§ Mrs. McKayasked the Minister of Labour what extension of occupational hygiene facilities he plans, in view of the findings of the Occupational Hygiene Survey reported in the August, 1966, edition of the Ministry of Labour Gazette.
§ Mr. GunterSince the Occupational Hygiene Survey was completed I have set up an industrial hygiene laboratory service within Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate to which a Director and 12 scientists and technicians have been assigned and which has now begun work. Further, one Division and two Districts of the Inspectorate have been equipped with basic industrial hygiene measuring equipment which they are using in the course of their duties. This is a pilot scheme, the results of which I hope to have fairly soon. The general Inspectorate have been instructed to identify and record instances of possible industrial health hazards. The District staff will call for specialist advice from the industrial hygiene laboratory service whenever necessary.
I shall keep the scope, activities, and staffing of the new service under constant review.
§ Mrs. McKayasked the Minister of Labour, in view of the shortage of people trained in occupational hygiene and the amount of such work to be done, what steps his Department are taking to train suitable people and to make use of the facilities already existing in provincial centres such as Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Manchester.
§ Mr. GunterIt is not the responsibility of my Department to train occupational hygienists except where they are employed within Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate. Training in occupational hygiene has been and will continue to be a prominent feature of the training which all factory inspectors receive. I envisage that one result of the expansion of the occupational hygiene work of the Inspectorate will be to make industry more aware of the value of occupational hygiene and that the demand for hygienists will increase. I have no reason to suppose that industry will not be able to meet this increase in demand by individual firms training their own personnel in the operation and application of new16W techniques in this field, but, of course, I will keep the situation under review.
The activities of independent hygiene services are complementary to those of the Inspectorate, and they are of particular value in giving continuing advice to small firms who cannot employ their own hygienists. Much of the work they do derives from recommendations by inspectors. Inspectors will continue to bring the attention of firms to their services in appropriate cases.