Watch Out for Radon
We all know that exposure to a large dose of radiation is not good for your health. But have you considered that everyday in your home and at your place of work radioactive particles are bombarding your body without you even knowing. Menasche Scharf explains.
It is happening right now - and if you live in a part of the country designated by the government as a 'Radon Affected Area' you may very well be storing up health problems for yourself and your family in the future.
Radon is a radioactive gas. It is the by-product of a natural process that sees uranium, which is present in all bedrock and soil, organically decay. The gas reaches us from the ground beneath our feet, generally in low enough amounts so not to cause us harm. Once out in the open air above ground it disperses quickly, and for the majority of us will never be a concern. There are however a few pockets of land across the country - normally where the bedrock is granite or limestone - where radon emissions are much higher. Identified as Radon Affected Areas these hotspot locations, which include the likes of Cornwall, Southwest Devon, parts of the Midlands and Wales, the Lake District and areas of Scotland, see radon emissions readily climb above the national average of 20 becquerels per cubic metre. This in itself is no cause for alarm. What is of concern, however, is the way in which some buildings in Radon Affected Areas pool the gas into high enough concentrations to be considered a health hazard.
Buildings that 'suck'
Radon enters buildings through cracks and gaps in floors and walls. The differential in air pressure between the building's interior and the ground on which it is built sucks the gas into the property. If there is little ventilation the gas is allowed to pool.
In areas where natural radon emission is low, for example in places like Manchester and London, pooling radon rarely results in a problem. Mixing with air, even in poorly ventilated spaces, ensures that the gas never reaches dangerous levels.
But in Radon Affected Areas where emissions are higher the story is very different. Radioactive particles can build in poorly ventilated buildings to the point where occupants exposed to the particles long-term can become three times more likely to contract lung cancer. The Health Protection Agency in fact estimate that some 2,500 lung cancer deaths each year in the UK are caused as a direct result of high level radon exposure.
What can you do about it?
If you're in a high radon emission area, you've every right to be concerned. Thankfully, there is much you can do to alleviate the threat the gas poses. First off, if you are worried about radon levels at your property, you should enlist the services of a radon measurement company. They will be able to test your property's radon levels and help you determine if there is a genuine risk there or not.
If your property is at risk, the most effective way to manage that risk is through better ventilation. To this end you can have an air pump and vents installed at your property that efficiently disperse the gas so that it never becomes an issue. Pumps are not all that expensive to buy, and you just might be eligible for a grant to cover your costs. Contact your local council for more details.
Bikur Cholim בקור חולים
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Mould story
Whether your property investment is a little cottage in Grimsby worth a few thousand pounds or a substantial portfolio of commercial and residential properties worth millions, you are a Landlord and will have encountered Landlord Property Insurance. Menasche Scharf takes you through the maze.
Each class of insurance business is underwritten with its own factors and considerations. As Landlord Property Insurance is a different class of business from Homeowner Property Insurance, a standard buildings and contents policy will not suffice for the residential and commercial property landlord.
Over the years the UK property market has flourished and with it the insurers have designed tailor-made policies to meet landlords’ needs.
Landlord Property Insurance is not a legal requirement, but it still makes very good sense for this reason. If a mortgage is to be secured on your investment property, the mortgage offer will include a condition, to have the property insured throughout the term of the mortgage. In fact it is not possible to obtain a mortgage without insurance in place.
Where to purchase your Landlords Property Insurance
You are almost ready to exchange contracts on your investment property and your solicitor asks you to supply buildings insurance, especially, as mentioned above, if the property is to be purchased with a mortgage.
If you are purchasing a simple residential house, as with everything today, you can try buying insurance online. However, this can have disadvantages. Even if your property can be ‘squeezed’ in to the data capture form, after paying, you may end up with a few surprises. On looking at the certificate it may well say that the cover provided is subject to a list of requirements, i.e. specialist security locks, CORGI certified appliances etc. Should the property not meet these requirements you could either cancel and start from square one in obtaining your Landlords Property Insurance or pray that you will not need to claim!
Another disadvantage of buying Landlords Property Insurance online is, you may require mid-term amendments such as changing the name of your mortgagee noted on the certificate. For this you will have to contact the company’s call centre and it can end up being a tedious process.
What if your property is a house divided into 2 or 3 flats, or is not standard build? What if you property is a shop to be let to a retailer? Whereas for example motor insurance information can all be entered on a data capture form on line, every property is different and will not always be able to fit into the standard tick box question form.
This is why Property Insurance Brokers are still in business!
Norwich Union, Zurich, AXA and Royal Sun Alliance are a few of the major players in the insurance property market and most policies including those purchased on line will originate from them. Those sold online will only be appropriate for few. A good broker will understand your needs in a few questions and will usually have you covered instantly, be available for policy amendments and claims assistance.
Your requirements
If you are purchasing or re-mortgaging a new investment, by perusing the mortgage offer and the surveyors report, you will be able to see what level of cover is necessary. Policy renewal will be every 12 months and if you are with the same lender, the requirements stay the same although the sum insured may need to be increased.
If you are looking to insure your investment property but have no offer or surveyors report to refer to, your broker should be able to advise you what cover is available.
What am I insured for?
The best way of understanding what you are covered for is by looking at the insurance policy schedule.
Standard cover will include damage from Fire, Lightning, Aircraft, Earthquake, Malicious Damage, Theft, Storm, Escape of Water or Oil etc. Most policies will extend to ‘all risks’ which includes accidental damage i.e. if you foot goes through a floorboard etc
Amongst other extensions to your cover you can add, (and your mortgagee may well require this) terrorism cover and loss of rent. The latter is in the event of the property being damaged and therefore resulting in the rent not being paid if the property is not fit to be occupied.
Subsidence will usually be included except in some areas. In fact most London postcodes are high risk subsidence areas. In high risk areas, subsidence cover will only be available once a completed questionnaire has been submitted to the insurer.
If you are purchasing a property to refurbish or redevelop, then only FLEA cover will be available (Fire, Lightning, Aircraft and Explosion) and usually at an added premium.
It is always important to inform the broker or insurer of the exact situation with the property, i.e. if it is occupied or not. It may cost more but it’s worth the price, as by providing the wrong information you could end up with no cover at all.
In all cases you will be covered for public liability. This can be for anything from £2, million to £10million and will cover you for all liability to anyone or anything that could be damaged from your property, including damage to tenants.
If you own and insure for example, a block of flats and have your maintenance workers on site, it will be necessary to add on to your policy Employers Liability.
Even though your property will be occupied by tenants, especially in the case of residential properties, you possibly will have your own furnishings in the property which you may want to insure. This can be added under Landlords Contents Insurance.
Sum Insured
It costs pretty much the same to build a house in London as it does up North. So although market prices are sky high in the Capital, rebuild sums are not. Hence, when it comes to insuring, you are looking for the reinstatement value also known as the ‘declared value’. This figure can be found in the surveyors report.
The good insurers add on to the declared value 25 -50% included in the premium paid, just in case you have underinsured. This is why you will notice two figures on the schedule, the declared value and the sum insured.
We can see Landlords Property Insurance is a completely different product from Homeowners Property Insurance. The option for terrorism cover, loss of rent and employers liability cover are a few visible differences. Aside from this, let property is a different class of insurance altogether, presenting to the insurance underwriters different risks and therefore requires specialist Landlords Property Insurance.
Of course you should shop around for a good quote but also check that you are getting the best cover. As a landlord you deserve the best!
Ensure you’re insured
Whether your property investment is a little cottage in Grimsby worth a few thousand pounds or a substantial portfolio of commercial and residential properties worth millions, you are a Landlord and will have encountered Landlord Property Insurance. Menasche Scharf takes you through the maze.
Each class of insurance business is underwritten with its own factors and considerations. As Landlord Property Insurance is a different class of business from Homeowner Property Insurance, a standard buildings and contents policy will not suffice for the residential and commercial property landlord.
Over the years the UK property market has flourished and with it the insurers have designed tailor-made policies to meet landlords’ needs.
Landlord Property Insurance is not a legal requirement, but it still makes very good sense for this reason. If a mortgage is to be secured on your investment property, the mortgage offer will include a condition, to have the property insured throughout the term of the mortgage. In fact it is not possible to obtain a mortgage without insurance in place.
Where to purchase your Landlords Property Insurance
You are almost ready to exchange contracts on your investment property and your solicitor asks you to supply buildings insurance, especially, as mentioned above, if the property is to be purchased with a mortgage.
If you are purchasing a simple residential house, as with everything today, you can try buying insurance online. However, this can have disadvantages. Even if your property can be ‘squeezed’ in to the data capture form, after paying, you may end up with a few surprises. On looking at the certificate it may well say that the cover provided is subject to a list of requirements, i.e. specialist security locks, CORGI certified appliances etc. Should the property not meet these requirements you could either cancel and start from square one in obtaining your Landlords Property Insurance or pray that you will not need to claim!
Another disadvantage of buying Landlords Property Insurance online is, you may require mid-term amendments such as changing the name of your mortgagee noted on the certificate. For this you will have to contact the company’s call centre and it can end up being a tedious process.
What if your property is a house divided into 2 or 3 flats, or is not standard build? What if you property is a shop to be let to a retailer? Whereas for example motor insurance information can all be entered on a data capture form on line, every property is different and will not always be able to fit into the standard tick box question form.
This is why Property Insurance Brokers are still in business!
Norwich Union, Zurich, AXA and Royal Sun Alliance are a few of the major players in the insurance property market and most policies including those purchased on line will originate from them. Those sold online will only be appropriate for few. A good broker will understand your needs in a few questions and will usually have you covered instantly, be available for policy amendments and claims assistance.
Your requirements
If you are purchasing or re-mortgaging a new investment, by perusing the mortgage offer and the surveyors report, you will be able to see what level of cover is necessary. Policy renewal will be every 12 months and if you are with the same lender, the requirements stay the same although the sum insured may need to be increased.
If you are looking to insure your investment property but have no offer or surveyors report to refer to, your broker should be able to advise you what cover is available.
What am I insured for?
The best way of understanding what you are covered for is by looking at the insurance policy schedule.
Standard cover will include damage from Fire, Lightning, Aircraft, Earthquake, Malicious Damage, Theft, Storm, Escape of Water or Oil etc. Most policies will extend to ‘all risks’ which includes accidental damage i.e. if you foot goes through a floorboard etc
Amongst other extensions to your cover you can add, (and your mortgagee may well require this) terrorism cover and loss of rent. The latter is in the event of the property being damaged and therefore resulting in the rent not being paid if the property is not fit to be occupied.
Subsidence will usually be included except in some areas. In fact most London postcodes are high risk subsidence areas. In high risk areas, subsidence cover will only be available once a completed questionnaire has been submitted to the insurer.
If you are purchasing a property to refurbish or redevelop, then only FLEA cover will be available (Fire, Lightning, Aircraft and Explosion) and usually at an added premium.
It is always important to inform the broker or insurer of the exact situation with the property, i.e. if it is occupied or not. It may cost more but it’s worth the price, as by providing the wrong information you could end up with no cover at all.
In all cases you will be covered for public liability. This can be for anything from £2, million to £10million and will cover you for all liability to anyone or anything that could be damaged from your property, including damage to tenants.
If you own and insure for example, a block of flats and have your maintenance workers on site, it will be necessary to add on to your policy Employers Liability.
Even though your property will be occupied by tenants, especially in the case of residential properties, you possibly will have your own furnishings in the property which you may want to insure. This can be added under Landlords Contents Insurance.
Sum Insured
It costs pretty much the same to build a house in London as it does up North. So although market prices are sky high in the Capital, rebuild sums are not. Hence, when it comes to insuring, you are looking for the reinstatement value also known as the ‘declared value’. This figure can be found in the surveyors report.
The good insurers add on to the declared value 25 -50% included in the premium paid, just in case you have underinsured. This is why you will notice two figures on the schedule, the declared value and the sum insured.
We can see Landlords Property Insurance is a completely different product from Homeowners Property Insurance. The option for terrorism cover, loss of rent and employers liability cover are a few visible differences. Aside from this, let property is a different class of insurance altogether, presenting to the insurance underwriters different risks and therefore requires specialist Landlords Property Insurance.
