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

Staircase

DESCRIPTION OF HAZARDS

Dwelling: Pre 1920, 2 storey house. Privately rented.

Background: A 2 storey, privately rented, mid terraced house comprising of two bedrooms on the first floor

and a reception room, kitchen and bathroom on the ground floor. In general terms, it is in a better than

average condition for it’s age and type. However, the staircase in the property has no handrails and is poorly

lit with no natural light and artificial lighting at ground floor level only. A solid door at the foot of the staircase

at ground floor level adds to this problem.

A) Staircase comprises 14 risers and is fairly steep. There are no handrails provided but the staircase rises

between two internal walls so there are no open sides. No natural light serves the staircase: there is one

artificial lighting point provided at ground floor level only. A door has been fitted at the bottom of the staircase

as a “child safety” feature by the previous owner-occupier.

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

-

o

Inadequate lighting

3

c

Projections etc

-

d Nosing length

-

p

Lighting controls

3

d

Hard Surfaces

-

e Poor friction quality

-

q

Glare

-

e

Construction/disrepair

-

f Openings

-

r

Door(s) onto stairs

-

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

-

2

Defective

k Height of guarding

-

1

Not satisfactory

l Easily climbed

-

-

Satisfactory/NA

guarding

E

A B C D

Likelihood to

1 in

180

Outcomes to

2.2 10.0 21.5 66.3

%

Fitting handrails to either side of the stairs and the removal of the door at the base

of the stairs, and also re-designing the lighting system so that it could be operated

from either end of the stairs and to fully illuminate the stairs would reduce the

likelihood of a fall and the harm outcomes to nearer the narional average.

Av:169

IMPROVE

Justification

NEW RATING

Av: Nos

F G H

I

J

Average likelihood, outcomes and HHSRS score for persons aged 60 years and over in a pre

1920 house,1997-99.

Score:

217 (E-)

21 (BCC-01)

April 2006

HEALTH AND SAFETY RATING SYSTEM SCORES

1 in

4

Low

High

Av Pre1920 House: 218

56

2400 1300 750 420 240 130

75

42

24

13

7.5

56

2.5

1.5 >

LIKELIHOOD

< 4200

Justification

OUTCOMES

Class I

Class II

Class III

Class IV

Although fairly typical design for its age, guidance indicates that the lack of handrails

approximately doubles the risk of fall, the stairs are also fairly steep, and the poor

illumination (including lack of natural light and light switch at one location only) increases

the likelihood of a fall that could cause harm to about four times the average.

%

Av Pre 1920 House: 2.2

4.6

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av 7.7

21.5

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av 22.1

31.6

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av 68

42.3

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

#

Justification: A steep and relatively long flight may already cause severe outcomes but with poor lighting at

the top fall for the full length the outcomes may be more likely increasing injury, and the the impact with the

door at the foot of the stairs - the door opens onto the stairs, and so if open there may be impact with the

sharp edge, thereby increasing the seriousness of fractures and sprains, and the posibility of Class 1 harm

outomes.

Av Pre 1920 House:169

A B

C

D E

F G H

I

J

Score: 1,382

RATING

RATING SCORES AFTER IMPROVEMENT