This artificial subseries has been compiled from papers and articles that Hird wrote about factory inspection, industrial health and safety issues and the cotton industry. The two major pieces are "Factory inspection: an episode" and "Cooperation and Compulsion", both of which provide very detailed commentary on aspects of factory inspection work. It is probable but not certain that Hird wrote these before his memoir, and these were probably intended for publication. In addition HIR/1/2/4 appears to be an early version of the memoir, in that it is obviously autobiographical, but the content and arrangement differs substantially from the memoir, and so it has been catalogued separately (dating this item has not been possible).
The other pieces in the series vary greatly and includes pieces on the Lancashire cotton industry, industrial safety, including "Safety First" campaigns and Hird's long-standing interest in the health problems caused by cardroom dust, and methods of factory inspection. Most of the pieces, some of which are polemical, appear to post-date Hird's retirement as superintending inspector.