Double glazed Window went bang and shattered advice needed?

MalMonroe

Hi, how worrying for you. Not just that the window has shattered but also that you fear being fined by the Housing Association. You should stress that you were worried about the safety of your son because the window is the one in his bedroom. I think I'd have reported it on a bank holiday too, although I'm in a council property and they show as much concern as your Housing Association about anything that their tenants may think is an emergency. 

As MikeJXE says, above, it does appear that there's something wrong with the structure, somewhere because you couldn't close the window too. And you've had problems before - it does sound as if the Housing Association have been negligent.

If the Housing Association is awkward or you feel you are being treated unfairly, you could contact the Housing Ombudsman, details in the link below -

https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/

They say that they "look at complaints about the housing organisations that are registered with us. Our service is free, independent and impartial."

I hope this is helpful and that all goes well with getting the window examined and replaced. 

[Deleted User]

Thanks everyone, some one did come out in the end, a rather rude guy that didn't seem to care and said it would be fine and wanted to just st leave it as it was. 

He eventually came in and had a look and started tapping the shattered side which made it make more cracking and popping sounds. He eventually agreed to put something over it and put a piece of plaster board over window as it's all he had in van to make it safe.

Will have to wait and see if I'm fined and charged for visit.

Unfortunately I don't expect it to be fixed any time soon. Last time this happened it took them over 6 months to fix window. And last time it happened in winter.

My housing association is awful at doing repairs, it's a fight to get any thing repaired and when they do send some one out  they are normally cheap cowboys who never properly fix problem or don't have a clue what they are doing.

Just to give you a idea the first guy they sent out to try and fix boiler just stood there and started walking boiler with a wrench, said he couldn't fix it, then walked out and left.

We had no hot water or heating and it was -4 out side and thick snow.

They really are a joke. They don't care about there tenants only about taking there tenants money.

twopenny

Really feel for you. Any chance of you moving to another housing association? The hassle would be worth it.
But imo you were quite right to report it. Toughened or not without you knowing what caused it it was quite reasonable to think both sheets of glass could give way at any time and hurt your child or a passer by.
If you didn't report and that happened you would be at fault. So you can't win. 
If they do fine I would challenge that via the advice given earlier in the thread. I think you'd win.

As for getting a reputation with them if you don't stand firm they will see they can get away with more. 

TELLIT01

As it's happened before, my guess would be movement in the building, rather than a panel which has just failed, albeit rather spectacularly.  The company just covering the window with a spare sheet of plasterboard is obviously not acceptable.  If you get no help from the company you might want to raise it with your MP.  Housing Associations tend not to like pressure from that level.

HampshireH

TELLIT01 said:

As it's happened before, my guess would be movement in the building, rather than a panel which has just failed, albeit rather spectacularly.  The company just covering the window with a spare sheet of plasterboard is obviously not acceptable.  If you get no help from the company you might want to raise it with your MP.  Housing Associations tend not to like pressure from that level.

Out of hours for Councils and Housing Associations is a make safe service where a first time fix cannot be actioned. It is completely acceptable to cover the glass pending replacement glass being ordered and then refitted.

It prevents an injury and leaves it safe until a repair can be carried out.

The Housing will have a repairs standard with timescales in it. Glass will need to be ordered an then fitted within the timescales the Housing providers carries out repairs in.

If it isn't then the OP can follow the complaints process.

You won't find many emergency out of hours services which would replace the glass out of hours. They don't carry it around with them.

ampersand

How worrying all of this is for you, op, especially when the HA has demonstrated unhelpful behaviour and attitudes previously.
#
Contact your local councillors - remember, there were elections last week and you can involve them on your behalf.
Also contact your MP's constituency office. 

Rusty190

As an aside, @[Deleted User], how on earth are you managing with no hot water downstairs for the last 6 months?
Shocking.!
I hope you're sorted out soon - time to make a fuss, if not, and get outside agencies involved eg. Councillors, Citizens Advice etc.