Of course you should shop around for a good quote but also check that you are getting the best cover. As a landlord you deserve the best!
Damp-the inside view 1
Menasche Scharf takes us on a tour of the house to check for damp
In my article “Damp Dangers” I outlined the effects of a damp environment on our health. Here, the focus switches to the building structure itself. When buildings suffer damp, either by way of rainwater penetration or through rising damp from the ground, the materials the structure is comprised of may become compromised. This damage may show itself both externally and internally. In the very worst of cases it could cause the property to become unstable and therefore dangerous to live in.
External damp damage
As most damp problems originate from outside the building, damage to external walls tends to become evident before any effects are detected internally. Usually, damp penetrates through defective brickwork, pointing and stonework. If brick faces are decayed because of long-term exposure to the elements, they will allow moisture to enter the brickwork and take up residence in the property's structure. As well as the obvious entry points for moisture in the walls -- i.e. cracked or broken bricks / stones / render -- look out, too, for rebated mortar joints; blown, cracked and shelled brick faces, and algae attaching itself to the surface of brickwork. These are all sure-fire signs that moisture is entering the property structure.
Once inside the walls moisture begins to eat away at the integrity of the structure. Freeze-thaw of moisture in the winter is a particular problem as water expands in volume when frozen. Repeated freeze-thaw systematically destroys external walls, widening the gaps in which moisture can enter the building, so helping the damp to drive inwards to internal walls.
Internal damp problems
The first sign of damp trouble inside a property is normally found on the inside of westerly and southerly facing external walls - in our parts of the world, which is in the Northern hemisphere. Rainwater driven in from outside penetrates to the inner wall, often breaking down plaster into cracks and flakes and allowing mould to develop on the internal wall surface. When this happens you know you've got a problem!
High humidity coupled with poor ventilation promotes mould growth in damp areas of a property. In the winter, when the room temperature is high, particularly in smaller rooms or spaces that do not have windows to allow fresh air flow, mould takes hold quickly, discolouring and damaging the surface on which it grows. Remember: fungus likes damp, dark places where it can grow safely, as exposure to air for long periods means it cannot dry out easily.
In my article “Damp Dangers” I outlined the effects of a damp environment on our health. Here, the focus switches to the building structure itself. When buildings suffer damp, either by way of rainwater penetration or through rising damp from the ground, the materials the structure is comprised of may become compromised. This damage may show itself both externally and internally. In the very worst of cases it could cause the property to become unstable and therefore dangerous to live in.
External damp damage
As most damp problems originate from outside the building, damage to external walls tends to become evident before any effects are detected internally. Usually, damp penetrates through defective brickwork, pointing and stonework. If brick faces are decayed because of long-term exposure to the elements, they will allow moisture to enter the brickwork and take up residence in the property's structure. As well as the obvious entry points for moisture in the walls -- i.e. cracked or broken bricks / stones / render -- look out, too, for rebated mortar joints; blown, cracked and shelled brick faces, and algae attaching itself to the surface of brickwork. These are all sure-fire signs that moisture is entering the property structure.
Once inside the walls moisture begins to eat away at the integrity of the structure. Freeze-thaw of moisture in the winter is a particular problem as water expands in volume when frozen. Repeated freeze-thaw systematically destroys external walls, widening the gaps in which moisture can enter the building, so helping the damp to drive inwards to internal walls.
Internal damp problems
The first sign of damp trouble inside a property is normally found on the inside of westerly and southerly facing external walls - in our parts of the world, which is in the Northern hemisphere. Rainwater driven in from outside penetrates to the inner wall, often breaking down plaster into cracks and flakes and allowing mould to develop on the internal wall surface. When this happens you know you've got a problem!
High humidity coupled with poor ventilation promotes mould growth in damp areas of a property. In the winter, when the room temperature is high, particularly in smaller rooms or spaces that do not have windows to allow fresh air flow, mould takes hold quickly, discolouring and damaging the surface on which it grows. Remember: fungus likes damp, dark places where it can grow safely, as exposure to air for long periods means it cannot dry out easily.
Damp in the home 2
Fresh from his encounter with the snow, Menasche Scharf returns to the house to examine the problems caused by excessive moisture.
Independent of penetrating damp, but just as much of an issue, is condensation, which again thrives in poorly-ventilated rooms with moisture sources. WCs are particularly vulnerable here. For example a WC with a double radiator installed and no window is a recipe for disaster. Why? Because the cold water pipe from the mains, which passes through this room, creates a clash: the warm air hits the ice cold pipe, causing the air to condensate. If this happens 24/7, you will see a wet pipe with a puddle on the floor. Eventually the walls near this pipe will start showing signs of mould; plaster starts becoming powdery, paint peels off from the pipes and/or the wall - which turn a green colour - and water seeps through the wall underneath wall tiles.
Condensation affects other rooms, too. Kitchens are especially vulnerable, as are bedrooms (if not ventilated) and any rooms in which clothes are hung to dry, particularly if they are hung over radiators to dry. You may notice in these rooms plasterboard becoming 'blown up', and chipboard starting to "rise".
All buildings must be allowed to breathe. This means ensuring rooms are well ventilated, have low moisture content and do not have moisture 'sealed in' to the walls courtesy of non-breathable surface coverings.
So what should you do? In the first instance, landlords and homeowners must be proactive in checking external walls for signs of damage. Regular checks and preventative / repair work should be carried out to keep brick faces and mortar free from penetrating moisture.
Inside the property, homeowners and tenants must take responsibility for controlling condensation. For example, in small rooms, radiator valves should be turned down and doors left open to keep the air from stagnating. Where possible, open a window or skylight to promote better movement of air around the rooms. You could also consider installing dehumidifiers in some of the worst affected rooms.
If the problem occurs in larger spaces, check if there is a window / skylight that has been left open or is not properly sealed. A continual supply of cold air could be interacting with the warm air created from the radiator and together they "stick" to the cold water pipes and surfaces in these rooms.
To deal with condensation problems in larger spaces, turn the radiator(s) in the rooms down to a minimum and fit lagging to the pipe. For our purposes, lagging a pipe means to wrap a pipe that conducts hot or cold water. The material is a rigid foam available from your local DIY store. It is tubular in shape and is scored across its length. The score opens up to a slit, which then allows you to insulate the pipe.
This protects the pipe from coming into contact with air at different temperatures and with different moisture content."
Independent of penetrating damp, but just as much of an issue, is condensation, which again thrives in poorly-ventilated rooms with moisture sources. WCs are particularly vulnerable here. For example a WC with a double radiator installed and no window is a recipe for disaster. Why? Because the cold water pipe from the mains, which passes through this room, creates a clash: the warm air hits the ice cold pipe, causing the air to condensate. If this happens 24/7, you will see a wet pipe with a puddle on the floor. Eventually the walls near this pipe will start showing signs of mould; plaster starts becoming powdery, paint peels off from the pipes and/or the wall - which turn a green colour - and water seeps through the wall underneath wall tiles.
Condensation affects other rooms, too. Kitchens are especially vulnerable, as are bedrooms (if not ventilated) and any rooms in which clothes are hung to dry, particularly if they are hung over radiators to dry. You may notice in these rooms plasterboard becoming 'blown up', and chipboard starting to "rise".
All buildings must be allowed to breathe. This means ensuring rooms are well ventilated, have low moisture content and do not have moisture 'sealed in' to the walls courtesy of non-breathable surface coverings.
So what should you do? In the first instance, landlords and homeowners must be proactive in checking external walls for signs of damage. Regular checks and preventative / repair work should be carried out to keep brick faces and mortar free from penetrating moisture.
Inside the property, homeowners and tenants must take responsibility for controlling condensation. For example, in small rooms, radiator valves should be turned down and doors left open to keep the air from stagnating. Where possible, open a window or skylight to promote better movement of air around the rooms. You could also consider installing dehumidifiers in some of the worst affected rooms.
If the problem occurs in larger spaces, check if there is a window / skylight that has been left open or is not properly sealed. A continual supply of cold air could be interacting with the warm air created from the radiator and together they "stick" to the cold water pipes and surfaces in these rooms.
To deal with condensation problems in larger spaces, turn the radiator(s) in the rooms down to a minimum and fit lagging to the pipe. For our purposes, lagging a pipe means to wrap a pipe that conducts hot or cold water. The material is a rigid foam available from your local DIY store. It is tubular in shape and is scored across its length. The score opens up to a slit, which then allows you to insulate the pipe.
This protects the pipe from coming into contact with air at different temperatures and with different moisture content."
Shock to the system
If you have had any work done on electrical installations in your home or rental property during the last couple of years, you are no doubt already familiar with "Part-P" legislation. For the uninitiated Menasche Scharf explains the requirements.
Part-P was introduced into the Building Regulations code by the government. It came into force on January 1, 2005 and was subsequently updated in April 2006. Its purpose is to reduce the number of faulty electrical installations present in homes across the UK, and to make it more difficult for "cowboy" installers to fit unsafe electrics into a property. The ultimate aim is to ensure the reduction of fires, injuries and even fatalities that are caused by unsafe electrical installations. Given that compliance with Part-P is now a legal requirement when undertaking all types of electrical work in a dwelling, the new regulation is one that we should all become familiar with.
What must we do to comply?
Part-P legislation requires that any electrical work carried out in our homes or rental properties must now satisfy one of two criteria:
1. The electrical work must be performed by a firm or installer registered on a government-approved competent persons scheme. Membership of the scheme is awarded to installers who are proven capable of self-certifying that electrical work carried out for its clients complies with the Building Regulations, specifically Part-P of those regulations. This criterion is the preferred compliance option.
2. If electrical work is carried out by an installer who is not registered as a "competent person" - as property owner it is your decision as to whether to use a registered competent person or not - the unregistered installer must arrange for the work to be inspected upon completion by the local authority's building control department.
As owner of the property and recipient of any electrical works performed on it, the onus is on you to ensure that whoever you use to do the job complies with either one of these criteria. Failure to do so is a criminal offence and could result in you and the installer receiving a hefty fine or worse.
Can I carry out electrical DIY work?
The short answer is 'yes'! Anyone can carry out electrical DIY work on their own property. However, the work performed, no matter how minor, must comply with Part-P of the Building Regulations. This means that you either must be registered as a "competent" person yourself, or else notify your local authority's building control department of the work so that they can come and inspect it.
There is, however, an exception to this rule. If you are installing extra power points, new lighting switches or making alterations to an existing electrical circuit that is not in the bathroom, kitchen or outdoors, you do not need to advise the building control department about the work. For everything else - including new sockets in the bathroom, kitchen and outdoors - you do need to contact the building control department, or be registered as a competent person to self-certify the work.
A safer world
Electrical Safety Council from as recent as 31st of March this year states: "statistics of deaths by electricity are shocking" - it is therefore no wonder that the government is finally clamping down on this sorry state of affairs. Indeed, before the introduction of Part-P every year would see, on average, 10 deaths from faulty electrical installations, around 750 injuries and some 2,000 house fires caused by unsafe electrics. Now, with Part-P in place, those figures are expected to fall dramatically. This is one piece of legislation that really could save lives!
Part-P was introduced into the Building Regulations code by the government. It came into force on January 1, 2005 and was subsequently updated in April 2006. Its purpose is to reduce the number of faulty electrical installations present in homes across the UK, and to make it more difficult for "cowboy" installers to fit unsafe electrics into a property. The ultimate aim is to ensure the reduction of fires, injuries and even fatalities that are caused by unsafe electrical installations. Given that compliance with Part-P is now a legal requirement when undertaking all types of electrical work in a dwelling, the new regulation is one that we should all become familiar with.
What must we do to comply?
Part-P legislation requires that any electrical work carried out in our homes or rental properties must now satisfy one of two criteria:
1. The electrical work must be performed by a firm or installer registered on a government-approved competent persons scheme. Membership of the scheme is awarded to installers who are proven capable of self-certifying that electrical work carried out for its clients complies with the Building Regulations, specifically Part-P of those regulations. This criterion is the preferred compliance option.
2. If electrical work is carried out by an installer who is not registered as a "competent person" - as property owner it is your decision as to whether to use a registered competent person or not - the unregistered installer must arrange for the work to be inspected upon completion by the local authority's building control department.
