Transcript HHSRS - Waltham Forest Council

HHSRS
The Housing Health and Safety Rating
System
• Part 1 Housing Act 2004
• Any residential premises should provide a safe
and healthy environment for any potential
occupier or visitor
• a risk based assessment system
• It focuses on identifying and tackling the hazards
that are most likely to be present in residential
premises.
• There are 29 hazards under HHSRS.
• A few examples: Damp and mould, fire, excess
cold to structural defects.
• Any hazards that can increase the risk of an
accident (such as poor lighting, or lack of stair
handrails).
• A risk assessment looks at the likelihood of an
incident arising from the condition of the
property and the likely harmful outcome. For
example, how likely is a fire likely to break out,
what will happen if one does?
Overloaded
electrical socket
Can cause sparks which can
start a fire.
Rooms in HMOs with only one
double socket. Insufficient for
the electrical appliance in that
room
Fridge, computer
Kettle, phone charger, TV
Each room in a HMO should
have a minimum of two
double sockets.
• The assessment will show the
presence of any serious (category 1)
hazards and other less serious
(category 2) hazards.
• HHSRS affects all owners and
landlords, including social landlords.
• Private landlords and managing
agents are advised to assess their
properties to determine whether there
are serious hazards that may cause a
health or safety risk to tenants. They
should then carry out improvements to
reduce the risks.
• Housing Standards Officers are trained and qualified in the
use HHSRS and the Regulations and guidance.
• The assessment is based on the condition of the whole
dwelling.
• Before an assessment can be made a thorough inspection
of the dwelling is carried out to collect the evidence of the
conditions and deficiencies. Officers will not only look at the
current situation but how that hazard may have an impact
over a twelve month period.
•
Officers use the formal scoring system to demonstrate the
seriousness of hazards that can cause harm in premises.
•
Bands A-C are classed as Category 1 a score of 1,000 or
more
•
Bands D-J are classed as Cat 2 a score of 999 or less.
• Work with landlords and managing agents to resolve
the hazards informally.
• If this does not solve the issues then we can take
enforcement action and this will depend on the severity
of the hazard(s) we can:
• Serve an improvement notice;
• Prohibit the use of the dwelling or part of it.
• Emergency remedial action
• Work in default and prosecute the landlord.