[Report 1971] / Medical Officer of Health, Canterbury Borough / City & County.

  • Canterbury (England). City & County Council.
Date:
1971
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1971] / Medical Officer of Health, Canterbury Borough / City & County. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    38/58 (page 36)
    An estimation of the amount of lead in the atmosphere from petrol engine vehicles was made during two periods in 1971. The site chosen, the junction of Mercery Lane and The Parade, was the same as in 1969 and the testing periods were the same. Average Figures — Microgrammes of lead per cubic metre of air 1969 1971 April 2.06 4.20 August 1.70 1.93 Mid-week April 1.78 5.30 August 2.12 2.11 Weekend April 121 3.30 August 1.26 1.80 It will be apparent that there was an increase in the amount of lead, particularly in the mid week periods of the April measurements this year. First, I should like to mention that the amount of lead is nowhere near the level presumed to be injurious and secondly, not too much importance should be attached to the increase on this limited amount of testing. It is hoped to do more testing at the same time for three or four years to establish whether or not there is an increase in the amount of lead in this part of the City. Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963 Routine inspection of premises under this Act continued during the year, 1,651 general inspections being made together with 251 re-inspections. At the end of the year there were 638 registered premises in the City with 6,611 persons employed therein. Fourteen accidents were reported during the year, all of them being of a fairly minor nature. This was again a reduction on the number of accidents reported during the previous year. Half of the accidents- involved persons falling and sustaining injury. Only one accident involved machinery and in this case an experienced worker cut his hand while cleaning a gravity feed food slicing machine. Noise There were eighteen complaints received about noise during the year, eight of these concerned noise from one saw mill, seven came from the same complainant. Negotiations with the owners of the saw mill which had started in 1970 continued during the year and sound level meter readings were taken on several occasions. As a result of these negotiations the owners decided to move the saw mill to a new site further away from houses and assurances were given as to the sound proofing of the new building. The construction of the new saw mill was well under way by the end of the year. Three complaints concerned a cafe and were about noise from the amplification of Pop music — this establishment eventually closed down. Three complaints concerned noise from music amplifiers and were satisfactorily dealt with informally.