SANITARY INSPECTION

Northern Advocate, 3 July 1928, Page 7

SANITARY INSPECTION

DR CHESSON ’S SCHEME. - BUILDINGS APPROVAL INCLUDED

“I write to confirm :hc opinion I expressed to the Works Committee that the time has arrived when Whangarei should have an inspector whose whole time will be devoted to sanitary inspection,’’ wrote Dr 11. Chessou, Medical Officer of Health, to the Whangarei Borough Council last evening. He continued: “From my own observations during my recent visit to your town I could see that the condition of the town has gone back considerably owing to lack of sufficient sanitary .supervision, The list of duties which you have put on to the office of sanitary inspector make it impossible for this officer to devote sufficient time to sanitary inspection. It is not practicable for a man to be traffic inspector and sanitary inspector for a place the size of Whangarei, and however willing and able the man may be, it is a physical impossibility for him to do his work satisfactorily. Neither is it possible for my officer to give that amount of time necessary in Whangarei in conjunction with his other duties. As I expressed before it is a whole-time officer that you require. I am aware that it is necessary for your council to study the question of finance, but a re-arrangement of the duties of officers might help in this direction. For insanco a sanitary inspector could very well, and most satisfactorily, combine the dirties of building inspector with sanitary inspection. A qualified sanitary inspector, such as is required by the Health Act, would be cprite capable of undertaking the duties of building

nspector and in any case a building

inspector when dealing with large structures should consult with the borough engineer. A combination of these two offices would prevent the anomalies which sometimes occur where the plans of a building have been approved by the building inspector and when later the sanitary inspector visits these buildings he finds certain defects on the sunitary'gidc, for instance in matters of ventilation or direct communication from a motor garage with residential premises above, as in a case now under consideration, and matters of that sort. The duties of a sanitary inspector under this arrangement would therefore be:—The supervision of plans and issuing of permits for the buildings, drainage, plumbing, etc.; inspection of buildings both from a structural point of view and as regards sanitation; inspection of drainage work and plumbing work; inspection of infectious diseases; and inspection of food premises and inspection of premises generally, including back-yards, vacant sections, etc. He could also include inspection of noxious weeds.

These duties would provide ample work for one man to undertake and it would be practicable then to obtain efficient inspection of your borough. He should in all things keep closely in touch with the borough engineer.”

As vdicro seemed to him to be in the letter a number of suggestions that were worthy of consideration, the Alayor moved that the correspondence be referred to the Legal and Finance Committee and that was agreed upon.