A

-

Seriously defective

Defective

Not satisfactory

Satisfactory/NA

HHSRS VERSION 2

COLLISION HAZARDS (Low Headroom)

Persons aged 16 years or over

None

A) Vertical section

Elec.

meter

&

fuses

i

Vulnerable age

Related hazards

Front elevation

Multiple locations

Yes

No

Secondary hazards

Yes

No

A) Plan

in

rear

v

yard

bath

living

bedrm

Cupboard

above i

^

in

front

yard

^ up

B) Front door

c.1880, Mid-terraced, former almshouse

A) Bedroom door

170 cm

door

living

hall

room

DESCRIPTION OF HAZARDS

Dwelling:

A)

B)

Internal doors: The internal doors leading from the small hall to the living room on the one side

and to the only bedroom on the other both have very low headrooms, the head of the frames being

only some 170 cm above the floor. The headroom on the living room door is made worse by a full

width cupboard immediately above the door, which projects around 30 cm and houses the

electricity meters and fuses. All other internal doors are of more or less normal height.

Front door: The frame to the front door is only approaching normal height (195 cm) in the very

centre of the door, the arches starting from a height of around 135 cm. The rear external kitchen

door is of normal height

LIST OF RELEVANT MATTERS

LIKELIHOOD & OUTCOMES

A

a

Door design defects

-

b

Disrepair to doors

-

c

Door closer defects

-

d

Door location

-

e

Window design defects

-

f

Disrepair to windows

-

g

Window location

-

h

Non-safety glass

-

I

Unprotected gaps

-

j

Low headroom to doors

3

k

Low beams and ceilings

-

# Secondary hazards

None

Key

3

2

1

-

Improved

A B C D E F G H

Average likelihood, outcomes and HHSRS score for Collision Hazards from Low

Headroom for all persons aged 16 years and over in all dwellings, 1997-99.

Score

HEALTH AND SAFETY RATING SYSTEM SCORES

Pre 1920 house

LIKELIHOOD

1 in

18

Low

High

Average: 180

Example

18

< 4200 2400 1300 750 420 240 130

75

42

24

13

7.5

4

2.5

1.5 >

Justification

OUTCOMES

Class I

Class II

Class III

Class IV

Justification

RATING

The likelihood of an occupant or visitor hitting their head on one of the three low doors

at least once over the year is almost a certainty, but that such an event will cause a

class I to IV harm is less likely. That said, because of the extent and position of the

faults, which includes the positioning of the electric meter cupboard immediately above

one of the doors, the likelihood of an occurrence resulting in such harm will still be

higher than the average for all dwellings.

%

Average: 0.0

0.0

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av: 0.5

1.0

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av: 7.0

10.0

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

Av: 92.5

89.0

< 0.05 0.15 0.3

0.7

1.5

3

7

15

26

38 >

43

0.0

1.0

10.0

89.0

A large proportion of entrapment and collision accidents involve trapping limbs or

fingers in doors and windows. However, as the main injury in this particular example is

almost certain to be to the head, the chances of suffering a severe or serious harm will

be somewhat higher than the general average for this category of hazard.

Example

A B C D E F G

Average: 20

H

I

J

271

Score

RATING SCORES AFTER IMPROVEMENT

IMPROVE

Justification

NEW RATING

Av: Nos

Likelihood to

1 in

100

Outcomes to

0.0

0.5 10.0 89.5 %

Increasing the height of the two internal door openings to 2 metres and re-siting the

electric meters can be reasonably easily achieved. To avoid destroying the character of

the almshouses, a warning signs could be used in the front door opening, given that this

is already higher than the internal doors. But, consequently, the risk would remain

higher than average.

Av: 20

I

J