The Department of Occupational Health was created in 1945 following the award of a grant from the Nuffield Foundation. Originally named "Industrial Health", it changed its name to Occupational Health in 1947. The Department was headed during this period by firstly, R. E. Lane (1897-1995) and latterly, T. S. Scott (1906-1998). The department taught courses for the diploma in public health, and the diploma in industrial health. Its research and consultancy work initially focussed on local industries, particularly cotton, lead- and coal mining.
Much of the material in the file concerns efforts to prolong the Department after the expiration of the Nuffield grant in 1957 (in the event successful). There are also documents concerning the setting up of an Occupational Hygiene Unit, to provide a consultancy service in the region, a move proposed by the Ministry of Labour. Also included is the Department's work for the British Cotton Growing Association on byssinosis, an industrial disease which particularly affected Textile workers. The file includes memorandum, presumably written by Professor Lane, dated February 1954 (folder 1) which is informative about the work of the Department up to that date
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