Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984

Infected articlesE+W

24 Infected articles not to be taken or sent to be washed or cleaned. E+W

(1)A person shall not send or take to any laundry or public washhouse for the purpose of being washed, or to any place for the purpose of being cleaned, any article which he knows to have been exposed to infection from a notifiable disease, unless that article—

(a)has been disinfected by or to the satisfaction of the proper officer of the local authority for the district or a registered medical practitioner, or

(b)is sent with proper precautions to a laundry for the purpose of disinfection, with notice that it has been exposed to infection.

(2)The local authority may pay the expenses of the disinfection of any such article if carried out by them or under their direction.

(3)The occupier of any building in which a person is suffering from a notifiable disease shall, if required by the local authority, furnish to them the address of any laundry, washhouse or other place to which articles from the house have been or will be sent during the continuance of the disease for the purpose of being washed or cleaned.

(4)A person who contravenes or fails to comply with any provision of this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale.

25 Library books. E+W

(1)A person who knows that he is suffering from a notifiable disease shall not take any book, or cause any book to be taken for his use, or use any book taken, from any public or circulating library.

(2)A person shall not permit any book which has been taken from a public or circulating library, and is under his control, to be used by any person whom he knows to be suffering from a notifiable disease.

(3)A person shall not return to any public or circulating library a book which he knows to have been exposed to infection from a notifiable disease, or permit any such book which is under his control to be so returned, but shall give notice to the local authority, or, in the case of a library provided by a county council, to that council, that the book has been so exposed to infection.

(4)A local authority or, as the case may be, a county council on receiving such a notice shall cause the book to be disinfected and returned to the library, or shall cause it to be destroyed.

(5)A person who contravenes any of the provisions of subsections (1)

and (3) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale.

26 Infectious matter not to be placed in dustbins. E+W

(1)A person who places, or causes or permits to be placed, in a dustbin or ashpit any matter which he knows to have been exposed to infection from a notifiable disease, and which has not been disinfected, shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale.

(2)The local authority shall give notice of the provisions of this section to the occupier of any house in which they are aware that there is a person suffering from a notifiable disease.

(3)If the local authority are requested to do so by the occupier of any premises in Greater London in which there is a person suffering from a notifiable disease, they shall provide for the removal and disinfection or destruction of any rubbish that has been exposed to infection from that disease.

27 Provision of disinfecting stations. E+W

A local authority may provide a disinfecting station and may cause any article brought there to be disinfected free of charge.