(4) Provided that nothing in this Act shall prevent A.D. 1927, the employment of any young person in case of an accident or unforseen emergency. 10.—(1) Every person who occupies an office shall, Notice of 5 within three months after the passing of this Act or occupation within one month after he begins to occupy an office, of office. forward to the local sanitary authority a written notice containing the name of the office, the place where it is situate, the address to which he desires his letters 10 to be addressed, the nature of the work, and the name and address of the employer under which the business of the office is to be carried on. (2) In the event of a contravention of this section by the occupier of an office he shall be liable to a fine 15 not exceeding five pounds. 11. (1) There shall be affixed at the entrance of Affixing of every office, and in such other parts thereof as the abstract local sanitary authority directs, and be constantly and notice. kept so affixed in the prescribed form and in such 20 position as to be easily read by persons employed in the office 25 (a) an abstract of this Act; and (b) a notice of the name and address of the local (c) every notice and document required by this Act (2) In the event of a contravention of this section in an office, the employer shall be liable to a fine not exceeding forty shillings. 30 12.-(1) In every office there shall be kept by the General employer a register, called the general register, showing, registers. in a form to be prescribed by the Minister of Health, 35 particulars as to (a) the young persons employed in the office; and (c) such other matters as may be prescribed. (2) Where any entry is required by this Act to be made in the general register, the entry made by the employer or on his behalf shall, as against him, be 40 admissible as primâ facie evidence of the facts therein stated, and the failure to make any entry so required A.D. 1927. with respect to the observance of any provision of this Act shall be admissible as primâ facie evidence that that provision has not been observed. Periodical return of persons employed. Local sanitary authority to carry out Act. (3) The employer shall send to the local sanitary authority such extracts from the general register as they 5 from time to time require for the execution of their duties under this Act. (4) If in any office any requirement of this section is not complied with, the employer shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five pounds. 10 13. The employer shall, on or before such days as the Minister of Health may direct, at intervals of not less than one nor more than three years, send to the local sanitary authority a correct return specifying, with respect to such days or day, or such period as the Minister may 15 direct, the number of persons employed in the office, with such particulars as to the age, sex, and occupation of the persons employed, as the Minister may direct, and in default of complying with this section shall be liable to a fine not exceeding ten pounds. 20 14. (1) It shall be the duty of the local sanitary authority to carry out the provisions of this Act, and for the purpose of their duties with respect to offices under this Act and under the law relating to public health, the local sanitary authority and their officers 25 shall, without prejudice to their other powers, have all such powers of entry, inspection, taking legal proceedings or otherwise as an inspector under the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901. (2) Provided that if the Minister is satisfied that the 30 provisions of this Act, or of the law relating to public health in so far as it affects offices, have not been carried out by the local sanitary authority, he may, by order, authorise an inspector to take, during such period as may be mentioned in the order, such steps as appear necessary 35 or proper for enforcing those provisions. (3) An inspector authorised in pursuance of this section shall, for the purpose of his duties thereunder, have the same powers with respect to offices as he would have with respect to factories if appointed by the 40 Secretary of State to act in relation to them, and he may, for that purpose, take the like proceedings for enforcing the provisions of this Act or of the law relating to public health, or for punishing or remedying any default, as might be taken by the local sanitary authority; and A.D. 1927. he shall be entitled to recover from the local sanitary authority all such expenses in and about any proceedings as he may incur and as are not recovered from any other 5 person. and other 15. An inspector shall for the purposes of the Appointment execution of this Act have all the powers conferred of inspectors by sections one hundred and nineteen and one hundred persons for the perform. and twenty of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901; ance of duties 10 and those sections and section one hundred and twenty- under this one of the said Act shall apply with the necessary modifications. Act. 16.-(1) If complaint that an office is not kept in Complaints. conformity with this Act is made in writing to the local 15 sanitary authority by the owner or occupier thereof, or by a person who is or has at any time during the six months preceding the date of such complaint been employed in such office, or the authorised agent of such owner, occupier, or person, the local sanitary authority 20 shall afford reasonable facilities to such owner, occupier, person or authorised agent to appear before it or a committee appointed for that purpose and by himself and others to support such complaint. The local sanitary authority shall thereupon take such action with 25 regard to such complaint as it shall deem desirable. (2) If such owner, occupier, or person is aggrieved by the decision of the local sanitary authority with respect to such complaint, or alleges that any certificate given or withheld or any other thing done or left undone 30 has been given, withheld, done or omitted improperly or inconsistently with the provisions of this Act, then such owner, occupier, person or authorised agent may submit a complaint in writing to the Minister. (3) If on such complaint being made to the Minister, 35 the Minister is satisfied that any decision of the local sanitary authority should be altered or varied, such decision shall, by order of the Minister, be altered or varied accordingly. 17.-(1) If an office is not kept in conformity with 40 this Act, the employer shall be liable to a fine not exceeding ten pounds, and in the case of a second or subsequent conviction in relation to the same office, not less than twenty pounds for each offence. Fine for A.D. 1927. Limit to fines. (2) The court of summary jurisdiction, in addition to or in lieu of inflicting a fine, may order certain means to be adopted by the employer within the time named in the order for the purpose of bringing the office into conformity with this Act. The court may on application 5 extend the time so named, but if after the expiration of the time as originally named or extended by subsequent order the order is not complied with, the employer shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five pounds for every day on which the non-compliance continues. 10 (3) Where any person is employed in an office contrary to the provisions of this Act the employer shall be liable to a fine not exceeding three or, if the offence was committed during the night, five pounds for each person so employed, and in the case of a second or 15 subsequent conviction of not less than ten pounds for each offence. 18. An employer shall not be liable in respect of a cumulative repetition of the same kind of offence from day to day to any larger amount of fines than the highest fine fixed 20 by this Act for the offence, except where the repetition of the offence occurs after an information has been laid for the previous offence. Prosecution of offences and recovery and application of fines. General definitions. 19. All offences under this Act shall be prosecuted, and all fines under this Act shall be recovered, in like 25 manner as offences and fines are prosecuted and recovered under the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901, and sections one hundred and forty-four to one hundred and forty-eight of that Act shall, so far as the same are consistent with the provisions of this Act, apply with the 30 necessary modifications. 20.-(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires 66 ,, The expression "office means any room, suite of 40 5 10 15 The expression "local sanitary authority" includes A.D. 1927. 66 66 (2) An office shall not be deemed to be ventilated in a sufficient manner unless the air therein is completely changed at least twice in every hour whilst persons are employed therein. (3) For the purposes of this Act employment shall 20 be deemed to be continuous unless interrupted by an interval of at least an hour. 21. In the application of this Act to Scotland the Application provisions of section one hundred and fifty-nine of the of Act to Factory and Workshop Act, 1901, shall, so far as they Scotland. 25 are consistent with the provisions of this Act, apply with the necessary modifications. 22. (1) In the application to the Administrative Application County of London, references to the local sanitary of Act to authority in sections five and six of this Act shall be London. 30 construed as references to the London County Council 35 and the expenses of the London County Council in the execution of those sections shall be defrayed as part of their expenses in the management of the London Building Act, 1894. (2) Subject as aforesaid, references in this Act to the local sanitary authority shall, as regards the City of London, be construed as references to the Court of Common Council and, as regards any other part of the Administrative County of London, as references to the 40 council of a metropolitan borough. |