Factory inspector
Factory inspectors are historical forerunners of the Labor Inspectorate . They were first introduced in England after the capitalist industrialization process in mines and cotton mills had created working conditions that threatened the very survival of a working class useful for this same industrialization . Working hours of more than 15 hours were the order of the day in England for children under 10 years of age at the beginning of the 19th century.
England
The first strikes and protests by the working class called the state on the scene, which created the institution of factory inspectors through the Factory Act of 1833 (see Factory Legislation ). The number of inspectors at the time (four for all of England) was gradually increased, and in 1878 the factory inspection was reorganized.
Before 1878 there were two "inspectors" at the top, both of the same rank, each with two "assistant inspectors" and "subinspectors" (for the actual inspection business) with junior inspectors under them. The total number of subinspectors was 38, the junior inspectors 11.
In 1878 the factory inspection was centralized and the country was divided into 39 inspection districts. An inspector was appointed for each district (salary 300–500 pounds sterling), and in the ten largest he was assigned a junior inspector (salary 200–300 pounds sterling). At the top, directly under the Secretary of State (Minister of the Interior), was the Chief Inspector (salary 1200 pounds sterling). The intercourse between the inspectors and the chief was arranged by 5 superintending inspectors (there were 7–8 districts for each); these had to be checked by the inspectors and were supposed to organize the factory inspection uniformly (salary 500–700 pounds sterling). An examination was required for the inspectors; most had 1,000–1500 operations to inspect over 3,000 and report to the superintending inspector weekly. They made 1,500–2,000 visits a year.
Germany
In Prussia, local commissions were set up between 1847 and 1853 to review the protection of workers in the factories. This was done on a voluntary basis. Over time, these will be replaced by factory inspectors appointed by the state. In 1878 the possibilities of the inspectors were massively expanded by law, in that the inspectors were able to revise the factories (supervisory paragraph). The women's movement took care of occupational health and safety, so that there were more and more factory and trade inspectors in the empire, such as Marie Baum , who later became a social politician .
Individual evidence
- ↑ On the development of the factory inspection in Germany cf. Collection of sources on the history of German social policy from 1867 to 1914 , Department I: From the time when the Reich was founded to the Imperial Social Message (1867-1881) , Volume 3: Workers' protection, edited by Wolfgang Ayaß , Stuttgart a. a. 1996.
- ↑ TÜVRheinland: The history of occupational safety . 2019.
