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SANITATION.

Sanitary Accommodation. Much more attention is given to this subject in new establishments, and the difficulties which still remain are usually found in certain congested industrial areas in the north of England, where antiquated and unsatisfactory sanitary arrangements still survive. Reference has frequently been made to this subject in past Reports, and difficulties in regard to sewerage and drainage make immediate remedies impracticable. Still conditions are slowly improving; thus Mr. Wolfe (Sheffield) mentions that the objectionable privy midden is disappearing, but very slowly; but the tenement system, with its conveniences common to several tenants, almost peculiar to Sheffield, still causes much trouble, as it is difficult to apportion responsibility in such cases. In the Halifax district further conversion to the water carriage system among the more remotely situated mills is reported, and it is stated that there are only six mills now in this district where tower closets are still in existence. In one of these mills, a six storey building, the closets in the tower are of the objectionable dry type and appear to be very irregularly attended to. The case, however, is being followed up. Similarly in the Eastern Counties, the conversion of the pail system to water carriage is being carried out in the outlying parts of the towns of Nottingham and Newark and in certain of the industrial villages in Leicestershire, and is effecting a great improvement in these localities. Mr. Atkinson (Cambridge) found, however, very bad conditions in one food manufacturing factory. Cases containing partly manufactured food were discovered stored on the floor of the men's sanitary convenience. The matter was reported to the local authority, whose representatives promptly visited the factory and condemned the whole of the food so stored.

Temperature. Though no large number of complaints have been received, a few bad cases of failing to maintain an adequate temperature in work-rooms have been brought to notice. Mr. Scott (Keighley), for example, found a woman working a power-driven sewing machine in a cloth dyeworks store with a temperature of 33°F., and Mr. Long (South London) discovered in a large waste paper warehouse about 25 women and girls working also in a temperature of 33°F. with no means of heating whatever. Prosecution ensued in the latter case and a substantial fine was inflicted. Heating apparatus has since been put in.

Two satisfactory instances of heating installations are mentioned by Mr. Wright (North Eastern Division). The first was in a newspaper printing works where the temperatures found at 2 a.m. on

an autumn night, with outside temperature 50°F., were as follows: lino room 71°F., foundry 68°F., composing room 66°F. and machine room 60°F. The rooms were well ventilated and had an exhilarating atmosphere. The second was in a clothing factory employing 2,000 workers, where the heating was on the plenum system with warming of the incoming air in cold weather; readings of 64°F., with outside temperature 45°F. were registered.

As regards high temperatures, complaint was received as to working conditions in certain sugar refineries, and a number of readings of temperatures were taken both by day and at night. In this industry owing to the heat at which the material has to be kept during the process of refining and to the fact that the process is continuous, it is particularly difficult to keep the temperature of the various rooms during summer weather down to a reasonable figure. A great deal has been done in the way of lagging piping and vessels containing hot liquor, and shutting off parts where the temperature is high from departments where workers are regularly employed. Mr. Buchan (North-West Division) mentioned that in one refinery in Liverpool, where heat rises from one floor to another above, it is now proposed to close the internal connexion between the two floors and draw off the hot air by means of ventilating shafts outside the building. anticipates this will have a very beneficial effect.

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Mr. G. S. Taylor (Southern Division) refers to high temperatures found in electrical generating stations, laundries, cardboard box works, and bakehouses. He remarks:

One underground bakehouse, where the temperature was excessive, has now been provided with two powerful exhaust fans and ducts exhausting the hot air from the front of the ovens and the employees state that the conditions have been thereby considerably ameliorated during the hot summer nights.

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The problem presented by some of the hotel laundries, situated as they are at the base of lofty buildings in congested areas, is no easy one. particular instance no less than eleven fans, some exhaust, some plenum, were provided and still the temperature in the height of summer remained excessive. During the year further efforts were made by the installation of a plenum system bringing in cool air at low level near the calenders to improve the conditions. There was an immediate improvement, and by a further provision of propeller fans giving air movement it is hoped that a satisfactory result has now been obtained. In another case both plenum and exhaust systems were installed, but neither was sufficiently powerful to produce any marked effect on the temperature, and larger fans have been installed together with a more modern type of autovac calender by which means it is hoped to reduce the temperature of the main source of heat and prevent the escape of steam into the workroom.

