Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS): Operating guidance
Guidance on how to conduct inspections and assessment of hazards in housing under the HHSRS.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is used to assess health and safety hazards in homes. It is risk-based, set out in regulation and covers a range of 21 potential hazards.
An HHSRS assessment evaluates the potential risk of harm to an occupier and rates the seriousness of any hazard identified. Local authorities must take enforcement action if they find health and safety hazards at the most dangerous ‘category 1’ level and have a power to enforce ‘category 2’ hazards.
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Part 1 of the guidance sets out the theory and principles behind the HHSRS and the process an assessor must follow to determine what risk a dwelling poses to its inhabitants.
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Part 2 of the guidance contains technical information to support assessors. It contains a series of hazard profiles providing essential information on each of the 21 hazards.
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Part 3 of the guidance contains additional guidance on inspection of the fire and explosions hazard, providing information beyond the hazard profile, to assist in property inspection and risk assessment.
The HHSRS operating guidance is provided under section 9 of the Housing Act 2004. Local authorities are required to have regard to it when assessing hazards. It replaces the previous operating guidance issued in 2006.