As owner of the property and recipient of any electrical works performed on it, the onus is on you to ensure that whoever you use to do the job complies with either one of these criteria. Failure to do so is a criminal offence and could result in you and the installer receiving a hefty fine or worse.
Can I carry out electrical DIY work?
The short answer is 'yes'! Anyone can carry out electrical DIY work on their own property. However, the work performed, no matter how minor, must comply with Part-P of the Building Regulations. This means that you either must be registered as a "competent" person yourself, or else notify your local authority's building control department of the work so that they can come and inspect it.
There is, however, an exception to this rule. If you are installing extra power points, new lighting switches or making alterations to an existing electrical circuit that is not in the bathroom, kitchen or outdoors, you do not need to advise the building control department about the work. For everything else - including new sockets in the bathroom, kitchen and outdoors - you do need to contact the building control department, or be registered as a competent person to self-certify the work.
A safer world
Electrical Safety Council from as recent as 31st of March this year states: "statistics of deaths by electricity are shocking" - it is therefore no wonder that the government is finally clamping down on this sorry state of affairs. Indeed, before the introduction of Part-P every year would see, on average, 10 deaths from faulty electrical installations, around 750 injuries and some 2,000 house fires caused by unsafe electrics. Now, with Part-P in place, those figures are expected to fall dramatically. This is one piece of legislation that really could save lives!
An Inspector Calls
Whether you are a homeowner or a tenant, staying safe in your own home is naturally going to be at the forefront of your thoughts from day to day. Menasche Scharf explains for the uninitiated
For landlords - and especially managing agents - these thoughts extend to their rental properties too, not least because the law demands that landlords be responsible (within reason) for the general safety of tenants that occupy those properties. Specific rules apply to areas where safety concerns are greatest -- for example, gas installations and gas appliances by law must be periodically inspected to ensure their safety. If the property is a Home in Multiple Occupation (HMO) the local council has a right to gain access to the property and perform a safety inspection. If what they find is unacceptable the landlord will be required to make the necessary improvements - or face prosecution. Given the severity of the punishment that may be handed down to landlords who flout the law, it is best to wise-up to what you need to do and how to get full marks on a property safety inspection, should an inspector call!
Safety focus areas
Property safety inspectors, whether they be from a private firm hired by the landlord to examine the building or from the council for an HMO, will focus their inspection on four key areas:
Gas: This is the big one! Gas safety is absolutely critical. If the gas supply to your property is proved to be unsafe, or if gas appliances are not maintained or checked annually, not only could you / your tenants be leaving yourselves open to the real risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, but you could also be opening yourself up the risk of a gas explosion. If you have a periodic maintenance programme in place for all gas appliances in the property, and do all that you are required to do to comply with the annual gas safety check, including providing tenants with a copy of the gas safety certificate, you should have little to worry about.
Electricity: The law requires that all electrical equipment and installations in the home are designated as safe for their purpose. The only way to ensure that this is the case in your / your tenant's property is to employ only qualified and competent contractors to work on electrical installations, and to have all portable electrical equipment periodically tested by a Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) firm.
Fire Risk, Prevention & Management: House fires are one of the most feared hazards that we have to contend with in our homes. Regardless of the recently introduced ban on smoking indoors in public buildings, the danger to life and limb from fires remains real in any environment. Remember that private dwellings that are also used as a workplace fall under the same new regulations - if used by more than one person who doesn't live there. Assessing fire risks and eliminating them is key to lowering our exposure to the risk of fire. Regular appliance checks, good preventative measures, such as not overloading electrical sockets, and good management -- i.e. having fire extinguishers and fire blankets accessible, closing doors and having unhindered access to a fire escape -- can all help to put you in the good books of a property safety inspector!
General Property Condition: On a council safety inspection of an HMO, the inspector will want to assess the building's structure and interior to ensure suitability for multiple occupation. State of repair, structural condition, cleanliness, drainage as well as the safety and condition of common access areas (stairs and corridors etc.) will come under scrutiny. So long as overall the property is in a good state of repair and the areas inspected are free from major defects, you shouldn't have a problem here.
Now that you are aware of what the law requires of you, change your hat for that of a Property Inspector and play out the procedure the yourself. You will find that having checked off the above items, you will most probably want to consider the following areas that the professional inspector might have overlooked: Alarms and Security, Doors, Windows, Locks, Flooring, Dampness, Air Conditioning, Vents, Roofs, Gutters, Trees, Insurance, and Subsidence - the list is far from being exhaustive; if you follow this column every week, it is safe to assume that you will have covered all your bases.
In the meantime, wishing you all a kasheren Pesach.
For landlords - and especially managing agents - these thoughts extend to their rental properties too, not least because the law demands that landlords be responsible (within reason) for the general safety of tenants that occupy those properties. Specific rules apply to areas where safety concerns are greatest -- for example, gas installations and gas appliances by law must be periodically inspected to ensure their safety. If the property is a Home in Multiple Occupation (HMO) the local council has a right to gain access to the property and perform a safety inspection. If what they find is unacceptable the landlord will be required to make the necessary improvements - or face prosecution. Given the severity of the punishment that may be handed down to landlords who flout the law, it is best to wise-up to what you need to do and how to get full marks on a property safety inspection, should an inspector call!
Safety focus areas
Property safety inspectors, whether they be from a private firm hired by the landlord to examine the building or from the council for an HMO, will focus their inspection on four key areas:
Gas: This is the big one! Gas safety is absolutely critical. If the gas supply to your property is proved to be unsafe, or if gas appliances are not maintained or checked annually, not only could you / your tenants be leaving yourselves open to the real risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, but you could also be opening yourself up the risk of a gas explosion. If you have a periodic maintenance programme in place for all gas appliances in the property, and do all that you are required to do to comply with the annual gas safety check, including providing tenants with a copy of the gas safety certificate, you should have little to worry about.
Electricity: The law requires that all electrical equipment and installations in the home are designated as safe for their purpose. The only way to ensure that this is the case in your / your tenant's property is to employ only qualified and competent contractors to work on electrical installations, and to have all portable electrical equipment periodically tested by a Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) firm.
Fire Risk, Prevention & Management: House fires are one of the most feared hazards that we have to contend with in our homes. Regardless of the recently introduced ban on smoking indoors in public buildings, the danger to life and limb from fires remains real in any environment. Remember that private dwellings that are also used as a workplace fall under the same new regulations - if used by more than one person who doesn't live there. Assessing fire risks and eliminating them is key to lowering our exposure to the risk of fire. Regular appliance checks, good preventative measures, such as not overloading electrical sockets, and good management -- i.e. having fire extinguishers and fire blankets accessible, closing doors and having unhindered access to a fire escape -- can all help to put you in the good books of a property safety inspector!
General Property Condition: On a council safety inspection of an HMO, the inspector will want to assess the building's structure and interior to ensure suitability for multiple occupation. State of repair, structural condition, cleanliness, drainage as well as the safety and condition of common access areas (stairs and corridors etc.) will come under scrutiny. So long as overall the property is in a good state of repair and the areas inspected are free from major defects, you shouldn't have a problem here.
Now that you are aware of what the law requires of you, change your hat for that of a Property Inspector and play out the procedure the yourself. You will find that having checked off the above items, you will most probably want to consider the following areas that the professional inspector might have overlooked: Alarms and Security, Doors, Windows, Locks, Flooring, Dampness, Air Conditioning, Vents, Roofs, Gutters, Trees, Insurance, and Subsidence - the list is far from being exhaustive; if you follow this column every week, it is safe to assume that you will have covered all your bases.
In the meantime, wishing you all a kasheren Pesach.
House of Horrors
With Pesach in mind, Menasche Scharf has been collecting valuable advice and some novel ideas for your future building project. Most of the following anecdotes - if not all of them- are emess-real life stories, so you have been forewarned.
If you want to know the difference between a weeping radiator valve and a dripping tap: the first will eventually create a hole in your wall, whilst the latter will bore a hole in your wallet. Whilst we're on the subject of preventative maintenance, it's worthwhile mentioning another common misunderstanding: to prevent dry rot in your bathroom - especially if the bath has been fitted on a wooden frame - never use plain silicone to seal your bath; rather use flexible sealants (example: Evo-Stik Serious Stuff All Purpose Sealant - NOT adhesive...) which addresses the problem of "weight movement". Weight movement is caused by the combined weight of a person's body and the water in the bath tub, which causes the rigid silicone to break, thereby allowing water to seep through the cracks. The best way around it is to ensure that the bath fitter stands inside the bath tub or the bath is full of water when he applies the sealant and beading to the gap between the wall tiles and the bath tub. That's perhaps the reason why some builders - especially those hailing from some parts of the Eastern Bloc - call it Sillygone...
Doting on a tiler is like walking across a still-wet floor - very uncomfortable for the employer and employee. However, this doesn't mean that you should allow him to lay tiles without stretching a string across the floor or wall - to keep the tiles in a straight line.
So, you know not to breathe down the tiler's neck - nevertheless you should still insist that when he is finished sticking down tiles around the drain cover, he can demonstrate that he can still lift it. Failing this, you could face the prospect of having to drill through the adhesive seal, which by now is rock hard - when the blocked drains make your life unbearable.
As we've mentioned our faithful builders from across the channel, here's a piece of advice that may well lead to major financial losses if left unattended. Warn the foreman to look out for potential hazards like drilling holes into pipes, severing electrical wires or ruining the wallpaper at the neighbours...
For those of you renting out property to tenants, remember that when they call you up in middle of the night that there's no heating, don't get caught up in their panic, just tell them to top up their gas meter...
Never allow a washing machine hose to be fitted between the gas pipe and the oven; the consequences may not be funny at all - even though this is what some cowboy builders have been doing to cut corners. Similarly, when putting up partitions check to make sure the correct insulation boards are used as failing to do so may expose the occupiers to be exposed to extremely hazardous situations, as was the case when one contractor used an old feather quilt - highly flammable - to 'fill' the gap between the plasterboards instead of the fire-proofed sound-prevention filling blocks...
The same applies to preparing a concrete floor: never settle for bin liners when heavy-duty sheets are required to insulate against water seepages.
Once the building works are finished, be on your guard; some builders will try to dispose of excess cement by pouring it into a drain gully. Next time it rains, you - and your neighbours - will waddle in a pool of rainwater, whilst the 'professional' brickie has made off with your cheque and is relaxing in the shade.
When painting a floor, advise the master painter to start from the far corner of the room and work his way back towards the entrance of the room - unless you have a spare room for an overnight stay - rule of thumb: don't let him paint himself into a corner...
Now some D.I.Y tips: When fixing wooden cabinets, use broken matches as wood filler, the screwdriver will work the screw through the new filler and it will stay there for a long time to come. You could use screws that are either too small: they don't keep the door in place for too long or you could use too long ones that will stick out and you may cause health and safety issues as people get scratched...
Wishing you safe Pesach cleaning.
If you want to know the difference between a weeping radiator valve and a dripping tap: the first will eventually create a hole in your wall, whilst the latter will bore a hole in your wallet. Whilst we're on the subject of preventative maintenance, it's worthwhile mentioning another common misunderstanding: to prevent dry rot in your bathroom - especially if the bath has been fitted on a wooden frame - never use plain silicone to seal your bath; rather use flexible sealants (example: Evo-Stik Serious Stuff All Purpose Sealant - NOT adhesive...) which addresses the problem of "weight movement". Weight movement is caused by the combined weight of a person's body and the water in the bath tub, which causes the rigid silicone to break, thereby allowing water to seep through the cracks. The best way around it is to ensure that the bath fitter stands inside the bath tub or the bath is full of water when he applies the sealant and beading to the gap between the wall tiles and the bath tub. That's perhaps the reason why some builders - especially those hailing from some parts of the Eastern Bloc - call it Sillygone...
Doting on a tiler is like walking across a still-wet floor - very uncomfortable for the employer and employee. However, this doesn't mean that you should allow him to lay tiles without stretching a string across the floor or wall - to keep the tiles in a straight line.
So, you know not to breathe down the tiler's neck - nevertheless you should still insist that when he is finished sticking down tiles around the drain cover, he can demonstrate that he can still lift it. Failing this, you could face the prospect of having to drill through the adhesive seal, which by now is rock hard - when the blocked drains make your life unbearable.
