§ Mr. JOWETTasked the Home Secretary if he has seen the report of an inquiry held at Halifax, on the 9th August last, into the circumstances attending the death from anthrax of Thomas Sutcliffe, a wool dryer, who had been employed by Messrs John Crossley and Sons, Limited, carpet manufacturers, of Halifax; if he has observed that Sutcliffe, before he fell ill, had been blending and raising a stack of dusty Persian wool, and that the report referred to mentions two other deaths which there is every reason to believe were caused by anthrax contracted at the same mill, although the disease was not recognised in either of the two latter cases; whether the steps necessary to protect workers in woolcombing factories 2232W against dust which he, in reply to a question put to him by the Member for West Bradford, on the 24th of November last year, acknowledged were necessary have been taken; what they were; and if Messrs. Crossley has adopted them?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI have received a report on this case, and have also seen a newspaper account of the proceedings at the inquest. It is the case, as stated in the question, that Sutcliffe, whose ordinary occupation was that of attending a drying machine and packing washed and oiled wool, was employed for a short time in the evening, two days before he was taken ill, in blending unwashed Persian wool. The question of the precautions necessary in regard to blending has been the subject of careful inquiry by the Factory Department, and the inspectors were instructed last March to press on occupiers the adoption of the following measures:—(1) Discontinuance of blending in underground rooms; (2) removal of blood-stained material before blending, and, in cases where a stack is raised by dropping wool through a trap-door into a room or bin below; (3) preliminary use of dust-extracting machines or, failing this; (4) either provision of enclosed bins which should not be entered by the workers until the dust has settled, and steam jets to control the dust in case of special risk, or provision of exhaust fans in the wall behind the path of the falling' material. These measures have for the most part been adopted by the occupiers, including the firm in question, who have provided bins in accordance with the fourth recommendation, though I am advised that the separation, of the bins might be made more effective. The whole question continues to engage the attention of the medical inspector. Of the other two cases referred to in the question, I am advised that one which was certified as pneumonia was probably anthrax, though the man was not employed apparently in blending, but that it is very doubtful whether the other was a case of anthrax.