BEAMA: TMVA welcomes Mary Creagh's pressure

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Tuesday, 16, Sep 2008 12:00

Alongside the TMVA - BEAMA’s group of thermostatic mixing valve manufacturers - and many others, a leading campaigner for the introduction of anti-scald legislation in the home is Mary Creagh, MP for Wakefield.

Now, she has submitted a written response supporting Option 4a of Part G of the Building Regulations consultation. This would see the introduction of a new requirement on the control of hot water temperature to baths in new dwellings, in extensions to dwellings and in dwellings created by change-of-use.

TMVA director Nic Mallinson has welcomed this continuation of pressure on the Government: “Working closely with the Hot Water Burns Like Fire Campaign, Mary Creagh has been at the vanguard in extolling the undoubted benefits of TMVs. By maintaining this momentum we hope the Government will finally see sense and take appropriate action regarding TMV installation.”

Mary Creagh comments: “We were disappointed that a proposal to change the Building Regulations to include TMVs was not included in the consultation. The reason given was that the cost/benefit analysis is inconclusive, which goes against every other cost benefit analysis carried out in Scotland, Australia, and the United States. They have all proved the efficacy of TMVs.

“Our analysis of the Impact Assessment shows that there are some key assumptions that are incorrect. Using revised assumptions we have shown that there is a genuine financial benefit to installing TMVs, quite aside from the overwhelming moral case. Lifetime burn costs had been underestimated, additional costs to the family ignored, and a new regulation would probably cause TMV prices to fall. These three factors change the cost benefit analysis into an overwhelming conclusion – that fitting TMVs will be worth it purely on economic grounds.

The MP continues: “There is also a much greater benefit from reducing scald injuries than outlined in the Impact Assessment. Providing a figure for the cost of treating scald injuries is very difficult, and the report authors have done as accurate a job as can be expected. However, the underestimate of costs associated with burns intensive care, and the failure to include loss of quality of life figures for injuries other than fatalities, have led to an artificially low level of benefits.

“We are convinced that our own revisions to the Impact Assessment will show ministers and officials that there is a very real financial benefit to be gained from reducing these appalling injuries, aside from the accepted moral case.

Note to editors

Background

In March 2006, Mary Creagh MP introduced a Private Members Bill calling for Building Regulations changes to make thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs) mandatory in all new-build and refurbished homes.

This June, Mary entered into a Westminster Hall Debate on the matter with Iain Wright, MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government.

Mary Creagh’s appeal

She recalled the tragic tale of Holly Devonport, a five-year-old from Wakefield, who fell into a scalding bath during a split second when her mother left the bathroom. Mary pointed out that statistically what happened to Holly would happen to another child that very day and every following day of the year.

Each year, she continued, some 600 people suffer third-degree burns from bathwater, three quarters of them being children under five; 20 people die from bathwater burns.

Mary’s aim is to effect a change in the law so that TMVs are fitted in all new, refurbished and change-of-use homes. She pointed out that similar legislation had been passed in Scotland, United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Previous Government response

Mary Creagh stated: “Over the past few years, I have pleaded with Ministers to widen the scope of consultations on Building Regulations to include the installation of TMVs. I am sorry to say that the Government’s position on this matter has not been consistent.”

In March 2008, Iain Wright, the MP responding in this debate, released a written statement indicating he was not minded to include TMVs in a review and that he would seek further information from stakeholders.

Impact assessment

A recently prepared impact assessment claimed the costs for installing TMVs far outweighed the benefits. Mary Creagh pointed out that this contradicted other cost-benefit analyses carried out in Scotland, Australia and the United States.

She said: “We are in a position to challenge some of the assessment’s key assumptions and to alter significantly the balance between cost and benefit.”

The assessment’s cost estimate assumed a unit TMV cost of £40, but Mary Creagh suggested this figure would fall as the result of mass production and greater competition if Regulations were changed.

She also challenged the estimated costs to the NHS. Many costs currently incurred had not been included; these would no longer apply if the Regulations were changed.

The MP has prepared a formal written response to the consultation reflecting a far more favourable outlook.

Minister’s response

Iain Wright stated: ”I was filled with horror at the experiences mentioned today… I am determined in my time in this post to address the points on which my Honourable Friend has so ably campaigned for several years, and sort the matter out to her satisfaction and the satisfaction of the people who campaign with her.”

More information

1. Written Ministerial Statement on Hot Water Safety made on June 22nd 2007.

http://pubs1.tso.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070621/wmstext/70621m0001.htm#07062148000017

2. Mary Creagh MP tabled her Ten-Minute Rule Bill, Prevention of Scalding Injuries (Bathing in the home) in the House of Commons on Wednesday 29th March 2006.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debate/?id=2006-03-29b.871.1

3. The Hot Water Burns Like Fire Campaign (www.hotwaterburnslikefire.org.uk) features representatives of:

Charities

Age Concern (www.ace.org.uk)

Child Accident Prevention Trust (www.capt.org.uk)

Children’s Fire and Burn Trust (www.childrensfireandburntrust.org.uk)

Help the Aged (www.helptheaged.org.uk)

RoSPA - The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents

(www.rospa.org.uk)

Associations

British Burn Association (www.britishburnassociation.org.uk)

Bathroom Manufacturers Association (www.bathroom-association.org.uk)

BuildCert (www.buildcert.com)

Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineers (www.iphe.org.uk)

Society of Public Health Engineers (www.cibse.org.uk)

Thermostatic Mixing Valve Manufacturers’ Association

(www.safehotwater.co.uk, www.tmva.org.uk)

Organisations

www.bre.co.uk

www.bsi-global.com

www.housingcorp.gov.uk_

Media enquiries

For more press information call Pete Robbins in Mary Creagh MP’s office on 0207 219 8766 or 07734 882 363.

Victor Wheeler, cerulean communication;

Tel: 020 8441 2021; Fax: 020 8440 4070; victor@ceruleancom.co.uk;

124 Hadley Road, New Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 5QP