As we've mentioned our faithful builders from across the channel, here's a piece of advice that may well lead to major financial losses if left unattended. Warn the foreman to look out for potential hazards like drilling holes into pipes, severing electrical wires or ruining the wallpaper at the neighbours...
For those of you renting out property to tenants, remember that when they call you up in middle of the night that there's no heating, don't get caught up in their panic, just tell them to top up their gas meter...
Never allow a washing machine hose to be fitted between the gas pipe and the oven; the consequences may not be funny at all - even though this is what some cowboy builders have been doing to cut corners. Similarly, when putting up partitions check to make sure the correct insulation boards are used as failing to do so may expose the occupiers to be exposed to extremely hazardous situations, as was the case when one contractor used an old feather quilt - highly flammable - to 'fill' the gap between the plasterboards instead of the fire-proofed sound-prevention filling blocks...
The same applies to preparing a concrete floor: never settle for bin liners when heavy-duty sheets are required to insulate against water seepages.
Once the building works are finished, be on your guard; some builders will try to dispose of excess cement by pouring it into a drain gully. Next time it rains, you - and your neighbours - will waddle in a pool of rainwater, whilst the 'professional' brickie has made off with your cheque and is relaxing in the shade.
When painting a floor, advise the master painter to start from the far corner of the room and work his way back towards the entrance of the room - unless you have a spare room for an overnight stay - rule of thumb: don't let him paint himself into a corner...
Now some D.I.Y tips: When fixing wooden cabinets, use broken matches as wood filler, the screwdriver will work the screw through the new filler and it will stay there for a long time to come. You could use screws that are either too small: they don't keep the door in place for too long or you could use too long ones that will stick out and you may cause health and safety issues as people get scratched...
Wishing you safe Pesach cleaning.
Windows 2002-2008
The legislation may be six years old, but it still governs the landlord’s duties regarding the installation and maintenance of windows in rented property, says Menasche Scharf
In April 2002 the act of replacing windows in a property became subject to Buildings Regulations. This piece of legislation - although it covers windows in general - specifically targets installations of windows that need to meet certain "thermal performance standards" for glazing.
The new law - which was, and still is, designed to help buildings comply with energy efficiency directives - means that any replacement windows installed after 1 April 2002 MUST be installed by either
1 By a competent individual or firm with specific Buildings
Regulations consent from the local authority, or
2 A person or company registered with the Fenestration
Self-Assessment Scheme (FENSA)
Either way, a certificate to show that replacement windows comply with the new regulations is issued upon completion of the installation.
Should you have replaced windows in your property without observing the Buildings Regulations as they apply, you could have a few problems to deal with. Firstly, if you want to sell your property, the buyer's solicitor will make a specific check to ensure that Buildings Regulations were complied with for any window replacements. This they will do by asking you to produce your compliance certificate(s). If you don't have them, you could find your property difficult, if not impossible, to sell.
The second issue is that if the council is alerted to the fact that your replacement windows were not certified, you could have a building control inspector on your doorstep! If, after inspection, your replaced windows are found not to comply with current thermal performance standards, you may be asked to replace the units again.
DIY Window Replacements
Are you planning on replacing windows yourself? If so, here's what you must do to comply with the law…
• Submit a Building Notice / Application to your local authority -- Contact the Building Control department of your local authority and ask for a Building Notice or Application form for permission to install replacement windows. Below you will find useful contact details of your local council. They will tell you the cost of this procedure.
• When filing through a District Surveyor, there is a fee of around £200.00 - so you might want to rely on the Windows Iinstaller, who is anyway licensed to install the windows and will be covered by his own annual fee.
• Obtain Approval -- Local authorities approve applications as default, normally within 2-3 days of receiving the notice. You will be asked to provide an installation date.
• Inspections -- The local authority will likely make two inspections.
The first inspection is conducted at the commencement of the work; the second after completion. If the glazing does not meet the required inspection standards at either point, the units will not be approved and you will have to replace them again.
• Completion Certificate -- Assuming the authority inspector approves the final installation, a Completion Certificate is issued. This must be retained and produced as evidence of compliance upon your property's sale.
Your role as landlord
Before replacing windows at your rental property you will need to inform the tenant and - as stated in the Tenancy Agreement - make arrangements for access to be granted to the installer on the day of installation.
For the tenant's safety and the safety of the installer you should ask the tenant to remove items fixed to the existing window glass, and to remove items on the windowsills. Also ask the tenant to move any objects that they've placed directly outside the window which could obstruct the installer, such as plant pots and garden ornaments.
Insist that the tenant confirms that valuables have been removed - no one will take responsibility for stolen/lost jewelry etc.
If the tenant is responsible for the maintenance of trees, plants and foliage on the property, make sure that none obstruct the area where the installer will work. This should include, where necessary, the control and cut back of wall-growing ivy that might encroach on the window space.
Advice for tenants
Unless your lease agreement states otherwise, your landlord is responsible for the replacement of windows at your property.
General advice
To conform to their recommendations, remember to request that window restrictors are installed: flexible enough to assist in escaping during a fire and to prevent children from falling out .
General maintenance and repair guidelines
It is the responsibility of the landlord to repair the frame, by applying a coat of anti-fungal or rust-preventing paint or similar treatment or to replace it completely.
Contact details of your local council:
Barnet Council Building Regulations 020 8359 4500
Brent Council Building Regulations 020 8937 5499
Hackney Council Building Control Department 020 8356 8124
Haringey Council 020 8489 5504, ask for "Building Control"
Harrow Council Building Control Department 020 8424 1436
Bury & Prestwich Building Control Services 0161 253 5313
Salford City Council Building Control Department 0161 909 6555
Gateshead Council Building Control Department 0191 433 3146
Leeds City Council Building Control Department 0113 247 8000"
In April 2002 the act of replacing windows in a property became subject to Buildings Regulations. This piece of legislation - although it covers windows in general - specifically targets installations of windows that need to meet certain "thermal performance standards" for glazing.
The new law - which was, and still is, designed to help buildings comply with energy efficiency directives - means that any replacement windows installed after 1 April 2002 MUST be installed by either
1 By a competent individual or firm with specific Buildings
Regulations consent from the local authority, or
2 A person or company registered with the Fenestration
Self-Assessment Scheme (FENSA)
Either way, a certificate to show that replacement windows comply with the new regulations is issued upon completion of the installation.
Should you have replaced windows in your property without observing the Buildings Regulations as they apply, you could have a few problems to deal with. Firstly, if you want to sell your property, the buyer's solicitor will make a specific check to ensure that Buildings Regulations were complied with for any window replacements. This they will do by asking you to produce your compliance certificate(s). If you don't have them, you could find your property difficult, if not impossible, to sell.
The second issue is that if the council is alerted to the fact that your replacement windows were not certified, you could have a building control inspector on your doorstep! If, after inspection, your replaced windows are found not to comply with current thermal performance standards, you may be asked to replace the units again.
DIY Window Replacements
Are you planning on replacing windows yourself? If so, here's what you must do to comply with the law…
• Submit a Building Notice / Application to your local authority -- Contact the Building Control department of your local authority and ask for a Building Notice or Application form for permission to install replacement windows. Below you will find useful contact details of your local council. They will tell you the cost of this procedure.
• When filing through a District Surveyor, there is a fee of around £200.00 - so you might want to rely on the Windows Iinstaller, who is anyway licensed to install the windows and will be covered by his own annual fee.
• Obtain Approval -- Local authorities approve applications as default, normally within 2-3 days of receiving the notice. You will be asked to provide an installation date.
• Inspections -- The local authority will likely make two inspections.
The first inspection is conducted at the commencement of the work; the second after completion. If the glazing does not meet the required inspection standards at either point, the units will not be approved and you will have to replace them again.
• Completion Certificate -- Assuming the authority inspector approves the final installation, a Completion Certificate is issued. This must be retained and produced as evidence of compliance upon your property's sale.
Your role as landlord
Before replacing windows at your rental property you will need to inform the tenant and - as stated in the Tenancy Agreement - make arrangements for access to be granted to the installer on the day of installation.
For the tenant's safety and the safety of the installer you should ask the tenant to remove items fixed to the existing window glass, and to remove items on the windowsills. Also ask the tenant to move any objects that they've placed directly outside the window which could obstruct the installer, such as plant pots and garden ornaments.
Insist that the tenant confirms that valuables have been removed - no one will take responsibility for stolen/lost jewelry etc.
If the tenant is responsible for the maintenance of trees, plants and foliage on the property, make sure that none obstruct the area where the installer will work. This should include, where necessary, the control and cut back of wall-growing ivy that might encroach on the window space.
Advice for tenants
Unless your lease agreement states otherwise, your landlord is responsible for the replacement of windows at your property.
General advice
To conform to their recommendations, remember to request that window restrictors are installed: flexible enough to assist in escaping during a fire and to prevent children from falling out .
General maintenance and repair guidelines
It is the responsibility of the landlord to repair the frame, by applying a coat of anti-fungal or rust-preventing paint or similar treatment or to replace it completely.
Contact details of your local council:
Barnet Council Building Regulations 020 8359 4500
Brent Council Building Regulations 020 8937 5499
Hackney Council Building Control Department 020 8356 8124
Haringey Council 020 8489 5504, ask for "Building Control"
Harrow Council Building Control Department 020 8424 1436
Bury & Prestwich Building Control Services 0161 253 5313
Salford City Council Building Control Department 0161 909 6555
Gateshead Council Building Control Department 0191 433 3146
Leeds City Council Building Control Department 0113 247 8000"
Danger: Asbestos!
The Health & Safety Executive claim it to be the greatest single cause of work deaths in the UK, and according to the British Medical Journal it kills more than 3,000 people in Britain each year. With a billing like this there’s little doubt that asbestos is something not to be trifled with. Menasche Scharf reveals the dangers apparent and hidden.
Since the introduction of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, the government agrees with this assessment. Employers who handle the substance in any one of its forms are now required by law to hold a special licence that permits them to work with asbestos.
The dangers of asbestos are, of course, nothing new. Blue and brown asbestos were banned from use in the UK more than 20 years ago. This was followed sometime later by a ban on the use of white asbestos in 1999. The 2006 regulations continue to enforce these bans, and bring a new level of control to the people who work with asbestos in a professional capacity – plumbers, electricians, demolition contractors and asbestos removal firms among them.
With the asbestos bans having been firmly in place for several years now, it might seem peculiar to some that new regulations as recent as last year are needed at all. While it could be viewed in some quarters as health and safety ‘gone mad’, the government view it as a necessary precaution. The problem is, and has always been, that many thousands of properties across Britain still have asbestos in them. These are generally properties built between the 1950s and the early 1980s when the building trade used asbestos extensively in materials ranging from concrete and bricks to bath panels and pipe lagging.
Why was asbestos used? The answer is in the material’s unique properties. When mixed in with a host material, it provides that material with greater rigidity and improved fire resistance. Only in the late 1970s did it emerge that asbestos used in this way could be detrimental to our health.
Buildings with asbestos in them – so long as the asbestos remains undisturbed – are not a health hazard. The problem comes when people have work done to their homes or turn their hands to a spot of DIY. Disturbing the material can release asbestos dust and fibres into the air, potentially giving rise to a whole host of health issues
Inhaled, asbestos fibres, for example, lodge in the lungs and produce scarring. Known as asbestosis the scarring – a form of fibrosis - causes the lungs to shrink, making it difficult to breathe. Asbestos exposure also brings about pleural thickening of the lung – a condition that restricts the expansion of the lungs during the breathing process. When combined with asbestosis, sufferers find it almost impossible to breathe normally.
But, without a doubt, the most serious side effect of asbestos dust and fibre exposure is cancer. There are two forms – mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Mesothelioma begins as a malignant tumour in the pleura membrane that surrounds the lung and is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. Once developed the prognosis is not good. Statistics show that around 75% of people who contract the cancer die within a year. Long-term, very few live on.
As for lung cancer, the risk of contracting the disease is greatly heightened by prolonged and heavy exposure to asbestos dust. When combined with smoking the risk becomes phenomenally high. However, for smokers who have been heavily exposed to asbestos but then stop smoking, the risk decreases significantly.
