Falls on the level

Falls on the level is its own registered hazard type, covering level changes of 300mm or less — including falls associated with baths. It shares its capture module with falling on stairs and falling between levels, but is scored, triaged and reported as a distinct hazard.

What it is

The GOV.UK guidance groups this with bath-related falls specifically — grab rail presence and slip resistance in the bath or shower sit alongside level-change and threshold checks. Falls on the level is a Phase 2 hazard: capturable in full today, with its statutory clock not yet commenced except where a case is judged an emergency.

How to do it

1. On the Falls card, record stairs condition, handrail presence and condition, and balustrade/guarding condition where relevant to the property.
2. Record whether the worst level change measured exceeds 300mm, plus bath and shower grab-rail presence and slip resistance.
3. Record window restrictor presence and whether they’re working, and the measured drop height and landing-surface hardness for any relevant edge.
4. Complete Hazard Triage, citing GOV.UK’s own prompt questions — is a fall likely given the property’s condition and the household’s vulnerabilities (60 and over, mobility or sensory impairment), and what would the consequences of a fall actually be?

How it integrates

All three falls hazard types share one AI preset (housing-falls): image analysis restates only what’s visible — a stair or handrail defect, missing guarding, a level change, an absent grab rail, a slip-risk surface, a window restrictor issue, or an open drop — never a guarding-height or drop-height measurement, and never a fall-likelihood judgement, which stays yours. The finished record uses the “Falls Hazard Assessment Report” template. Everyday trips and slips unrelated to a building defect, ladder or furniture misuse, and tenant-caused landscaping damage are explicitly out of GOV.UK’s scope for this hazard.

Common problems

• I only see one “Falls” section for three hazard types. Expected — the capture module is shared, but each survey is scored and reported against the single falls profile chosen for that job.
• There’s no due date on this job. Expected while Phase 2 remains unconfirmed, except for an emergency-severity case.
• A trip on a rug or loose furniture came up on-site. That’s out of GOV.UK’s scope for this hazard unless it stems from a building defect.