Wharf

WHARF (in the narrow sense), a place for mooring a vessel to the shore, where the vessel can moor to a landing stage, to a shore trestle (trestle wharf), to special gangways, to some special vessel (most often a barge) replacing the wharf, or even directly to the shore. In a broader sense, a wharf on river transport (as compared to sea transport - see Port) denotes a strip of water along the shore and the territory of the shore where landing stages, warehouses, water stations, ticket offices and other institutions directly related to water transport are located. According to the number of passengers and cargo turnover, wharfs are divided into several classes: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. The sanitary-hygienic significance of wharfs is determined mainly by the fact that they and the vessels near them heavily pollute the water. The discharge of all sewage from vessel toilets usually goes directly into the water; various garbage, food residues, waste from certain cargoes, etc. are also dumped there. This polluted water is very often taken by the same vessels for drinking and domestic needs on board. The same water is often used by coastal residents, wharf workers waiting for passengers, etc. The coastal strip of the wharf is also more or less significantly polluted depending on the number of passengers, workers, cargo and the nature of the latter. All these pollutants are washed and swept into the water or penetrate the coastal soil. Hence the task of sanitary supervision: to exclude the consumption of polluted river water for drinking on vessels, wharfs, as well as for the coastal population and especially for central water supply; to ensure the intake of water on vessels from the water supply or from the thalweg of the river, if the water there is satisfactory; to systematically check the availability of boilers and cooled boiled water on wharfs, vessels, water stations, etc.; to prohibit the anchoring of vessel convoys upstream of the water intake for the water supply by at least 300 meters; to monitor the cleanliness of the towing path and the timely removal of cargo residues and garbage without polluting the river; to strive for the installation of well-equipped toilets and garbage boxes on the shore; to prohibit the discharge of sewage from populated areas into the river in the wharf area. Regarding water protection from pollution in the wharf area, there are relevant provisions in the circular of the People's Commissariat of Health and People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs No. 175/345 of 1/IX 1924 "On measures to improve central water supply in populated areas and to establish a sanitary protection zone for water supply systems" and in the supplement to it, circular No. 121 of 9/VI 1925 (Bulletin of the People's Commissariat of Health, 1925, No. 11), which specifically concerns water transport. At wharfs, traders with various food products are usually located directly on the ground, primitive booths, tents, tea rooms, snack bars, etc. are set up. Trade at wharfs is regulated by "sanitary rules for the sale of food products at stations and wharfs in food stores, booths, booths, etc.", published by the People's Commissariat of Health, People's Commissariat of Railways, People's Commissariat of Domestic Trade, GPU No. 7769 of 5/IX 1925. At large wharfs, a very large number of people (passengers, loaders, ship workers, settlers, etc.) often gather. They all come into close contact with each other during boarding and disembarking from vessels, when receiving tickets at ticket offices, etc. At wharfs (landing stages) in addition to office premises (offices, warehouses, waiting cabins), there are usually also living quarters for the crew and their family members, kitchens (galleys) for them, boilers and tanks for drinking water, suspended toilets (heads). Hence the danger of spreading infectious diseases, in particular parasitic typhus and intestinal diseases. Constant sanitary supervision of cleanliness in waiting areas, as free as possible placement of waiting people at wharfs and in stations, regulation of passenger boarding, allocation of organized groups of passengers (settlers, seasonal workers), preliminary sanitary examination of them and, if necessary, sanitary treatment and isolation of obviously sick people when boarding steamships are necessary. Among the cargo placed in warehouses, on wharfs or in the open air near wharfs, there are also animal hides, bales of old rags, wool, skins, etc., which are dangerous from an epidemiological point of view. Therefore, objects of sanitary supervision in the wharf area are water supply; removal of sewage and garbage from vessels, landing stages and wharf shore institutions, placement of cargo dangerous from a sanitary point of view, premises for passengers, loaders, workers and employees of wharfs, places for trade in food products, canteens, tea rooms, etc., the organization of loading and unloading operations, items of municipal improvement in the wharf area, etc. Sanitary supervision and medical assistance at wharfs and vessels are provided by water health departments (see Waterways of Communication). Each wharf is under the supervision of a district or sector sanitary doctor (VSR by conventional designation). To separate large objects (dormitories, canteens, etc.), special personnel from the medical staff of water health departments are attached for daily sanitary supervision and implementation of sanitary minimum under the general supervision of VSRs. General standards for the construction and maintenance of wharfs and landing stages are given in "sanitary rules for river vessels", approved by the People's Commissariat of Health and People's Commissariat of Railways (order of the Central Administration No. 98 of 15/I 1924, VPS, No. 372). A number of sanitary requirements regarding the construction of wharfs (landing stages), the order of their operation, maintaining cleanliness at wharfs and on the coastal strip (towing paths), safety protection, etc., are contained in "instructions to the head of wharfs of navigation supervision" (Bulletin of Communications, official section, No. 809, 2/IX 1925) and in the order "on the protection of order and safety of movement on inland waterways of the USSR (order No. 1884 of 20/IX 1924, Bulletin of Communications, official section, No. 714, 16/IV 1925), which specifies the procedure for imposing fines for violation of sanitary rules and their amounts. The right to impose fines with the issuance of a provision on inspectors for sanitary supervision is also granted to district sanitary doctors of water transport (VSRs) on the basis of a resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR of 10/IX 1931 and the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR of 10/VIII 1931.

V. Solovyev