If you discover asbestos in your home the first rule is not to panic. If it remains undisturbed or is covered by a membrane, such as a non-permeable paint, it won’t be a health hazard. The main problem comes if you sand, drill or saw through it as you risk releasing asbestos dust and fibres into the air that could affect your health. Therefore, avoid attempting to remove and dispose of asbestos yourself. It is much safer to bring in a qualified and trained professional rather than run the risk of exposing yourself and your family to a potentially very hazardous substance.
Your best course of action then is to first contact your local authority and request an asbestos inspection. The council inspector will be able to identify if asbestos is present and the risk it poses to you. Once identified, the council will advise on how to have the asbestos safely removed from your property. You can then make the arrangements with a specialist contractor, leaving you free to get on with your life.
Since the introduction of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, the government agrees with this assessment. Employers who handle the substance in any one of its forms are now required by law to hold a special licence that permits them to work with asbestos.
The dangers of asbestos are, of course, nothing new. Blue and brown asbestos were banned from use in the UK more than 20 years ago. This was followed sometime later by a ban on the use of white asbestos in 1999. The 2006 regulations continue to enforce these bans, and bring a new level of control to the people who work with asbestos in a professional capacity – plumbers, electricians, demolition contractors and asbestos removal firms among them.
With the asbestos bans having been firmly in place for several years now, it might seem peculiar to some that new regulations as recent as last year are needed at all. While it could be viewed in some quarters as health and safety ‘gone mad’, the government view it as a necessary precaution. The problem is, and has always been, that many thousands of properties across Britain still have asbestos in them. These are generally properties built between the 1950s and the early 1980s when the building trade used asbestos extensively in materials ranging from concrete and bricks to bath panels and pipe lagging.
Why was asbestos used? The answer is in the material’s unique properties. When mixed in with a host material, it provides that material with greater rigidity and improved fire resistance. Only in the late 1970s did it emerge that asbestos used in this way could be detrimental to our health.
Buildings with asbestos in them – so long as the asbestos remains undisturbed – are not a health hazard. The problem comes when people have work done to their homes or turn their hands to a spot of DIY. Disturbing the material can release asbestos dust and fibres into the air, potentially giving rise to a whole host of health issues
Inhaled, asbestos fibres, for example, lodge in the lungs and produce scarring. Known as asbestosis the scarring – a form of fibrosis - causes the lungs to shrink, making it difficult to breathe. Asbestos exposure also brings about pleural thickening of the lung – a condition that restricts the expansion of the lungs during the breathing process. When combined with asbestosis, sufferers find it almost impossible to breathe normally.
But, without a doubt, the most serious side effect of asbestos dust and fibre exposure is cancer. There are two forms – mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Mesothelioma begins as a malignant tumour in the pleura membrane that surrounds the lung and is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. Once developed the prognosis is not good. Statistics show that around 75% of people who contract the cancer die within a year. Long-term, very few live on.
As for lung cancer, the risk of contracting the disease is greatly heightened by prolonged and heavy exposure to asbestos dust. When combined with smoking the risk becomes phenomenally high. However, for smokers who have been heavily exposed to asbestos but then stop smoking, the risk decreases significantly.
If you discover asbestos in your home the first rule is not to panic. If it remains undisturbed or is covered by a membrane, such as a non-permeable paint, it won’t be a health hazard. The main problem comes if you sand, drill or saw through it as you risk releasing asbestos dust and fibres into the air that could affect your health. Therefore, avoid attempting to remove and dispose of asbestos yourself. It is much safer to bring in a qualified and trained professional rather than run the risk of exposing yourself and your family to a potentially very hazardous substance.
Your best course of action then is to first contact your local authority and request an asbestos inspection. The council inspector will be able to identify if asbestos is present and the risk it poses to you. Once identified, the council will advise on how to have the asbestos safely removed from your property. You can then make the arrangements with a specialist contractor, leaving you free to get on with your life.
Tips for HIPS
Home Information Packs (HIPs) became mandatory on August 1st. Menasche Scharf explains what they mean to vendors.
Vendors advertising properties for sale with four or more bedrooms must now commission a HIP to accompany their property to the market. Come September 10th the same regulations will apply to three bedroom homes in England and Wales. If you are planning on selling your property soon you'll need to get familiar with HIPs - and importantly, how improving the safety of your property for a visit by the Home Inspector can help you make it more attractive to buyers.
It is the seller's responsibility to arrange a HIP for their property when they advertise it for sale. In practice, vendors can enlist the services of their estate agent to make the arrangements on their behalf. Alternatively, the property vendor can order their HIP through a specialist HIP provider, or through their solicitor.
The idea behind HIPs is to make the process of buying and selling property easier and more transparent. With this in mind the government has outlined a number of compulsory and optional documents that are to be contained in the Home Information Pack.
Briefly these are…
Statement of Sale
Evidence of Title including Title Plan
Property and Land Searches
Lease Documentation (if leasehold)
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
Optional documents are…
Home Condition Report
Guarantees and Warranties
Fixtures and Fittings List
The HIP provider will compile all relevant information as required and requested into the Home Information Pack. It is they who will liaise with the solicitor or conveyancer for search information, and it is they who will organise a qualified Home Inspector to visit your property to perform an Energy Assessment and to produce the Home Condition Report if needed.
The Energy Performance Certificate is a central document in the HIP. It is an energy audit of your property to assess its energy efficiency, and to determine how cost effective the property is to run. The EPC will grade your property on a sliding scale between band 'A' and band 'G'. Band 'A' ratings denote high-energy efficiency and low running costs. Band 'G' ratings show the property to be poor on energy efficiency and costly to run.
The Home Condition Report is much more familiar. It is a physical inspection of the property - a form of basic survey if you will. This report is included in the HIP on a voluntary basis by the seller and will highlight any health and safety concerns at the property.
As the EPC and Home Condition Report rely on the visit of a Home Inspector to the property, vendors have an opportunity to make some improvements to the property ahead the visit - improvements that could make the property safer, more energy efficient and thus more attractive to potential buyers from the start.
On the energy front for example, you could look at the safety aspects of your boiler. An old boiler, especially if not regularly serviced, could be a threat to your health. Parts might have corroded leaving the boiler dangerous and certainly inefficient to run. By replacing the boiler with a new high-efficiency condensing boiler, you'll not only make your property safer but you'll get full marks from the Home Inspector too.
If you've opted for the Home Condition Report have a think about health and safety issues at your property. Are slates and tiles loose on your roof? Is the chimney stack in need of some attention? Is your guttering secure, or do you have damp areas on internal walls and ceilings? If you can identify these potential safety hazards and take action to correct them, that Home Condition Report in your HIP will have buyers falling over themselves to buy your property!
Vendors advertising properties for sale with four or more bedrooms must now commission a HIP to accompany their property to the market. Come September 10th the same regulations will apply to three bedroom homes in England and Wales. If you are planning on selling your property soon you'll need to get familiar with HIPs - and importantly, how improving the safety of your property for a visit by the Home Inspector can help you make it more attractive to buyers.
It is the seller's responsibility to arrange a HIP for their property when they advertise it for sale. In practice, vendors can enlist the services of their estate agent to make the arrangements on their behalf. Alternatively, the property vendor can order their HIP through a specialist HIP provider, or through their solicitor.
The idea behind HIPs is to make the process of buying and selling property easier and more transparent. With this in mind the government has outlined a number of compulsory and optional documents that are to be contained in the Home Information Pack.
Briefly these are…
Statement of Sale
Evidence of Title including Title Plan
Property and Land Searches
Lease Documentation (if leasehold)
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
Optional documents are…
Home Condition Report
Guarantees and Warranties
Fixtures and Fittings List
The HIP provider will compile all relevant information as required and requested into the Home Information Pack. It is they who will liaise with the solicitor or conveyancer for search information, and it is they who will organise a qualified Home Inspector to visit your property to perform an Energy Assessment and to produce the Home Condition Report if needed.
The Energy Performance Certificate is a central document in the HIP. It is an energy audit of your property to assess its energy efficiency, and to determine how cost effective the property is to run. The EPC will grade your property on a sliding scale between band 'A' and band 'G'. Band 'A' ratings denote high-energy efficiency and low running costs. Band 'G' ratings show the property to be poor on energy efficiency and costly to run.
The Home Condition Report is much more familiar. It is a physical inspection of the property - a form of basic survey if you will. This report is included in the HIP on a voluntary basis by the seller and will highlight any health and safety concerns at the property.
As the EPC and Home Condition Report rely on the visit of a Home Inspector to the property, vendors have an opportunity to make some improvements to the property ahead the visit - improvements that could make the property safer, more energy efficient and thus more attractive to potential buyers from the start.
On the energy front for example, you could look at the safety aspects of your boiler. An old boiler, especially if not regularly serviced, could be a threat to your health. Parts might have corroded leaving the boiler dangerous and certainly inefficient to run. By replacing the boiler with a new high-efficiency condensing boiler, you'll not only make your property safer but you'll get full marks from the Home Inspector too.
If you've opted for the Home Condition Report have a think about health and safety issues at your property. Are slates and tiles loose on your roof? Is the chimney stack in need of some attention? Is your guttering secure, or do you have damp areas on internal walls and ceilings? If you can identify these potential safety hazards and take action to correct them, that Home Condition Report in your HIP will have buyers falling over themselves to buy your property!
Damp course
Last summer, some parts of the UK suffered the worst summer flooding in living memory. The impact of that disaster is still with us, says Menasche Scharf
The media flooded us with news flashes, about homes being deluged and their inhabitants suffering from the chaos and destruction that an extensive period of rain caused. What was not so obvious from the media reports were the dangers that residents faced when they returned to their properties after the micro-Mabul - dangers that could quite easily result in serious injuries or even death.
How to proceed
You may recall our article in July about dealing with the flooding – we will now concentrate on the finer details. When returning to the affected property, ensure the guidelines below are taken into account, in doing so you will be safe in the knowledge that the right precautions have been taken.
Structural Damage
There might be structural defects that were caused by the strong currents or prolonged immersion in water. Examples of this could be: rotten staircases, rusty pipes, and mouldy floorboards.. Indeed, you should also be wary of possible ‘squatters’ who decide to make your home theirs: rats, mice and other creatures will find a home devoid of its inhabitants but well-stocked with food staples a virtual Garden of Eden and will not happily vacate their new found territory.
Be careful with electricity
Water and electricity do not mix. If the mains electricity was not switched off prior to the flood, there could be live electricity hazards to contend with when returning to the property.
Any room in the property where floodwater is still submerging electrical sockets should be avoided - the floodwater may be energised by the electrical current. Only enter the flooded room when it is safe to do so - i.e. when the power is cut or when the water has completely subsided.
Even if the mains electricity was turned off, be aware that electrical wiring and appliances could have been damaged by the floodwater. Therefore, before switching back on the supply, you should arrange to have wiring inspected and appliances tested.
Similarly, the gas appliances – once filled with water – could well become defective or even dangerous. You would act prudently by calling in a gas engineer to check it out before switching them on.
Sewage and contamination
Floodwater is never clean. If your local authority pumps waste water from sewers through the same storm drain system as run-off rainwater from the street, floodwater entering your property will most likely be contaminated with raw sewage. Pesticide and chemical contaminants may also be present. If they are your local water authority and the Environment Agency will alert your community to this issue. Should the source of flooding be a river or other watercourse, there is a high probability that the water will contain waterborne diseases as well, such as Weil's Disease.
To avoid infection and health issues arising from sewage and other floodwater contaminants, appropriate clothing should be worn. Rubber gloves are recommended when handling infected items, and if wading through floodwater, goggles should be used to protect the eyes from water splashes.
Notes for landlords
It is your responsibility to ensure that your rental property is assessed as safe for tenants to re-enter after a flood. You should therefore liaise with the local authorities and the emergency services for advice on when it is safe to return to the property. You should also arrange for clear-up and drying operations in the property and for the inspection of electrical and gas installations so they are passed as safe to use again.
The use of dehumidifiers – an appliance that reduces the level of humidity in the air – could speed up the drying process, in addition to preventing various health risks, as humid air can cause mould and mildew to grow inside homes.
In rental properties, you – the landlord- are responsible for these inspections after a flood. Employ the services of a qualified person for this task. Appliance testing comes under the remit of the landlord too where appliances in the property were supplied by you for the tenant's use. If the appliances are supplied / owned by the tenant then it is down to the tenant to arrange for those appliances that were affected by the floodwater to be tested.
