alterations to existing units were dealt with last year. It is to the advantage of a factory occupier to ascertain in advance whether his proposed layout complies with the Inspectors' requirements. By this means he may save the expense of alterations. Altered premises are never satisfactory, hence the desirability of taking all possible steps to ensure that plans are reviewed by all authorities

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