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Hazardous Occupations of the Past.

Pedrocut

Master Barmmie
Hand file cutters.

“A HOME-OFFICE inquiry was held at Birmingnam last week into the local conditions in the handfile cutting industry and their relation to the regulations drafted by the Home Department. Mr. William Wills, representing the department, said there were eighty-four handfile cutting workshops in Birmingham and district, and objections to the proposed regulations had been received from seven of these. The objections had reference to the proposal to prescribe an interval of 4ft. between the stocks.

Mr Redgrave, Factory Inspector, said there had been twenty-four cases of lead poisoning among the file cutters of the district during the last three years. He considered an alteration in the conditions of the industry necessary.”
(The Engineer, April 1903)
 
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