H.—,31

APPENDIX 11. REVIEW OF INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE IN NEW ZEALAND AND THE HEALTH OF THE INDUSTRIAL WORKER, WITH PROPOSALS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM OF CONTROL By J. M. Davidson, M.D., D.P.H.* CONTENTS Memorandum to the Director-General of Health .. Introduction • • ■ • .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ~ 10-20 Tub Position in Industry in New Zealand To-day .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 I. Factory Hygiene .. .. .. ~ .. . . ~ .. . , 21-22 11, Health of the Industrial Worker .. .. .. .. .. .. 22-24 111. Welfare of the Industrial Worker .. .. . . . . ~ , . , . 24-25 IV. Safety of the Industrial Worker, and First Aid .. .. .. .. .. .. 25-20 V. Child Labour and Juvenile Employment .. . . . . . . . . . , 27 The Main Problems .. .. ' .. .. .. ~ .. .. ~ 27-28 Subsidiary and Related Problems .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..28 The Development of the System of Control .. .. .. .. .. ~ 28-29 I. The Responsibility of the Employer . . .. . . .. .. . . . , 29-30 11, The Responsibility of the State .. ~ .. , . . . .. . . 30-33 I [I. The Responsibility of the Employed Person .. .. . . . . .. . . .. 33 Summary of Recommendations .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ~ .. 33 Index .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. , , ~ _ _ .. 34 Memorandum to the Director-General of Health The Director-General of Health. .1 submit lierewitli a report based on my recent survey of conditions of work in New Zealand factories. During the past few months I have visited and inspected over 200 factories in New Zealand, situated in the main centres of population and elsewhere. These factories were chosen in some cases at random ; in others, because they were thought to be in some respects typical or unique, or because the occupiers were recognized as in need of advice in virtue of the known existence of a particular health hazard, or because special requests or complaints had been received from workpeople or employers. The firms visited were concerned with the trades or industrial processes listed belowf, and gave employment to nearly 15,000 males and over 4,000 females. I have therefore seen and inspected closely a typical cross-section of the conditions under which the factory worker in New Zealand is required to earn his living. In the course of my work I have come to the conclusion that a series of problems exist, and in the following pages these problems, and some suggested solutions, are discussed. A report of this nature is inevitably critical, and at times may appear unnecessarily harsh. In case such is the impression left by this report, I should like to forestall criticism by placing on record the fact that I have seen in the course of my survey some factories in which the conditions of work were all that could be desired—but the report deals mostly with the others. 1 wish to express my appreciation of the help so freely given to me in making this survey by yourself and other colleagues at the Department of Health, and at the same time to render thanks to Mr. Moston, of the Department of Labour, and his staff for their ready co-operation at all times in every district which I have visited. My thanks are due also to employers, managers, and others for having accepted with a friendly tolerance, where they have not actually invited, much frank criticism. INTRODUCTION I. Viewed impartially, the various activities undertaken by a State Health Department are devised with one end in view—viz., to reduce the amount of invalidity among the public at large. But the State must know what it is fighting against before it decides how to light, and up to date insufficient attention appears to have been paid in Now Zealand to industrial employment as a cause of ill health. This is not surprising since the Dominion has not been, and is not now, a highly industrialized country, but the process of industrialization has started, and is growing in importance. It behoves us, therefore, to take stock of the position. The wise physician when he sees a patient considers carefully not only the biological processes which appear to have caused a breakdown in health, but also the relation of the individual to his environment. But the complexities of modern life make it increasingly difficult to do this. We know less than we did oi how our neighbours live. The average physician knows little of conditions at his patient's place of work, and yet his patient generally spends about half his waking hours there, and his environment may have much to do with his ill health.

* One of His Majesty's Medical Inspectors of Factories, at present serving with the Department of Health by arrangement with the Ministry of Labour and National Service, London. | hngineur-ing -general, electrical, automobile, aircraft, railway, constructional, and marine; ship-building; lead-smelting and accumulator-manufacture ; smelting of other metals ; dry batteries ; baking ; butter and cheese manufacture; milk foods, cooked foods, chocolates, food-canning, ice-cream manufacture, other food-factories; freezing- works; boot and shoe manufacture; felt and bedding manufacture; general clothing, ladies' wear and millinery ; woodworking ; laundries ; electroplating ; cotton-bleaching ; flax-milling and wool-milling, weaving ; brewing and aerated waters; tobacco; munition-manufacture and shell-filling; paint and lacquer manufacture ; brick and pottery manufacture ; india rubber ; plywood-manufacture ; stone-quarrying and monumental masonry ; painting, lacquering, and luminous paints ; wallboards ; galvanizing and tinning ; iron and steel foundries; nonferrous metal founding and finishing ; fellmongering and tanning ; soap-manufacture ; gas-production ; fertilizermanufacture ; light chemicals, industrial and pharmaceutical; mirror-making and glass-bevelling; timber felling and milling ; cement-manufacture and asbestos cement; toys ; plastics ; printing, publishing, bookbinding, and stationery ; waterproof textiles and other textiles ; plumbing ; motor-body building ; manufacture of zinc oxide ; dry-cleaning ; surgical appliances ; milk-distribution, &c.

19