Factory Inspection

Since the first industrial employment ordinance was enacted in 1922, the annual report by the Secretary for Chinese Affairs (SCA) introduced a section “New Ordinances” to report on SCA's inspection on the employment of child labour in the factories. In 1925, the section was renamed to “Factories”. From 1924 to 1939, these were reports by SCA as Protector of Labour about the employment of child labour and women in the factories and accidents in the factories. From 1927 onwards after the Factories and Workshops Ordinance was enacted, the SCA reports also supplied figures of death and injury in the accidents at different industrial sites throughout the year. Breakdown of accidents caused by machinery and falls are also given. With the job of factory and labour inspection being transferred to the Urban Council in 1939, the report was also given by the Chairman of Urban Council.