Alkali, &c. Works Regulation Act 1906

(ii) Inspection

10 Appointment of inspectors

(1) The Local Government Board shall, with the approval of the Treasury as to numbers and salaries or remuneration, appoint such inspectors (under whatever title they may fix) as the Board think necessary for the execution of this Act, and may assign them their duties and award them their salaries or remuneration, and shall constitute a chief inspector, and may regulate the cases and manner in which the inspectors are to execute and perform the powers and duties of inspectors under this Act, and may remove such inspectors.

(2) Notice of the appointment of every such inspector shall be published in the London Gazette, and a copy of the Gazette shall be evidence of the appointment.

(3) The salaries or remuneration of the inspectors, and such expenses of the execution of this Act as the Treasury may sanction, shall be paid out of moneys provided by Parliament.

(4) A person holding the office of chief inspector or inspector shall not be employed in any other work except with the sanction of the Local Government Board.

(5) In the case of the illness or other unavoidable absence of the chief inspector, the Local Government Board may appoint any other inspector to act as his deputy, and the inspector so appointed shall, whilst so acting, have all the powers by or under this Act conferred on the chief inspector.

11 Disqualification of certain persons for inspectors

A person who—

(a) acts or practises as a land agent; or

(b) is engaged or interested directly or indirectly in any work to which this Act applies, or in any patent for any process or apparatus carried on or used in any such work, or in any process or apparatus connected with the condensation of acid gases, or with the treatment of alkali waste, or with preventing the discharge into the atmosphere or rendering harmless or inoffensive any noxious or offensive gas, or otherwise with any of the matters dealt with by this Act; or

(c) is employed in or about or in connexion with any work to which this Act applies, or in any other chemical work for gain,

shall be disqualified to act as an inspector under this Act.

12 Inspection of works

(1) For the purpose of the execution of this Act, an inspector may at all reasonable times by day and night, without giving previous notice, but so as not to interrupt the process of the manufacture,

(a) enter and inspect any work to which, in the opinion of the Local Government Board, any of the provisions of this Act applies ; and

(b) examine any process causing the evolution of any noxious or offensive gas, and any apparatus for condensing any such gas, or otherwise preventing the discharge thereof into the atmosphere, or for rendering any such gas harmless or inoffensive when discharged; and

(c) ascertain the quantity of gas discharged into the atmosphere, condensed or otherwise dealt with; and

(d) enter and inspect any place where alkali waste is treated or deposited, or where any liquid containing either acid or any other substance capable of liberating sulphuretted hydrogen from alkali waste or drainage therefrom is likely to come into contact with alkali waste or drainage therefrom; and

(e) apply any such tests and make any such experiments, and generally make all such inquiries, as seem to him to be necessary or proper for the execution of his duties under this Act.

(2) The owner of any such work shall, on the demand of the chief inspector, furnish him within a reasonable time with a sketch plan, to be kept secret, of those parts of such work in which any process causing the evolution of any noxious or offensive gas or any process for the condensation of such gas or for preventing the discharge thereof into the atmosphere, or for rendering any such gas harmless or inoffensive when discharged, is carried on.

(3) The owner of every such work and his agents shall render to every inspector all necessary facilities for entry, inspection, examination, and testing in pursuance of this Act.

(4) Every owner of a work in which such facilities are not afforded to an inspector as are required by this Act, or in which an inspector is obstructed in the execution of his duty under this Act, and every person wilfully obstructing an inspector in the execution of his duty under this Act, shall be liable on conviction under the Summary Jurisdiction Acts to a fine not exceeding ten pounds.

13 Annual report to Local Government Board

The chief inspector shall, on or before the first day of March in every year, make a report in writing to the Local Government Board of the proceedings of himself and of the other inspectors under this Act, and a copy of such report shall be laid before both Houses of Parliament.

14 Additional inspector on application of sanitary authorities

(1) If any sanitary authority apply to the central authority for an additional inspector under this Act, and undertake to pay a proportion of his salary or remuneration, not being less than one half, the Local Government Board may (if they see fit), with the sanction of the Treasury, appoint an additional inspector under this Act, to reside within a convenient distance of the works lie is required to inspect; and such inspector shall have the same powers and be subject to the same power of removal and to the same regulations and liabilities as other inspectors under this Act.

(2) The proportion of salary or remuneration aforesaid shall be paid at the prescribed times into the Exchequer, and shall be a debt due from the sanitary authority to the Crown.