Is this a health & safety issue ??

losgiganteskid

There is a row of identical houses in our street. The front door of the houses is set back so in effect there is a small porch to enter before reaching the front door. The window servicing the d/s cloakroom is next to the front door.

Certain of our neighbours have "filled in" this porch by installing another front door in so doing creating an enclosed porch.
However, the external opening window of the d/s cloakroom now opens out inside the enclosed porch (which in itself seems odd - plus the ventilation from the d/s loo with the window open empties (for the want of a better word) into the porch - where I would guess it would linger until such time as the outer front door is opened.

I am wondering if this would be a health and safety issue or an issue with lawyers if and when the property is sold- if any knowledgeable person could help answering this question I would be obliged. I hope to avoid knee jerk answers from unknowledgeable / guessing persons - thanks in advance.

Werdnal

Cannot see its a problem myself. My bathroom is on the ground floor and has no external window at all and that has never been an issue. The window it has, opens outwards into my utility area just inside my back door.

I believe there is no obligation for a bathroom/wc to have any window at all, although there may be a requirement for such an enclosed room to have an extractor fan installed.

googler

The ventilation would 'empty' into the adjacent hallway inside the house if the door is left slightly ajar, but this isn't seen as an H&S issue, AFAIK, so why would it be an issue for a porch?

Any residual odour will dissipate within any bathroom over time, and I've never heard of a case of anyone being struck down dead or incapacitated by entering a bathroom that's been left in a noxious state by a previous user... have you?

Owain_Moneysaver

It's a breach of Building Regulations unless the toilet window is replaced with an extractor fan ducted to the outside and controlled by the light switch with a run-on timer.

When selling the house the question will be asked whether there has been any building work carried out. Although old houses don't have to be brought up to current Regs, repairs and alterations must not make the non-compliance any worse (which obstructing the window would) and new work must be compliant.

There may also be planning or covenant issues with changing the appearance of the houses.

losgiganteskid

yes - thanks for that Owain - I rather think you are correct insofar that an extractor fan must be fitted so that this is controlled by the light switch and possibly a timer delay so the fan continues to operate after the light switch has been switched off.

Were can I find the particular reference to the Building Regs that apply in this case - any ideas ?

G_M

As Owain said, it depends WHEN the porch was enclosed.

If at that time, there were no building regs in force covering this particular issue, then

old houses don't have to be brought up to current Regs,

You don't make clear whether you are planning to enclose the porch yourself - in which case you must comply with current BRs, or whether you are concerned about future sale of a property which had the porch enclosed perhaps 30 years ago.....

losgiganteskid

The houses were built about 1999/2000 - not sure whether any rules applied at that time and the porches obviously built sometime after this date

Bigmoney2

Health and safety usually refers to the health and safety at work act.
Since a domestic residence isn't usually regarded as a work place under the act, then it wouldn't apply, however building regs would.

losgiganteskid

Thanks for that bigmoney - agree possibly not a health & safety but still need to try and locate where specifically the bld regs refer to having an extractor fan rather than a window not opening into the "fresh" air

propertyman

Erm unless you filled in your porch and you are selling whether or not it complies with building regulation is irrelevant to you.

Unless you want to do it in which case all you need to do is say so.

As long as the new porch is ventilated with an opening of sufficient size to purge it, it complies.

But your lobby will stink of poo :eek:

losgiganteskid

propertyman wrote: »

As long as the new porch is ventilated with an opening of sufficient size to purge it, it complies.
/QUOTE]

There is no ventilation in the new "porch" only when the front door is opened !!