Repairs may need to be carried out to flood-damaged areas. For example, carpets may need replacing, walls may need replastering and redecorating. Depending upon the terms of your agreement with the tenant, you may need to find the tenant alternative temporary accommodation during the clean-up and repair process.
Remember, floodwaters are dangerous. Only re-enter your property when the local authority and emergency services recommend that it is safe to do so.
The media flooded us with news flashes, about homes being deluged and their inhabitants suffering from the chaos and destruction that an extensive period of rain caused. What was not so obvious from the media reports were the dangers that residents faced when they returned to their properties after the micro-Mabul - dangers that could quite easily result in serious injuries or even death.
How to proceed
You may recall our article in July about dealing with the flooding – we will now concentrate on the finer details. When returning to the affected property, ensure the guidelines below are taken into account, in doing so you will be safe in the knowledge that the right precautions have been taken.
Structural Damage
There might be structural defects that were caused by the strong currents or prolonged immersion in water. Examples of this could be: rotten staircases, rusty pipes, and mouldy floorboards.. Indeed, you should also be wary of possible ‘squatters’ who decide to make your home theirs: rats, mice and other creatures will find a home devoid of its inhabitants but well-stocked with food staples a virtual Garden of Eden and will not happily vacate their new found territory.
Be careful with electricity
Water and electricity do not mix. If the mains electricity was not switched off prior to the flood, there could be live electricity hazards to contend with when returning to the property.
Any room in the property where floodwater is still submerging electrical sockets should be avoided - the floodwater may be energised by the electrical current. Only enter the flooded room when it is safe to do so - i.e. when the power is cut or when the water has completely subsided.
Even if the mains electricity was turned off, be aware that electrical wiring and appliances could have been damaged by the floodwater. Therefore, before switching back on the supply, you should arrange to have wiring inspected and appliances tested.
Similarly, the gas appliances – once filled with water – could well become defective or even dangerous. You would act prudently by calling in a gas engineer to check it out before switching them on.
Sewage and contamination
Floodwater is never clean. If your local authority pumps waste water from sewers through the same storm drain system as run-off rainwater from the street, floodwater entering your property will most likely be contaminated with raw sewage. Pesticide and chemical contaminants may also be present. If they are your local water authority and the Environment Agency will alert your community to this issue. Should the source of flooding be a river or other watercourse, there is a high probability that the water will contain waterborne diseases as well, such as Weil's Disease.
To avoid infection and health issues arising from sewage and other floodwater contaminants, appropriate clothing should be worn. Rubber gloves are recommended when handling infected items, and if wading through floodwater, goggles should be used to protect the eyes from water splashes.
Notes for landlords
It is your responsibility to ensure that your rental property is assessed as safe for tenants to re-enter after a flood. You should therefore liaise with the local authorities and the emergency services for advice on when it is safe to return to the property. You should also arrange for clear-up and drying operations in the property and for the inspection of electrical and gas installations so they are passed as safe to use again.
The use of dehumidifiers – an appliance that reduces the level of humidity in the air – could speed up the drying process, in addition to preventing various health risks, as humid air can cause mould and mildew to grow inside homes.
In rental properties, you – the landlord- are responsible for these inspections after a flood. Employ the services of a qualified person for this task. Appliance testing comes under the remit of the landlord too where appliances in the property were supplied by you for the tenant's use. If the appliances are supplied / owned by the tenant then it is down to the tenant to arrange for those appliances that were affected by the floodwater to be tested.
Repairs may need to be carried out to flood-damaged areas. For example, carpets may need replacing, walls may need replastering and redecorating. Depending upon the terms of your agreement with the tenant, you may need to find the tenant alternative temporary accommodation during the clean-up and repair process.
Remember, floodwaters are dangerous. Only re-enter your property when the local authority and emergency services recommend that it is safe to do so.
No guessing with gas
Natural gas for heating and cooking is a fuel that is often perceived as a cheap alternative to electricity. Some even prefer to use it instead of electricity. But for all the convenience it brings, we should remember that gas has a deadly side to it, says Menashe Scharf
Not only can gas bring about carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of appliances not burning their fuel efficiently, but a build up of gas can also cause an explosion due to its high level of flammability. Great care must therefore be taken in installing and maintaining gas appliances, and also in their use.
In the home
The Health and Safety Executive recommend that domestic gas appliances in the home be checked for their continued safety once every 12 months. Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, only Council of Register Gas Installers (CORGI) engineers are allowed to service and maintain gas appliances. In fact it is now illegal for an unqualified person to interfere with the gas supply into a property, or work on or install a gas appliance. Anyone installing a gas cooker for example must be CORGI-Registered. Homeowners with knowledge of gas appliance installations could disconnect and/or reconnect bayonet fittings if they wanted to - for the latest rules governing this please refer to the 1998 Regulations and updates provided by the Health and Safety Executive. But the law states that a CORGI-Registered engineer MUST be the person who connects the hose / appliance to the gas supply.
In rented property
Renting out property in the UK requires that landlords adhere to a mass of laws to ensure the safety of their tenants. Among them is the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Under this umbrella of legislation landlords must:
Use a CORGI-Registered engineer for installation of new gas appliances, pipe work and flues -- the flues being the pipes and vents that remove burnt gas from appliances and out of the house.
Use a CORGI-Registered engineer for maintenance of gas appliances, pipe work and flues (as above).
Arrange for annual gas safety checks at the rented property every 12 months. Checks are to be performed by a CORGI-Registered engineer. If gas installations are passed as safe the engineer will issue a Gas Safety Certificate. Should repair work be necessary, the landlord MUST (by law) enlist the services of a CORGI-Registered engineer to carry out the repair work.
Keep records of safety checks for a minimum of two years.
Provide a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate to existing tenants in the property within 28 days of issue by the engineer. For new tenants a copy of the current Gas Safety Certificate must be supplied at the beginning of the tenancy.
For landlords the requirements may seem like a lot of red tape, and just a further expense in running a rental property. However, the Regulations are there for a reason -- to save lives.
Safety checks
In September 2005 52-year old Charles Cook from the Middleton area of Greater Manchester suffered serious burns after a gas explosion at his home in the early hours of the morning. The blast, thought to have been caused by a gas leak, destroyed the property and damaged neighbouring houses. Mr Cook was taken to hospital and spent time in intensive care to recover from the ordeal. Sadly, Mr Cook's experience is repeated all too often in homes around the country where regular safety checks on gas appliances have been absent. In some cases the blasts are fatal resulting in a tragic loss of life from situations that might have been avoided had safety checks been implemented.
What to do if you smell gas
While gas safety checks are designed to keep you safe long-term, there is still the chance that a gas appliance might malfunction, or that a gas leak develops in the pipe work between annual safety checks. If you smell gas, this is what you need to do:
Call the National Grid's Gas Emergency number immediately. It is a freephone number -- 0800 111 999
Open all doors and windows to help gas escape. DO NOT use light switches or handle a naked flame. Both could ignite the gas.
Shut off the gas supply. This is done at the meter cupboard by operating the shut-off valve. For your peace of mind and for your safety it is a good idea to locate and practice operating the shut off valve. By doing so you'll have practical experience to call on in the event of a real life gas emergency.
CORGI
CORGI started life as a voluntary organisation in 1970 following a gas cooker explosion in a block of flats in London that caused part of the building to collapse. Some 4,000 gas operatives joined the scheme initially, and by 1991 it became a statutory requirement for anyone working with gas to gain CORGI registration. Today CORGI has some 110,000 engineers operating in the UK. Their work is regulated in the field by CORGI inspectors, each CORGI engineer being required to prove their competence with gas once every five years.
Not only can gas bring about carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of appliances not burning their fuel efficiently, but a build up of gas can also cause an explosion due to its high level of flammability. Great care must therefore be taken in installing and maintaining gas appliances, and also in their use.
In the home
The Health and Safety Executive recommend that domestic gas appliances in the home be checked for their continued safety once every 12 months. Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, only Council of Register Gas Installers (CORGI) engineers are allowed to service and maintain gas appliances. In fact it is now illegal for an unqualified person to interfere with the gas supply into a property, or work on or install a gas appliance. Anyone installing a gas cooker for example must be CORGI-Registered. Homeowners with knowledge of gas appliance installations could disconnect and/or reconnect bayonet fittings if they wanted to - for the latest rules governing this please refer to the 1998 Regulations and updates provided by the Health and Safety Executive. But the law states that a CORGI-Registered engineer MUST be the person who connects the hose / appliance to the gas supply.
In rented property
Renting out property in the UK requires that landlords adhere to a mass of laws to ensure the safety of their tenants. Among them is the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Under this umbrella of legislation landlords must:
Use a CORGI-Registered engineer for installation of new gas appliances, pipe work and flues -- the flues being the pipes and vents that remove burnt gas from appliances and out of the house.
Use a CORGI-Registered engineer for maintenance of gas appliances, pipe work and flues (as above).
Arrange for annual gas safety checks at the rented property every 12 months. Checks are to be performed by a CORGI-Registered engineer. If gas installations are passed as safe the engineer will issue a Gas Safety Certificate. Should repair work be necessary, the landlord MUST (by law) enlist the services of a CORGI-Registered engineer to carry out the repair work.
Keep records of safety checks for a minimum of two years.
Provide a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate to existing tenants in the property within 28 days of issue by the engineer. For new tenants a copy of the current Gas Safety Certificate must be supplied at the beginning of the tenancy.
For landlords the requirements may seem like a lot of red tape, and just a further expense in running a rental property. However, the Regulations are there for a reason -- to save lives.
Safety checks
In September 2005 52-year old Charles Cook from the Middleton area of Greater Manchester suffered serious burns after a gas explosion at his home in the early hours of the morning. The blast, thought to have been caused by a gas leak, destroyed the property and damaged neighbouring houses. Mr Cook was taken to hospital and spent time in intensive care to recover from the ordeal. Sadly, Mr Cook's experience is repeated all too often in homes around the country where regular safety checks on gas appliances have been absent. In some cases the blasts are fatal resulting in a tragic loss of life from situations that might have been avoided had safety checks been implemented.
What to do if you smell gas
While gas safety checks are designed to keep you safe long-term, there is still the chance that a gas appliance might malfunction, or that a gas leak develops in the pipe work between annual safety checks. If you smell gas, this is what you need to do:
Call the National Grid's Gas Emergency number immediately. It is a freephone number -- 0800 111 999
Open all doors and windows to help gas escape. DO NOT use light switches or handle a naked flame. Both could ignite the gas.
Shut off the gas supply. This is done at the meter cupboard by operating the shut-off valve. For your peace of mind and for your safety it is a good idea to locate and practice operating the shut off valve. By doing so you'll have practical experience to call on in the event of a real life gas emergency.
CORGI
CORGI started life as a voluntary organisation in 1970 following a gas cooker explosion in a block of flats in London that caused part of the building to collapse. Some 4,000 gas operatives joined the scheme initially, and by 1991 it became a statutory requirement for anyone working with gas to gain CORGI registration. Today CORGI has some 110,000 engineers operating in the UK. Their work is regulated in the field by CORGI inspectors, each CORGI engineer being required to prove their competence with gas once every five years.
Legionnaire's Disease and your Property
Reports surfacing about a new outbreak of legionnaire's disease appear from time to time.
But how serious should they be taken? Menasche Scharf suggests very seriously
The reports normally follow a pattern. They tell of people being taken ill at a public place, such as at a swimming pool or in an air conditioned building, and of investigators having identified high concentrations of the legionella bacteria in the property's water system as being the cause. In the most severe cases the outbreak becomes fatal, lives being lost as a result of the property owner not taking sufficient precautions to assess and control the risk. But what is less well-publicised is the fact that the legionella bacteria is often present in all natural and manmade water systems, domestic hot and cold water systems included. In small concentrations the bacteria is harmless. Let it accumulate though and you could find yourself dealing with an outbreak of legionnaire's disease in your own home!
What is legionnaire's disease?
