FACTORY INSPECTION. In Great Britain, the duties of the factory inspectors consist broadly in the enforcement of the Factory and Workshop Acts, Truck Acts (in factories and work shops), and the Lead Paint (Protection against Poisoning) Act, 5926, and may be grouped under the following main heads: Sanitation.—The inspectors see that all factories are kept clean, are properly ventilated and not overcrowded, and that a reasonable temperature is maintained in each workroom. The local sanitary authorities are primarily responsible for these duties in workshops, but there is close co-operation between them and the Factory Department ; the inspectors report all irregulari ties observed during their inspections, while the local authorities advise the inspectors of workshops they discover where the pre scribed Abstract of the Factory and Workshop Acts is not affixed.
Sufficient and suitable sanitary conveniences must be provided, with separate accommodation for each sex, in all areas. This requirement is directly enforceable by the inspectors both in factories and workshops, except in the administrative county of London, or in any place where Part III. of the Public Health Act (Amendment Act), 189o, is in force. As both the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and the Public Health Act (Amend ment Act), 189o, impose the same obligations, works in areas coming under those acts are excluded from the operation of the Factory and Workshop Act, but the factory inspectors co-operate by reporting to the local authorities any irregularities observed. In those parts of England and Wales where Part III. of the Pub lic Health Act, 189o, is not in force and in Scotland the District Council may still deal with the matter under the Public Health Acts, subject to the observance of the standard of sufficiency and suitability determined by order of the secretary of State, but in these areas the duty of seeing that sufficient and suitable ac commodation is provided and of administering the secretary of State's order rests primarily with the factory inspectors. At the same time, the inspectors inform the District Council of any instructions issued to occupiers, in order that the council may have the opportunity of enforcing simultaneously any additional conditions under the Public Health Acts which they think desir able. Thus full co-operation is secured.
The inspectors receive notice of all accidents, investigate their cause, and advise as to measures for preventing a recurrence. They also assist the coroners at inquests. They are responsible for seeing that steam boilers are regularly examined, and reports obtained on the condition of the boiler and its mountings, speci fying the maximum permissible working pressure. Another impor tant duty is that of seeing that adequate means of escape in case of fire is provided and maintained. Though the local authorities are primarily responsible in this matter, the inspector must report to these authorities cases where, in his opinion, the means of escape is inadequate, and he must be informed of the action taken as a result of his complaint.
Besides enforcing the statutory requirement in regard to safety, the inspectors are constantly in touch with employers on the question of accident prevention generally. Many accidents arise from conditions and practices which cannot be controlled by legal enactments. The inspectors are thus called upon to take up the question of safety generally, and in particular they do all they can to encourage the modern movement towards the adoption of safety organization as a definite part of works management.
inspectors must see that the hours of employment of women and young persons are within the pre scribed limits, both during normal hours and during such overtime or night work as is permissible and that proper meal times are allowed. They have to report on applications for permission to work on a system of two shifts, and to enforce the conditions attached to orders sanctioning this system of employment. They must see, too, in those trades to which this requirement of the act applies, that workers paid on a piece-work basis receive such particulars regarding the work to be done and the rate of wages to be paid as will enable them to calculate the wages earned. They are responsible for seeing that no fines or deductions are made from the wages in contravention of the Truck Acts.
The department is under the control of the chief inspector, assisted by three deputy chief inspectors (one a woman). The country is divided into divisions, each under a superintending inspector, and each division is divided into districts, under district inspectors, to the more important of which junior and assistant inspectors are attached. Until 1921, the women inspectors were organized as a separate branch, but the two branches have since been amalgamated.
In 1928 the general staff was as follows :—io superintending inspectors (one a woman) 86 inspectors Class I., 32 inspectors Class IL, 7 women deputy superintending inspectors, 8 women district inspectors, 15 women inspectors, 1 senior inspector of particulars, 4 assistant inspectors of particulars, 23 inspectors' assistants.
With the development of industry and the increased attention paid to ventilation, engineering, medical and other problems, the work of the department has become much more technical. Sepa rate technical branches have, therefore, been established. The medical branch consists of a senior medical inspector with four medical inspectors (one a woman) under him. The electrical branch. recently strengthened to cope with the rapid increase in the use of electricity, consists of one senior inspector with four inspectors under him. The engineering branch consists of a senior engineering inspector with a staff of five.
There are under the jurisdiction of the department some 70,000 factories, 8,000 docks, quays and warehouses, and many buildings in course of construction. Nearly 3 50,00o visits of inspection are paid every year. The position of the inspectors has, however, greatly changed in recent years. Whereas formerly they had to enforce an unpopular act and contend with all kinds of opposition, they have become more the advisers of the employers, who often consult them on all kinds of questions. They are, indeed, by virtue of their previous scientific, profes sional and technical training, added to their long and varied expe rience of the industries of the country, a body of industrial experts, whose services are at the disposal of industry to assist and advise. The value of their special industrial knowledge was amply shown during the World War when they were called upon to carry out many different kinds of war work, including such varied duties as inspection of steel for the Admiralty, service as superintending engineers and in the organization of welfare work at the Ministry of Munitions, assisting in recruiting and advising on substitution at the Ministry of National Service. ( G. BEL.) United States.—Inspection by the national Government applies to all Federal Government work places and to operations in inter State commerce and to employments aboard vessels on navigable waters. Broad inspection powers are exercised by the U.S. Em ployees Compensation Commission, by the Shipping Commis sioners and by Inter-State Commerce Committee representatives. Most industrial inspection in America is under authority of the 48 individual States, New York having 183 inspectors of whom 31 are women, visiting 66,000 factories and ioo,000 mercantile establishments in addition to homes where factory work is carried on, places of public assembly and extensive construction enter prises. The New York Labor Department also administers acci dent compensation, thus unifying and giving special force to industrial safety and health inspections. The head is a commis sioner with an industrial board of five members, the chairman of which is a woman. (J. B. A.)