HHSRS VERSION 2

21 (BCC-01)

April 2006

ON STAIRS ETC

Persons aged 60 years or over

None

Yes

Yes

No

No

FALLING

Vulnerable age

Related hazards

Multiple locations

Secondary hazards

DESCRIPTION OF HAZARDS

Staircase

Dwelling:

5 bedroom, 2 storey house, circa 1972

Background: A 2 storey, owner occupied, house built in the late 1960’s. There is a living room, dining room,

kitchen and WC on the ground floor and 5 bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor. There is an integral

garage on the ground floor but this is not accessed from the living accommodation. The wall construction is

cavity type with an outer leaf of decorative block-work. The roof is pitched in the main and covered in concrete

interlocking tiles although there are flat dormer roofs to 2 bedrooms which are both felted. Windows and doors

are UPVC and the house has a gas fired central heating system via a combination boiler located in the integral

garage. The electrical installation is sound.

The staircase has open risers, varnished treads, a lack of any handrail/banisters to bottom

flight and ranch style banisters to the upper flight with gaps of 250 mm.

A)

LIST OF RELEVANT MATTERS

LIKELIHOOD

A

A OUTCOMES

A

a Tread length

-

m

Stair width

-

a

Length of flight

-

b Riser height

-

n

Length of flight

-

b

Pitch of stairs

-

c Variation in tread/riser

1

o

Inadequate lighting

-

c

Projections etc

-

d Nosing length

-

p

Lighting controls

-

d

Hard Surfaces

3

e Poor friction quality

3

q

Glare

-

e

Construction/disrepair

-

f Openings

2

r

Door(s) onto stairs

1

f

Thermal Efficiency

-

g Alternating treads

-

s

Inadequate landing

-

h Lack of handrails

3

t

Construction/disrepair

-

Key

i Height of handrails

-

u

Thermal efficiency

-

3

Seriously defective

j Lack of guarding

3

2

Defective

k Height of guarding

-

1

Not satisfactory

l Easily climbed

3

-

Satisfactory/NA

guarding

Likelihood to

1 in

320

Outcomes to

2.2

4.6 21.5 71.7

%

The provision of a handrail to the bottom flight; replacing the existing guarding

with vertical balustrading; refinishing the tread with a slip resistant finish and

enclosure of the open risers would reduce the likelihood of an occurrence and the

spread of harm outcomes to nearer the average.

Av:115

A B C D E

IMPROVE

Justification

NEW RATING

Av: Nos

G H

I

J

F

Average likelihood, outcomes and HHSRS score for persons aged 60 years and over in 1946-

79 house,1997-99.

Score:

105 (F-)

21 (BCC-01)

April 2006

HEALTH AND SAFETY RATING SYSTEM SCORES

1 in 10

Low

High

Av 1946-79 House: 256

10

2400 1300 750 420 240 130

75

42

24

13

7.5

4

2.5

1.5 >

There is a lack of guarding and handrail to the lower flight, there is low friction to the treads

and also inadequate guarding to the upper flight. The open risers may make elderly users

feel insecure. These factors significantly increase the likelihood of a fall that could cause

harm to a member of the vulnerable age group.

%

Av 1946 - 1979 House: 1.6

2.2

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av 6.6

10

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av 21.6

31.6

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av 70.3

56.2

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

LIKELIHOOD

< 4200

Justification

OUTCOMES

Class I

Class II

Class III

Class IV

Justification: The lack of guarding to first flight increases the possibility of a fall onto the hard floor from a

height that would be more serious than a tumble down the stairs. The open risers also mean that limbs could

be trapped. The door opens onto the stairs which provides a further secondary hazard . This factor plus the

unforgiving nature of the surfaces of both the stairs and ground floor would result in more severe health

outcomes than the national averages for Classes II and III.

Av 1946-79 House: 115

A

B

C D E

F G H

I

J

Score: 4,204

RATING SCORES AFTER IMPROVEMENT

RATING