Named after a severe outbreak of illness at a meeting of the American Legion in 1976, legionnaire's disease is a potentially lethal form of pneumonia. It is caused by the inhalation of water droplets / moisture from water sources containing high amounts of the legionella bacteria. Not everyone who inhales moisture laden with the bacteria contracts the disease. Fit and healthy people with strong immune systems, especially those younger than 20 years of age, are very unlikely to have a problem. Males over the age of 45 are most at risk. If the victim is a smoker and/or a heavy drinker, or if the person exposed to the bacteria suffers from respiratory illnesses or has an impaired immune system, the chances of catching legionnaire's disease is that much higher.
The symptoms
Self-diagnosis of legionnaire's disease is not easy. The symptoms are very similar to common flu. Look out for…
Fever and high temperature
Chills
Muscle pains
Cough
Diarrhoea
Pneumonia
Mental confusion
The easiest way to determine if you have legionnaire's disease is to visit your doctor. They can prescribe a test to help identify the disease. If the disease is circulating in your community your doctor will be aware of this too - a factor that could aid in your diagnosis.
Legionnaire risk assessment and solutions
Legionnaire's disease is caught only from water sources containing high levels of the legionella bacteria. A build up of the bacteria happens over time in water that stagnates. Optimum conditions for development are when the temperature of the water is consistently between 20°c and 45°c, and where there is rust, sludge or organic material present in the system. Very quickly, over a matter of months, legionella can multiply to a dangerously high concentration.
While it is true that blocks of flats, office buildings and other large-scale premises, where water has a greater opportunity to stagnate, are most at risk of harbouring the legionella bacteria, on rare occasions it can be problematic in residential property. The question you have to ask yourself then is: are you and your family at risk in your own home? If the domestic hot and cold water systems are in almost constant use it is unlikely that the water will remain stagnant enough for the bacteria really to get any sort of a foothold. However, if there are baths, showers and taps in rooms that are rarely used there is an opportunity for the bacteria to grow in the pipes where the water is not moving. If you leave your home unoccupied for several months, again there is a risk that the bacteria could build up in your water system. Redundant pipe work (deadlegs), such as a pipe to a washing machine that is no longer in use, is another environment for the bacteria to grow - especially if there is debris in the system, this being the bacteria's 'food'.
So what should you do if you think that your water system is at risk? Well, unfortunately, there's no alarm system available yet to alert you to a build up of the bacteria. It's therefore down to you to take preventative action. First, consider regularly flushing your water system through - i.e. open all taps and water outlets and let the water run for a few minutes. Also, look to remove any redundant pipe work and clean the system so it is free from debris. Replacing old steel and lead pipes with modern copper alternatives can help reduce the risk too, as can regularly bleeding your radiators. Another precautionary measure is to periodically increase the temperature of your hot water tank to 60°c or above for a few days at a time: the bacteria is unable to survive in water above this temperature. Finally, if you are worried that your water system is already infected, you can use a chlorine disinfectant to cleanse it. Should you opt for this course of action do flush the system through thoroughly before recommencing normal use.
Renting your home?
In a recent change to government legislation providers of residential accommodation are now fully responsible for protecting their tenants from exposure to legionnaire's disease, just as commercial premises are. By law, to control legionella, you are required to carry out a risk assessment of your premises and introduce measures to control risk where it is found. For more information on how to implement risk assessment and control measures you should contact the Health and Safety Executive.
But how serious should they be taken? Menasche Scharf suggests very seriously
The reports normally follow a pattern. They tell of people being taken ill at a public place, such as at a swimming pool or in an air conditioned building, and of investigators having identified high concentrations of the legionella bacteria in the property's water system as being the cause. In the most severe cases the outbreak becomes fatal, lives being lost as a result of the property owner not taking sufficient precautions to assess and control the risk. But what is less well-publicised is the fact that the legionella bacteria is often present in all natural and manmade water systems, domestic hot and cold water systems included. In small concentrations the bacteria is harmless. Let it accumulate though and you could find yourself dealing with an outbreak of legionnaire's disease in your own home!
What is legionnaire's disease?
Named after a severe outbreak of illness at a meeting of the American Legion in 1976, legionnaire's disease is a potentially lethal form of pneumonia. It is caused by the inhalation of water droplets / moisture from water sources containing high amounts of the legionella bacteria. Not everyone who inhales moisture laden with the bacteria contracts the disease. Fit and healthy people with strong immune systems, especially those younger than 20 years of age, are very unlikely to have a problem. Males over the age of 45 are most at risk. If the victim is a smoker and/or a heavy drinker, or if the person exposed to the bacteria suffers from respiratory illnesses or has an impaired immune system, the chances of catching legionnaire's disease is that much higher.
The symptoms
Self-diagnosis of legionnaire's disease is not easy. The symptoms are very similar to common flu. Look out for…
Fever and high temperature
Chills
Muscle pains
Cough
Diarrhoea
Pneumonia
Mental confusion
The easiest way to determine if you have legionnaire's disease is to visit your doctor. They can prescribe a test to help identify the disease. If the disease is circulating in your community your doctor will be aware of this too - a factor that could aid in your diagnosis.
Legionnaire risk assessment and solutions
Legionnaire's disease is caught only from water sources containing high levels of the legionella bacteria. A build up of the bacteria happens over time in water that stagnates. Optimum conditions for development are when the temperature of the water is consistently between 20°c and 45°c, and where there is rust, sludge or organic material present in the system. Very quickly, over a matter of months, legionella can multiply to a dangerously high concentration.
While it is true that blocks of flats, office buildings and other large-scale premises, where water has a greater opportunity to stagnate, are most at risk of harbouring the legionella bacteria, on rare occasions it can be problematic in residential property. The question you have to ask yourself then is: are you and your family at risk in your own home? If the domestic hot and cold water systems are in almost constant use it is unlikely that the water will remain stagnant enough for the bacteria really to get any sort of a foothold. However, if there are baths, showers and taps in rooms that are rarely used there is an opportunity for the bacteria to grow in the pipes where the water is not moving. If you leave your home unoccupied for several months, again there is a risk that the bacteria could build up in your water system. Redundant pipe work (deadlegs), such as a pipe to a washing machine that is no longer in use, is another environment for the bacteria to grow - especially if there is debris in the system, this being the bacteria's 'food'.
So what should you do if you think that your water system is at risk? Well, unfortunately, there's no alarm system available yet to alert you to a build up of the bacteria. It's therefore down to you to take preventative action. First, consider regularly flushing your water system through - i.e. open all taps and water outlets and let the water run for a few minutes. Also, look to remove any redundant pipe work and clean the system so it is free from debris. Replacing old steel and lead pipes with modern copper alternatives can help reduce the risk too, as can regularly bleeding your radiators. Another precautionary measure is to periodically increase the temperature of your hot water tank to 60°c or above for a few days at a time: the bacteria is unable to survive in water above this temperature. Finally, if you are worried that your water system is already infected, you can use a chlorine disinfectant to cleanse it. Should you opt for this course of action do flush the system through thoroughly before recommencing normal use.
Renting your home?
In a recent change to government legislation providers of residential accommodation are now fully responsible for protecting their tenants from exposure to legionnaire's disease, just as commercial premises are. By law, to control legionella, you are required to carry out a risk assessment of your premises and introduce measures to control risk where it is found. For more information on how to implement risk assessment and control measures you should contact the Health and Safety Executive.
A burning issue
Figures show that there are now more homes fitted with smoke alarms than ever before in the UK. Compared with 20 years ago this represents a ten-fold jump in smoke alarm ownership. Menasche Scharf recommends you follow the pattern
There is still much work to do in terms of promoting smoke alarm awareness. Not only are hundreds of thousands of homeowners and tenants exposed to fire hazards without any sort of smoke alarm device installed in their properties, but a significant number of householders who do have alarms fail to maintain their units, or even check that they are working properly.
TYPES
Ionisation alarms are the cheapest and most readily available. They are highly sensitive to smoke particles and will sound the alarm whenever a threshold number of particles enter the unit's ionisation chamber. But be warned - these types of alarms are easily set off by extraneous smoke from cooking. It is therefore best to place any ionisation alarm that you have well away from the kitchen area, otherwise you may find yourself constantly wafting a tea towel at it!
Optical smoke alarms are the alternative. These units sense fire by using an infrared emitting diode and photo diode to detect smoke particles entering the diode housing chamber. When the light beams are broken the alarm sounds. For smouldering fires, such as those that involve the burning of foam-filled furniture, optical smoke alarms are the best. They can pick up on these sorts of fires much more quickly than an ionisation unit can.
Fire safety officers actually recommend that both types of alarm be installed in your property. But, if you can't afford both, one alarm is better than none!
When making your choice you should also consider the volume of the alarm. All alarms have a a decibel (dBA) rating. This generally ranges from 55dBA (quietest) to 90dBA (loudest). In a normal situation where the alarm is needed to wake healthy adults from a deep sleep at 4am, an alarm of 55dBA to 65dBA will do the job. But, if you are hard of hearing a louder alarm is recommended.
Just to be sure that your smoke alarm will wake you from a deep sleep it is worth testing it out in your own home. You could have someone set off the alarm during the night to see if or how quickly you wake up. If you sleep through the noise, you need a louder alarm!
POSITIONING
As smoke always rises a smoke alarm performs best if it is secured to the ceiling. Ideally, you should have at least one smoke alarm per floor of your property. These should be located in common access areas, such as on your landing and hallway or at the foot of your stairs.
For total peace of mind it is worth considering positioning a smoke alarm in every room where there is a large electrical appliance. This includes lounge areas and bedrooms. Once installed, check your smoke alarms on a regular basis. Use the 'test' button on the alarm unit to make sure it is in good working order every week; change the battery every year, and replace the units completely at least once every ten years. If you have the decorators in, do make a special effort to check your alarm after they've gone. If there's been dust flying about they might have removed the battery to stop it constantly going off.
Remember - a smoke alarm is only of any use if it actually works!
There is still much work to do in terms of promoting smoke alarm awareness. Not only are hundreds of thousands of homeowners and tenants exposed to fire hazards without any sort of smoke alarm device installed in their properties, but a significant number of householders who do have alarms fail to maintain their units, or even check that they are working properly.
TYPES
Ionisation alarms are the cheapest and most readily available. They are highly sensitive to smoke particles and will sound the alarm whenever a threshold number of particles enter the unit's ionisation chamber. But be warned - these types of alarms are easily set off by extraneous smoke from cooking. It is therefore best to place any ionisation alarm that you have well away from the kitchen area, otherwise you may find yourself constantly wafting a tea towel at it!
Optical smoke alarms are the alternative. These units sense fire by using an infrared emitting diode and photo diode to detect smoke particles entering the diode housing chamber. When the light beams are broken the alarm sounds. For smouldering fires, such as those that involve the burning of foam-filled furniture, optical smoke alarms are the best. They can pick up on these sorts of fires much more quickly than an ionisation unit can.
Fire safety officers actually recommend that both types of alarm be installed in your property. But, if you can't afford both, one alarm is better than none!
When making your choice you should also consider the volume of the alarm. All alarms have a a decibel (dBA) rating. This generally ranges from 55dBA (quietest) to 90dBA (loudest). In a normal situation where the alarm is needed to wake healthy adults from a deep sleep at 4am, an alarm of 55dBA to 65dBA will do the job. But, if you are hard of hearing a louder alarm is recommended.
Just to be sure that your smoke alarm will wake you from a deep sleep it is worth testing it out in your own home. You could have someone set off the alarm during the night to see if or how quickly you wake up. If you sleep through the noise, you need a louder alarm!
POSITIONING
As smoke always rises a smoke alarm performs best if it is secured to the ceiling. Ideally, you should have at least one smoke alarm per floor of your property. These should be located in common access areas, such as on your landing and hallway or at the foot of your stairs.
For total peace of mind it is worth considering positioning a smoke alarm in every room where there is a large electrical appliance. This includes lounge areas and bedrooms. Once installed, check your smoke alarms on a regular basis. Use the 'test' button on the alarm unit to make sure it is in good working order every week; change the battery every year, and replace the units completely at least once every ten years. If you have the decorators in, do make a special effort to check your alarm after they've gone. If there's been dust flying about they might have removed the battery to stop it constantly going off.
Remember - a smoke alarm is only of any use if it actually works!
