BCC 22-02

January 2008

Falling between Levels

Vulnerable age

Persons under 5 years of age

Related hazards

None

HHSRS Operating

Guidance: Feb 2006

Multiple locations

Yes

No

Secondary hazards

Yes

No

Kitchen external door showing one storey

drop to the rear

DESCRIPTION OF HAZARDS

Dwelling: First Floor Flat in a 2 storey, mid-terrace, property built circa 1900

Background: The dwelling is a first floor flat within a two storey pre-1920 house converted into two flats in the 1980s.

Access to both flats is gained from the front of the property from a shared ground floor hallway leading to individual

entrance doors. The property is traditionally constructed. The first floor flat consists of a front room, a bedroom, a

bathroom and a kitchen at the rear. At one time there was an external timber landing and stairs giving access to the rear

garden from the kitchen but this has recently been removed. The rear door in the kitchen is a pvc-u doubled glazed

door with safety glass to the glazed unit. The door handle and lock are at a typical height but the lock itself is operated

by a thumb-turn on the kitchen side. There a drop of between 2.5 and 3.0 metres from the kitchen doorway into the rear

garden. Immediately below the door is a patio area of concrete paving slabs, approximately 2000mm deep for the full

width of the property.

LIST OF RELEVANT MATTERS

LIKELIHOOD

OUTCOMES

a

Ease of window operation

2

a

Height above ground

1

b

Safety catches

3

b

Nature of ground

3

c

Opening limiters

3

c

Non-safety glass

-

d

Sill heights

3

e

Disrepair of window

-

Key

3

Seriously defective

f

Ease of cleaning

3

2

Defective

g

Height of guarding

N/A

1

Not satisfactory

h

Easily climbed guarding

N/A

-

Satisfactory/NA

I

Openings in guarding

N/A

j

Construction/repair of guarding

3

RATING

Score: 6,518

H

I

J

RATING SCORES AFTER IMPROVEMENT

IMPROVE

Likelihood to

1 in 3,200

Outcomes to

2.2

10.0 21.5 66.3

%

Justification

Replacement of the external landling with adequate guarding, together with a child proof lock to the door, would reduce

the likelihood of a harmful fall to nearer the average, however, the spread of harms would remain unchanged.

Av: 8

A

B

C

D

E

F

Average likelihood and health outcomes for persons aged under 5 years, 1997-99.

NEW RATING

Av: Nos

Score: 12

H

I

J

G

BCC 22-02

January 2008

HEALTH AND SAFETY RATING SYSTEM SCORES

Low

High

1 in

LIKELIHOOD

G

Av: Pre-1920 Flat: 2,742

< 4200 2400 1300 750 420 240 130

75

42

24

13

7.5

4

2.5

1.5 >

Justification

The lack of any form of guarding to the door opening, the outward opening of the door and the relative ease with which

the door can be opened by a member of the vulnerable age-group using the thumbwheel lock, significantly increases

the likelihood of a harmful occurrence to a member of the vulnerable age group.

OUTCOMES

Class I

Class II

%

Av: Pre-1920 Flat: 0.4

2.2

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av: 3.2

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av: 5.9

Class III

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Class IV

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

10

21.5

Av: 90.5

66.3

Justification

Although only one storey in height, the fall onto a hard and unforgiving surface increases the probability of more severe

harm outcomes than the average.

Av: Pre1920 Flat:4

A

B

C

D

E

F

6