on this page you will find topical information  relating to housing maintenance

Click on the links below:

Water Quality Control

Working at Height

Thermostatic Mixing Valves

Energy Performance Certificates

Tenant Feedback

Water Quality Control

Although a legal duty has existed since 2001, it is only now that RSLs are becoming aware of  their obligation to carry out legionella risk assessments, and to control any risks identified.

To date the Heath and Safety Executive has been fairly undemanding as far as Housing Associations are concerned.  The general view is that this will not continue for much longer and that  Associations, in common with other property owners, will have to conform to the L8  Approved Code of Practice and Guidance. 

The risks in housing are normally very low.  However,   RSLs should have a robust water hygiene management system in place that ensures the risks are adequately and appropriately assessed,  addressed, and  recorded. 

TPMC can offer a ‘one-stop shop’ service to manage the process.  Meadowhead Consultancy will provide expert advice on risk assessments and legal compliance, including liaison with the HSE on each individual RSL’s strategy. Selected specialist contractors will carry out the site inspections and remedial work.  TPMC will ensure that the proposed water quality regime is carried out, periodic checks are organised and a full audit trail is provided.

We believe that this pragmatic approach is cost effective and means that you do not have to spend large sums on water quality control unnecessarily.  There has been a certain amount of scaremongering surrounding compliance for RSLs, but in reality the issue is straightforward.  The key is that RSLs are seen to have assessed and recorded the risks in their own individual situation.

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Working at Height Regulations

The new Working at Height regulations came into effect on 6 April 2005. The regulations apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury. In 2003/04 falls from height accounted for 67 fatal accidents at work and nearly 4000 major injuries. They remain the single biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the main causes of major injury.

The Regulations require duty holders to ensure:

þ all work at height is properly planned and organised
þ all work at height takes account of weather conditions that could endanger H&S
þ those involved in work at height are trained and competent
þ the place where work at height is done is safe
þ equipment for work at height is appropriately inspected
þ the risks from fragile surfaces are properly controlled
þ the risks from falling objects are properly controlled.

HSE has published a brief guide to the new regulations, which we can send or email to you — contact annieb@tpmc.uk.com

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Thermostatic Mixing Valves

New building regulations regarding hot water systems have been added to the revised SBSA Technical Handbooks that came into effect on 1 May 2006.

To prevent scalding, the temperature of hot water, at point of delivery to a bath or bidet, should not exceed 48º C.  A device or system limiting water temperature should not compromise the principal means of providing protection from the risk of Legionella. It should allow flexibility in the setting of a delivery temperature, up to a maximum of 48º C, in a form that is not easily altered by building users. Thermostatic mixing valves, fitted as close as practicable to the point of hot water delivery, may be used. Guidance on the use, installation and maintenance of these valves can be found  at www.tmva.org.uk

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Energy Performance Certificates

All rented properties require an energy performance certificate at the first change of tenancy after 4 January 2009.  Certificates will be valid for 10 years and must be prominently displayed in the property - the most likely position will be next to the meter. TPMC does not issue EPCs but can advise on suitable companies.

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Tenant Feedback

Tenant participation is the 'in' phrase of the moment, being at the heart of the Scottish Executive’s housing agenda.

Here at TPMC we regularly carry out satisfaction surveys for clients on completion of major repairs projects, run focus groups and assist clients with questionnaire design. With the technology available today, surveying tenants and producing meaningful data on which to base decisions has never been easier.
 

Simple telephone and postal surveys are easy to organise, on any topic or group of topics, and responses can be manually collated. However, manual analysis is tedious if the questionnaire is long, or if the sample size is large.   Using readily available technology such as Microsoft Access or Excel makes the job much easier, especially cross tabulation of the results. Reports, tables and charts can be produced, making the information easy to understand, for dissemination back to tenants.
 

Service users can be canvassed for their opinions on a wide range of issues, from strategy formulation to priorities for investment to anti social behaviour. Surveys are the usual method, but focus groups, tenant panels and newsletters can all play a part in a good participation strategy. If you’d like any assistance to improve your feedback methods, we’d be happy to help

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