The poison within
Carbon Monoxide poisoning is a real and ever-present danger in the home. Don’t wait till it’s too late to check it out, says Menashe Scharf
Each year more than 250 people in the UK are accidentally poisoned in their homes by carbon monoxide gas from a boiler or cooker. On average, around 50 of these poisonings will be fatal - although some sources suggest the number of fatalities to be higher. Of those who survive a significant number end up enduring long-term injuries and disability that stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Nausea, headaches, dizziness and tiredness are the common symptoms to look out for. If you're feeling ill in your home but feel better outside, at work or on holiday, you could very well be suffering the effects of low-level carbon monoxide poisoning. Frighteningly, exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide wreaks havoc very quickly. Within a couple of minutes of exposure we could suffer serious illness. A few minutes later we could lose consciousness or worse.
The statistics certainly make grim reading - and the chief reason why is that carbon monoxide, to all intents and purposes, is invisible to the human senses. You can't smell it. You can't see it. You can't taste it. Basically, if you don't know that it is there you may not realise that you've been poisoned until it's too late!
Carbon monoxide is a by-product of burning fossil fuels such as gas, oil, coal and wood. When burning takes place in a confined space or in a room without adequate ventilation, the oxygen in the air is used up in the burning process. This results in the release of carbon dioxide (Co2).
This, while not poisonous in itself in this situation, does hinder the supply of oxygen reaching the burning fuel. This in turn makes the burning process inefficient. Fuel that is not fully combusted then begins to throw carbon monoxide out into the air. The silent killer is unleashed.
In the home gas burning and wood burning appliances have the most potential to bring about carbon monoxide poisoning. Gas stoves, gas boilers, wood burners, open coal fires and gas heaters all pose a risk, that is unless you take preventative action to tackle the threat.
TOP SAFETY TIPS
A regular safety check on your fuel burning appliances is the solution that will stop you from becoming another carbon monoxide poisoning statistic.
Check the flame colour of your gas appliances. The flame should burn a brilliant blue. If it burns more orange than blue then you have a problem. Switch the appliance off and call out a gas engineer immediately. For gas boilers and gas fires do get a corgi-registered engineer to service the appliances every year.
Gas flues should be checked to make sure that they are not blocked. It is not that uncommon for birds to choose the end of a flue pipe as a nesting site. This could restrict outflow of carbon monoxide fumes and lead to a build up of the deadly gas around the vented appliance. Likewise, if you have a chimney running off an open fireplace do keep a regular eye out for nesting birds. Employing the services of a chimney sweep can help you out here.
Check too that your air bricks and vents are free from blockages. This is especially important in your kitchen area and any other room where you have gas appliances or a gas boiler.
For the ultimate preventative measure install a carbon monoxide detector in every room of your home where there is a fuel burning appliance. Detectors cost between £10 and £20 each and are fitted to the ceiling in the same way as a smoke alarm. It's a small price to pay for equipment that could end up saving your life.
Each year more than 250 people in the UK are accidentally poisoned in their homes by carbon monoxide gas from a boiler or cooker. On average, around 50 of these poisonings will be fatal - although some sources suggest the number of fatalities to be higher. Of those who survive a significant number end up enduring long-term injuries and disability that stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Nausea, headaches, dizziness and tiredness are the common symptoms to look out for. If you're feeling ill in your home but feel better outside, at work or on holiday, you could very well be suffering the effects of low-level carbon monoxide poisoning. Frighteningly, exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide wreaks havoc very quickly. Within a couple of minutes of exposure we could suffer serious illness. A few minutes later we could lose consciousness or worse.
The statistics certainly make grim reading - and the chief reason why is that carbon monoxide, to all intents and purposes, is invisible to the human senses. You can't smell it. You can't see it. You can't taste it. Basically, if you don't know that it is there you may not realise that you've been poisoned until it's too late!
Carbon monoxide is a by-product of burning fossil fuels such as gas, oil, coal and wood. When burning takes place in a confined space or in a room without adequate ventilation, the oxygen in the air is used up in the burning process. This results in the release of carbon dioxide (Co2).
This, while not poisonous in itself in this situation, does hinder the supply of oxygen reaching the burning fuel. This in turn makes the burning process inefficient. Fuel that is not fully combusted then begins to throw carbon monoxide out into the air. The silent killer is unleashed.
In the home gas burning and wood burning appliances have the most potential to bring about carbon monoxide poisoning. Gas stoves, gas boilers, wood burners, open coal fires and gas heaters all pose a risk, that is unless you take preventative action to tackle the threat.
TOP SAFETY TIPS
A regular safety check on your fuel burning appliances is the solution that will stop you from becoming another carbon monoxide poisoning statistic.
Check the flame colour of your gas appliances. The flame should burn a brilliant blue. If it burns more orange than blue then you have a problem. Switch the appliance off and call out a gas engineer immediately. For gas boilers and gas fires do get a corgi-registered engineer to service the appliances every year.
Gas flues should be checked to make sure that they are not blocked. It is not that uncommon for birds to choose the end of a flue pipe as a nesting site. This could restrict outflow of carbon monoxide fumes and lead to a build up of the deadly gas around the vented appliance. Likewise, if you have a chimney running off an open fireplace do keep a regular eye out for nesting birds. Employing the services of a chimney sweep can help you out here.
Check too that your air bricks and vents are free from blockages. This is especially important in your kitchen area and any other room where you have gas appliances or a gas boiler.
For the ultimate preventative measure install a carbon monoxide detector in every room of your home where there is a fuel burning appliance. Detectors cost between £10 and £20 each and are fitted to the ceiling in the same way as a smoke alarm. It's a small price to pay for equipment that could end up saving your life.
Flood-wise
Menasche Scharf has some timely advice for homeowners on how to deal with a deluge
If you didn’t know already, it was the wettest June on record. In some places as much as a month's worth of rainfall fell in a day. Flooding became a widespread problem through the North and East Midlands, and through Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, where thousands of homes and businesses became submerged under several feet of water for days on end. The situation became so severe that the Army was called in to help.
London and Manchester escaped lightly, more by luck than anything else. The likes of Sheffield and Hull were not so fortunate. Damage to property is expected to run into the £millions in the two cities alone. Elsewhere, the floods claimed lives and cut off whole villages. The clear-up operation may take months, and for many who suffered life will never be the same again.
The questions on everyone's lips right now is why did this happen? Floods often arrive silently and without warning. Intense rainfall is the cause. It saturates the ground and fills up watercourses to bursting point. If the rain continues to fall, rivers then start to overflow, rapidly spreading water across their floodplains. Urban storm drains too struggle to cope. They bubble water back up onto roads and paths, adding to the unfolding flood chaos. When this happens, very quickly - sometimes within minutes - streets and houses can find themselves under water.
Will it happen again? Yes - without a doubt! Flooding is not an uncommon problem, although the areas affected are rarely as widespread as we saw in June 2007. North-west London succumbed to floods that closed roads and tube stations in August 2004. Thunderstorms last July brought a similar fate to parts of Manchester. Next time, it could be you!
Are you at risk?
Low-lying urban areas and locations that are close to rivers or on a river floodplain are most at risk from flooding. These are the places where floodwaters collect when it has nowhere else to go. The government's Environment Agency estimates that over five million of us live in these flood-prone areas, and are at risk of being affected by floods every time there is prolonged intense rainfall.
To help you find out if you are one of the five million at risk, the Environment Agency has published a flood risk map. It highlights all locations across England and Wales that are considered to be 'under threat' from future flood events. Areas are graded from high risk through to low risk. If you find yourself to be in a high risk area you'll need to take steps to counter the threat - and I'm not joking here. Scientists tell us that our world is warming. As a result, flooding in the UK is only likely to become more frequent. If you're in a flood-prone area chances are you'll experience those murky waters lapping at your front door sooner than you might have thought!
Preventative measures
So, what should you do if you find yourself on the flood risk list? Well, you could always move! Failing this, the next best thing is to put in place some preventative measures. If the worst were then to happen and your home or business was flooded, you'd at least know that you'd have done all you could to limit the damage.
Your measures should start with a 'flood escape plan'. So, just as you would do in the event of a fire, plan your escape route away from the danger zone and make sure that everyone in the property knows exactly what to do and where to go. Your priority should be to get to higher ground or to a safe location away from the area's main watercourses. Before leaving your property it is important to turn off your electricity supply at the mains.
If possible, store valuables and irreplaceables in upstairs rooms as a matter of course and be sure to keep all of your building and contents insurance policies up to date. To cover the cost of vehicle damage by floodwater you'll need comprehensive insurance…third party insurance just won't cut it in most instances.
Consider, too, keeping all insurance documents in waterproof bags in an upstairs room. It will certainly make the claims process easier to handle should floodwaters inundate your property.
The aftermath
Always put safety first when clearing up after a flood. You should only return to your property once the floodwaters have subsided, and when you are confident that the building is structurally sound. If you did not have time to switch off the electricity before you evacuated the property then you should consult your energy supplier before re-entering. Stay vigilant too for gas leaks and, if wading through floodwater, be mindful of what might lurk beneath the surface.
If you didn’t know already, it was the wettest June on record. In some places as much as a month's worth of rainfall fell in a day. Flooding became a widespread problem through the North and East Midlands, and through Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, where thousands of homes and businesses became submerged under several feet of water for days on end. The situation became so severe that the Army was called in to help.
London and Manchester escaped lightly, more by luck than anything else. The likes of Sheffield and Hull were not so fortunate. Damage to property is expected to run into the £millions in the two cities alone. Elsewhere, the floods claimed lives and cut off whole villages. The clear-up operation may take months, and for many who suffered life will never be the same again.
The questions on everyone's lips right now is why did this happen? Floods often arrive silently and without warning. Intense rainfall is the cause. It saturates the ground and fills up watercourses to bursting point. If the rain continues to fall, rivers then start to overflow, rapidly spreading water across their floodplains. Urban storm drains too struggle to cope. They bubble water back up onto roads and paths, adding to the unfolding flood chaos. When this happens, very quickly - sometimes within minutes - streets and houses can find themselves under water.
Will it happen again? Yes - without a doubt! Flooding is not an uncommon problem, although the areas affected are rarely as widespread as we saw in June 2007. North-west London succumbed to floods that closed roads and tube stations in August 2004. Thunderstorms last July brought a similar fate to parts of Manchester. Next time, it could be you!
Are you at risk?
Low-lying urban areas and locations that are close to rivers or on a river floodplain are most at risk from flooding. These are the places where floodwaters collect when it has nowhere else to go. The government's Environment Agency estimates that over five million of us live in these flood-prone areas, and are at risk of being affected by floods every time there is prolonged intense rainfall.
To help you find out if you are one of the five million at risk, the Environment Agency has published a flood risk map. It highlights all locations across England and Wales that are considered to be 'under threat' from future flood events. Areas are graded from high risk through to low risk. If you find yourself to be in a high risk area you'll need to take steps to counter the threat - and I'm not joking here. Scientists tell us that our world is warming. As a result, flooding in the UK is only likely to become more frequent. If you're in a flood-prone area chances are you'll experience those murky waters lapping at your front door sooner than you might have thought!
Preventative measures
So, what should you do if you find yourself on the flood risk list? Well, you could always move! Failing this, the next best thing is to put in place some preventative measures. If the worst were then to happen and your home or business was flooded, you'd at least know that you'd have done all you could to limit the damage.
Your measures should start with a 'flood escape plan'. So, just as you would do in the event of a fire, plan your escape route away from the danger zone and make sure that everyone in the property knows exactly what to do and where to go. Your priority should be to get to higher ground or to a safe location away from the area's main watercourses. Before leaving your property it is important to turn off your electricity supply at the mains.
If possible, store valuables and irreplaceables in upstairs rooms as a matter of course and be sure to keep all of your building and contents insurance policies up to date. To cover the cost of vehicle damage by floodwater you'll need comprehensive insurance…third party insurance just won't cut it in most instances.
Consider, too, keeping all insurance documents in waterproof bags in an upstairs room. It will certainly make the claims process easier to handle should floodwaters inundate your property.
The aftermath
Always put safety first when clearing up after a flood. You should only return to your property once the floodwaters have subsided, and when you are confident that the building is structurally sound. If you did not have time to switch off the electricity before you evacuated the property then you should consult your energy supplier before re-entering. Stay vigilant too for gas leaks and, if wading through floodwater, be mindful of what might lurk beneath the surface.
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