Steam in Dyehouses.-The old difficulty of steam in dyehouses is reported upon by several Inspectors. As Miss Dennistoun (Huddersfield) observes, the removal of steam generated in dyehouses is a problem presenting many difficulties. Two firms mentioned by her recently erected new dyehouses, which are high roofed, well lighted and ventilated, only to find that the moisture

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which under the old conditions of low roof and high temperature was held in suspension now fills the room with dense volumes of vapour on account, presumably, of the cooler atmosphere. As Mr. Law (North Midland Division) observes, extraction fans are not effective in removing steam under the conditions obtaining in dyehouses, and the best methods adopted so far for removing the discomfort and inconvenience of vapourised steam appear to be (1) a plenum fan for blowing in hot air, and (2) the enclosure of the machine in a wooden casing with ducts leading to the outside air. A successful instance of steam removal in a recently opened dyehouse in the Norwich district is described by Mr. Whiteside, the District Inspector :

In order to remove steam from their dyehouse, one firm has installed a plant for blowing in warm air near the vats, from which the vapour rises. The air, after filtration, is drawn over a bank of steam heated pipes and then blown in through suitably designed conduits and delivered at points conveniently placed to the vats. The plant has been very successful, and has prevented the formation of steam even during dull heavy weather. summer time the steam is shut off and the fan then blows cool air into the workrooms. The warm air in taking up the moisture prevents condensation, with the result that the trouble of water dripping on expensive cloth goods and soiling them is avoided.

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Lighting. Judging by the numerous references to this subject it is clear that a great deal of systematic attention has been given by the staff to adequate lighting, both natural and artificial, and that most manufacturers now realize that if output and good workmanship are to be maintained lighting must be adequate in amount and suitable for the particular work in hand.

Mr. Werner (Midland Division) mentions that much good work has been done in Coventry, where occupiers and managers have experimented with two different systems :-(1) individual lamps for each machine, (2) powerful lamps, suitably shaded, fixed high up. The latter system is, he states, generally preferred in saw mills, aeroplane and motor engine shops, and in most large open shops, if there is not too much overhead mill gearing. Many managers, however, prefer the separate light for each machine, and on this point Mr. Rogers (Coventry) continues :

The processes for which these individual lamps seem to be favoured include machine engraving, power press work, spoke heading and swaging, small electric work (especially in connection with magneto, radio and telephone making) and watch jewel making. The use of bench coverings, which are of such a colour and texture as to prevent reflection of bright light into the eyes of the workers, has now become established in factories in which small electrical work is carried on, and the provision of shades of suitable design and colour have become much more common.

Mr. C. H. Taylor (Shrewsbury) mentions that in one works where safes are made, and in view of the fine work to be done on safe locks, a bench level illumination of 10 foot candles is aimed at. Artificial " daylight" is being more widely used in the colour mixing rooms of some of the worsted spinning mills in Halifax and in a few cases is used at all times. Similar installations are described by the Newport and Wrexham Inspectors for enabling the exact colours of samples and of materials in process

of manufacture to be correctly gauged, a task difficult to accomplish with other means of artificial lighting. Some good instances are quoted to illustrate the evil effects of glare. Mr. Owner (Bristol) found that at a large clothing factory the electric lamps supplied near to each machine caused unnecessary glare. Suggestions were made to the firm, and as a result of an alteration in the supply voltage the question of improved lighting had to be considered. Now by the use of gas filled half-watt lamps and holophane reflectors a much smaller number of lamps are in use, there is no glare, an absence of shadows, and a great reduction in the charge of lighting.

Mr. Clark (Finsbury).—In several factories the system of deeply shaded electric lights has been adopted; these are so arranged as to provide a high standard of illumination on the work benches and a lower standard in the alleyways where the high standard is not necessary. As far as it has been observed, this has proved to be successful, but in one factory the worker raised considerable objections at first on account of the gloomy aspect of the workroom as compared with former conditions. These objections, however, appear to have gradually lessened with continual use.

One large firm of printers who had adopted this system of lighting stated that three results had been obtained from the change, viz. (1) better illumination on the work, (2) absence of glare, (3) economy in lighting costs.

Almost every factory and each type of machine presents some special problem in illumination, but the solution can generally be found through a proper appreciation of the various factors involved and the correct application of the fundamental principles of illumination.

Mr. Turner (Reading).—In one printing works where there are a considerable number of bag machines, the management had several complaints from the men who were employed on these during the night shift, that they suffered from head-ache and eye-strain. It is necessary to light these machines very well and gas-filled electric lamps were used with ordinary conical shades, the lamps being approximately at head height. The workers rigged up various paper shades to try and avoid the direct rays of the lamp but without very much success because if efficient in this respect, parts of the machine were not properly lighted.

