The Woman's Part: A Record of Munitions WorkYates, L. K.
History
The Woman's Part: A Record of Munitions Work
Yates, L. K.
Great Britain. Army -- Ordnance facilities; Weapons industry -- Employees; World War, 1914-1918 -- Women
5. Factory conditions come under her observation, and reports are made,
when necessary, to the management, on the cleanliness, ventilation, or
warmth of the establishment.
6. The necessity of the provision of seats is suggested, where this is
possible.
7. In large factories, where the canteen is under separate management, the
Welfare Supervisor reports as to whether the necessary facilities are
available for the women employees. In smaller factories, the Welfare
Supervisor may be called upon to manage the canteen.
8. While not responsible, except in small factories, for actual attention
to accidents, the Welfare Supervisor works in close touch with the factory
doctors and nurses. She also helps in the selection of the nurses, and
should see that their work is carried out promptly. She supervises the
keeping of all records of accidents and illness in the ambulance room, and
of all maternity cases noted in the factory. She keeps in touch with all
cases of serious accident or illness and with the Compensation Department
inside the works.
9. She supervises cloak-rooms and selects the staff of attendants
necessary for these.
10. The protective clothing supplied to the women at work comes under her
supervision.
In large establishments where the female and juvenile staff is counted by
the thousand, these multifarious duties are necessarily divided among many
individuals, and the Welfare work within the factory (Intra-mural Welfare,
as it is now termed) develops into a Department. A typical example of such
an evolution may be seen at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. In pre-war days,
the female staff numbered 125; to-day some 25,000 women are there at work.
The Welfare supervision is happily in charge of a super-woman. In addition
to her manifold duties she has trained a staff of assistants who, like
herself, spare no effort to promote the health and happiness of those
under their care. I have stood many an hour in this super-woman's office
and watched her, surrounded by a throng of workers, fitting new-comers
into vacancies, listening to reasons from others for a desired
transference, or advising as to work, or meals, health, or recreation. No
girl was refused a hearing, however trivial the difficulty, and a
grievance as to the colour of a factory cap was discussed with as much
attention with one employee as the causes of a 'shop' disagreement was
with another complainant. I have accompanied her on visits through the
works (the entire tour would take almost a week to accomplish), and have
noted the diplomacy with which a suggested improvement in ventilation, or
a needed cloak-room alteration, was discussed with the official in charge,
and carried through. I have seen the faces of rows of workers light up as
this modern Florence Nightingale passed through their shop, and have
walked through the Danger Zone amazed at the arrangements for the
protection of the worker.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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