# Compounding matters

HHSRS 08/06

Yes

Yes

No

No

Lighting

Vulnerable age

Related hazards

Persons of all ages

None

Inside bedsit showing part

of the single window

DESCRIPTION OF HAZARDS

DWELLING:

Front elevation

Steps leading to basement

as viewed from the

property

Basement bedsit in a 3 storey +

basement semi detached house

Background: The house is of traditional brick construction with slate covered roof built in 1947. It contains

seven bedsits in total. There are two shared bathrooms, one on the ground floor and the other at first floor

level. The ground floor kitchen is shared.

The Basement Bedsit: The bedsit is approached via a set of stone steps at the front of the house. Inside the

only window to the bedsit is sited just below the ceiling and to the right of the entrance door to the bedsit. It

has no openable area and measures 750mm by 350mm. There is virtually no natural light in the bedsit, and

artificial lighting is required for basic domestic activities. There is no outlook.

LIST OF RELEVANT MATTERS

LIKELIHOOD & OUTCOMES

a

Obstruction

1

b

Size, shape and position of the window

3

c

Position of artificial lighting

-

d

Control of artificial lighting

-

e

Glare etc

-

f

Window view

3

g

Outlook

3

13 (IDeA - 01)

August 2006

Multiple locations

Secondary hazards

A

B

-

None

-

-

Key

3

Seriously defective

2

Defective

1

Not satisfactory

-

Satisfactory/NA

13 (IDeA - 01)

August 2006

HEALTH AND SAFETY RATING SYSTEM SCORES

LIKELIHOOD

Low

High

1 in 2

Av: All Dwellings: 50,825

2

< 4200 2400 1300 750 420 240 130

75

42

24

13

7.5

4

2.5

1.5 >

Justification

The natural lighting is wholly inadequate and the outlook very limited. Normal domestic

activities could only be carried out under artificial light throughout the year. It is highly likely

that the occupier would suffer some psychological harm from living in the dwelling for a

year or more with such a poor outlook and with limited natural light. Those matters justify a

major increase in likelihood to near certainty.

OUTCOMES

%

Av: All Dwellings: 0.1

Class I

0.1

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av: 0.9

Class II

1

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av: 9.0

Class III

10

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av: 90.0

Class IV

88.9

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Justification

There are no obvious factors justifying a change in the spread of harms from the national

average.

Av. All Dwellings: 0

RATING

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

Score:

2945

RATING SCORES AFTER IMPROVEMENT

IMPROVE

Likelihood to

1 in

320

Outcomes to

0.1

1.0 10.0 88.9

%

Justification

To continue in use as a habitable room additional window(s) should be installed (if

physically possible) sufficient to allow domestic activity to be carried out in daylight hours

without the need for artificial lighting. However as a basement bedsit the situation will

remain inherently worse than average mainly because of the limited outlook.

Av: 0

NEW RATING

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I+

J

Score:

18

Av: Nos

Average likelihood and health outcomes for persons of all ages.