The firm consequently called in an expert and special lamps were installed. The type provided has a small narrow cylinder of white reflecting material surrounding the bulb of the lamp but some little distance from it. This cylinder is supported from the reflector by three pins, the length of which can be varied, moving the cylinder vertically. The cylinder is adjusted so that it comes in between the worker's eye and the filament. The lamps have now been well tried out at this works, and the workers like them. There are now no complaints from the same men who suffered previously.

Miss Ewart (Leeds North).-In one factory the old type shallow shades had been extended by a 3 in. band of enamelled sheet metal. In another factory each machine was fitted with a 20-candle power needle light, general lighting being effected by 75-100 watt lamps with Benjamin' shades. The manager stated that, as the needle lights were controlled by each worker, there had followed an increased efficiency in the work and the initial outlay had proved a definite economy. On the lithographing machines in a printing works, the men suffered from reflected glare from the yellow paper. As an experiment blue tinted lamps were substituted for the ordinary clear glass type previously in use and the men stated they now had no feeling of eye strain.

Mr. Dymock (Divisional Inspector, North Eastern Division).-In a lithographic printing works, general illumination was obtained throughout the five floors from numerous 60-watt gas-filled electric bulbs. In addition, local illumination of the machines and processes was obtained from carefully shaded smaller-powered lamps, the white ceilings and white and green varnished walls all combined to secure the maximum illumination possible.

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Mr. Phillips (Liverpool).-Prismatic plate glass is being used in the windows of a foodstuffs factory for increasing the efficiency of the lighting; from inquiries made it appears that this glass is made in three different styles, one directs the rays of light in a downward direction, another directs them upwards, and the third in a horizontal direction. In the factory concerned, the prisms directed light rays horizontally to the middle of a large room which had no natural overhead light and has been proved to be quite efficient for its purpose. In a clothing factory, where about 400 persons are employed, a new system of lighting has been recently introduced; the general lighting is provided by means of 60 c.p.' Benjamin' electric lamps placed 11 ft. above the floor and spaced 9 ft. apart in a longitudinal direction and 8 ft. in a transverse direction. In addition to these overhead lights, each sewing machine is provided with a 6 c.p. electric lamp fixed at the head of the machine to direct the light on to the work in the machine; these small lights are contained in metal shades of green colour so that the source of light is outside the line of the workers' vision.

Mr. le Couteur (Divisional Inspector, North Western Division).—An example of modern semi-direct lighting exists in a weaving shed in Leigh. The lamps used are 500-watt gas-filled, each lamp giving 1,000 c.p.; the lamps are fixed at about 12 ft. 6 in. from the floor. Above each lamp is a reflector 2 ft. in diameter, and the whole is enclosed in an opaque glass globe; the lamp may be looked at directly without occasioning any sense of eyestrain. The shed has an area of some 57,000 square feet, and contains 750 looms; to light this 253 lamps are used, these being equally spaced throughout the shed. The result is a pleasant, singularly effective and absolutely shadowless illumination; the work consists almost wholly of coloured goods, and the management consider the expense of running this lighting system is justified. The efficiency of this lighting system is very much enhanced by the fact that each loom has its own motor drive, the motor being adjacent to the loom, and in consequence there is no overhead transmission machinery whatever; in fact, conditions in this mill are, as a whole, very much above the average.

Mr. Brown (Scotland) remarks that the lighting of foundries requires special consideration in view of the fact that the maximum illumination is required at the floor level and, further, on account of the black floors, there is a maximum amount of light absorption and no reflection from other sources. Several occupiers, he says, have recognised this and have installed systems of properly spaced lamps which give maximum reflection and proper concentration of light at the floor level. As an instance of the advantage to be obtained from a good system of lighting he quotes the case of a large firm of rubber manufacturers who, by rearrangement of their lighting system in several departments, have increased their output by amounts varying from 7 to 16 per cent. He refers too to a good system of lighting in a large weaving factory which consists of electric lamps within a long semicircular shade which throws the light on the work and protects the eyes of the attendant, and to a similar arrangement in the closing department of a boot factory; but in this latter case both the arm which carries the lampholder and the holder itself can be adjusted so as to direct the light on to any part of the work.

The following interesting remarks by Mr. Allhusen (Edinburgh) may be considered as germane to this subject :

An important series of experiments was carried out in the Valleyfield Mills, Penicuik, by the certifying surgeon, Dr. Badger. It was found that, in the "Salle" or finishing department, where the sheets of paper are finally examined and sorted, a great deal of defective paper was being sent out. Dr. Badger made a careful examination of the eyes of all the workers, and

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