Part thirty-seven

• Every year about 20 people die as a result of scalds caused by hot bath water, and a further 570 suffer serious scald injuries (BuildCert research).
  
• The elderly and children are particularly vulnerable, as are the mentally and physically disabled.
  
• An amendment to Part G of the Building Regulations (sanitation, hot water and water efficiency) now requires housebuilders to install protective devices such as TMVs on baths and showers from October 2009.
  
• Existing installations can be easily protected by fitting TMVs in the hot and cold water supplies for blended water at uniform, preset temperatures to baths, showers and basins.
  
• A risk assessment should be performed to determine whether the facilities are used and/or could be used by vulnerable people.
  
• Currently, hot water systems are designed to provide water at 500C. 
  
• Agreed hot water temperatures at ‘point of use’ are: 460C for bath fill; 410C for showers and washbasins; and 380C for bidets.
  
• However, 460C is not a safe bathing temperature, and if the temperature loss in the bath itself will not reduce that temperature, then the hot water temperature should be specifically controlled down to 370C/37.50C.
  
• TMV selection is important, and BuildCert approved equipment should be fitted.
  
• “Most problems come from installers fitting a valve in the way they fitted a previous one. It may sound glib, but simply take five minutes to read the manufacturer’s instructions.”
  
  Guy Franklin, MD of BuildCert.
  
   
   
   
   
  
  

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