Housing Health & Safety Rating System Julian Love - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Housing Health & Safety Rating System Julian Love Environmental Health Officer Private Sector Housing

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Housing Act 2004 Part 1 Housing Act 2004 Part 1 – – Housing Housing Conditions Conditions

• House Health& Safety Rating System

House Health& Safety Rating System

• Duty to review the Housing Conditions

Duty to review the Housing Conditions

• Duty take action

Duty take action ‘ ‘Category 1 Hazards Category 1 Hazards’ ’, the most serious , the most serious

• Power to take action less serious

Power to take action less serious ‘ ‘Category 2 Hazards Category 2 Hazards’ ’

• New powers to deal with hazards

New powers to deal with hazards

• improvement and prohibition notices

improvement and prohibition notices

• informal hazard awareness notices

informal hazard awareness notices

• emergency prohibition notices or emergency remedial action

emergency prohibition notices or emergency remedial action

• Offences & powers to carry out works

Offences & powers to carry out works

• New Residential Property Tribunal for appeals

New Residential Property Tribunal for appeals

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

What is HHSRS

• The

HHSRS isn’t a standard: it’s an assessment methodology

• An evidenced based system (statistics &

inspection)

• Covers 29 hazards or threats to health & safety
• Able to rate how serious the effect may be

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

The Hazards

• Excessive temperatures –

cold and heat

• Falls – 4 types
• Fire
• Hot surfaces and

materials

• Damp & mould growth
• Entry by intruders
• Volatile Organic

Compounds

• Carbon monoxide and
• ther fuel combustion

products (nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, smoke etc)

• Radiation (Radon)
• Electrical hazards
• Noise
• Lead
• Asbestos etc

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

The Hazards continued

• Crowding and space
• Explosions
• Domestic hygiene,

pests & refuse

• Food safety
• Lighting
• Ergonomics
• Collision & Entrapment
• Personal hygiene,

sanitation & drainage

• Water supply
• Structural collapse &

falling elements

• Un-combusted fuel

gas

• Biocides

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

What is HHSRS really ?

• A rating or hazard score produced for each of

the 29 hazards identified

• No capacity to combine scores to give a single

rating number for a dwelling

• 6 hazards = 6 hazard scores (possibly all

completely different)

• Numbers are used so that hazards which differ

widely (in their impact) can be compared on the same basis

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Rating Different Hazards

• How can these be

compared without numbers?

• The bigger the score,

the bigger the risk/threat to health

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Principles of HHSRS

• Dwelling should provide a safe and healthy

environment for any potential occupier or visitor

• Dwelling should be free from unnecessary and

unavoidable hazards

• Where hazards unavoidable they should be

made as safe as possible

• If a dwelling is safe for the most vulnerable, it

should be safe for everyone

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

The Rating Assessment

Uses the basic principles of risk assessment:

• The

chance

• f

something happening (likelihood)

• The severity of the most likely and other,

possible, outcomes (harm outcomes)

• All assessments made having regard to the

specific age group most at risk from the hazard

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Inspection & Assessment

• Survey – Recording faults/ deficiencies
• Faults -

failure to meet ideal

• Design defect
• Disrepair
• Absent

–Is fault a Hazard

• Potential to cause harm to vulnerable group
• Judge Likelihood (occurrence over 12mths)
• Judge Harm outcomes

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Faults & Deficiencies

An element of the dwelling which doesn’t meet the Ideal which can arise from:

• Something in disrepair (if it has a potential health

& safety consequence)

• Something missing that should be present – WC

etc

• Something

present which shouldn’t be – dampness

• Lack of maintenance (if it has a potential health &

safety consequence)

• Could be an inherent design fault

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Private Sector Housing 01446 709814

Further Information

Asset Skills – Essential Information for landlords & agents Dept Communities & Local Gov’t – www.communities.gov.uk/hhsrs Guide for landlords & property related professionals HHSRS Worked Examples Housing Health & Safety Rating System Guidance V2