BCC 20-03

January 2008

Falling on Level Surfaces etc

Vulnerable age

Persons aged 60 years or over

Related hazards

Falling on stairs and ramps

HHSRS Operating

Guidance: Feb 2006

Multiple locations

Yes

No

Secondary hazards

Yes

No

DESCRIPTION OF HAZARDS

Raised inspection chamber in lawn to rear

garden (above and left)

Slope of rear garden shown top left and

left

Dwelling: Two storey, house built in 1987

Background: This is a mid-terraced, two storey house, consisting of a lounge and kitchen/diner at ground floor level

with two rooms and a combined w.c./bathroom on the first floor. The front and rear external doors both have low level

thresholds and there are no other matters relevant to falling on the level within the house. However, the rear garden,

which is laid mainly to lawn, slopes steeply over the rear quarter of the overall garden depth, dropping some 920mm

vertically over a horizontal distance of around 1850mm. In addition, there is a raised inspection chamber cover,

projecting around 70mm above the ground, in the flat section of lawn some 600mm beyond the rear edge of the patio at

the rear of the dwelling.

LIST OF RELEVANT MATTERS

LIKELIHOOD

OUTCOMES

a

Lack of floor surface

-

a

Hard surfaces

-

b

Excessive slope

2

b

Projections etc

-

c

Uneven surface

-

c

Nature of area

-

d

Trip steps/threshold

2

d

Thermal efficiency

-

e

Disrepair

-

f

Poor slip resistance

-

Key

3

Seriously defective

g

Inadequate drainage

-

2

Defective

h

Inadequate space

-

1

Not satisfactory

I

Poor lighting or glare

-

-

Satisfactory/NA

j

Thermal efficiency

-

H

I

J

G

RATING

Score:

376

RATING SCORES AFTER IMPROVEMENT

IMPROVE

Likelihood to

1 in 100

Outcomes to

0.1

10.0 43.5 46.4

%

Justification

Improvements could be made to the landscaping and planting which would reduce the likelihood of an occurrence. The

inspection chamber should be set properly into the ground (level with the surface) so as to prevent a trip hazard and the

likelihood would be nearer average or better.

Av: 202

A

B

C

D

E

F

Average likelihood and health outcomes for persons aged 60 years or over, 1997-99.

NEW RATING

Av: Nos

Score: 210

H-

I

J

G

BCC 20-03

January 2008

HEALTH AND SAFETY RATING SYSTEM SCORES

Low

LIKELIHOOD

< 4200 2400

High

1 in

56

Av: Post 1979 House: 126

1300 750 420 240 130

75

42

24

13

7.5

4

2.5

1.5 >

Justification

As the sloping section of the garden drops more than 300mm (a slope of approximately 1:2 or 22.5 degrees). A change

in level of this magnitude should be considered under the hazard of falling on stairs etc. It is the raised manhole cover in

the flat section of garden that is considered to result in an increase the likelihood of an occurrence for a person of the

vulnerable age group from falling on level surfaces etc over the next 12 months.

OUTCOMES

Class I

Class II

%

Av: Post 1979 House: 0.1

0.1

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av: 13.8

10.0

38 >

Av: 33.9

31.6

38 >

Av: 52.2

58.3

38 >

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

Class III

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

Class IV

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

Justification

Although the hazard is outdoors, given its location it is unlikely that a fall would occur during the winter months and so

there is nothing to justify a change in the spread of harm from the average.

Av: Post 1979 House: 202

A

B

C

D

E

F