Module 3 · Health, Law and Duty
3.3 The HHSRS and Hazard Assessment
9 min read
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System is how English and Welsh housing conditions are formally assessed, and it is routinely misunderstood as a list of things a house must have. It is not. It is a risk assessment: for each of a set of defined hazards, how likely is a harmful occurrence in the next twelve months, and how bad would the outcomes be. Understanding that structure changes what evidence you gather and what your report is for.
Learning objectives
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Explain the HHSRS assessment structure and what a hazard score represents.
- Apply the vulnerable-occupant principle correctly.
- Distinguish Category 1 and Category 2 hazards and the duties each carries.
- Gather evidence that supports an HHSRS assessment rather than merely describing a defect.
Key terms
- Likelihood
- The chance of a harmful occurrence arising from the hazard within the next twelve months, for the vulnerable age group, expressed as a ratio.
- Spread of harms
- The distribution of outcomes across four severity classes, from Class I (extreme, including death) to Class IV (minor), if an occurrence happens.
- Vulnerable group
- The age group most vulnerable to that particular hazard. Assessment is made against that group whether or not they currently live there.
- Category 1 hazard
- A hazard scoring above the statutory threshold. Places a duty on the local authority to take enforcement action, rather than a discretion.
Read the rest of Health, Law and Duty
Module 1 is open to everyone. The remaining six modules — building science, each damp mechanism in depth, meters and thermal imaging, the full inspection method, and report writing — are free too. We just ask for an email so you can pick up where you left off, and so we can send your certificate when you finish.