Mandate for change
Mould has become a hot topic in the social housing sector over the last 12 months as a result of mould-related tenant heath cases. In November 2022 the Regulator of Social Housing wrote to all housing associations to request confirmation of how they intend to tackle the problem within their estate. Some housing associations have huge numbers of properties which would need to be surveyed. For an estate of 5000, the cost to inspect them could be between £250K-£1 million and it would take a great deal of time to complete. The properties would need to be checked regularly for mould and so the costs will reoccur.
Health issues
The most common health problems associated with mould exposure include respiratory issues, such as coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. People with asthma or other respiratory conditions may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of mould. In addition, mould can cause skin irritation, such as rashes, and allergic reactions, such as sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes.
In some cases, mould can produce toxins, known as mycotoxins, which can be harmful to humans. These toxins can cause a variety of health problems, including headaches, nausea, and fatigue. In extreme cases, long-term exposure to mycotoxins can lead to more serious health issues. It is important to identify and address any mould growth as soon as possible, as it can spread quickly and cause a variety of health problems.
Low cost, quick solution for property inspections
One would expect some kind of triage system to be put in place, where severe cases of mould growth are addressed first. But how can this plan be implemented without first surveying large numbers of properties? One solution is to use remote visual inspections. By setting up a video session to any smartphone in a single click, the host can extract all the information they need such as HD images, videos and a summary of any health issues in a matter of minutes without travelling to the property.
The host is able to control features on the remote smartphone such as image capture, zoom and torch. The survey can be completed according to a web-based workflow integrated on the host UI and all data is stored centrally where it can be analysed for remedial action priority. An inspection report is automatically produced showing all of the data in time order, including chat transcripts and notes. Self-surveys can be conducted by the tenants with their mobile phone, without needing a host or agent at the other end of a video session. The captured images and videos are securely and automatically transferred to the relevant data store.
Summary
Using remote visual assistance to triage and assess mould cases will keep costs to a minimum, accelerate completion and allow the housing association to provide documented, organised evidence to show that they have achieved their objectives. Furthermore the service minimises intrusion and mitigates the spread of viruses caused by close social interaction.
The benefits of remote visual assistance are as follows:
- Costs are reduced dramatically because no on-site attendance is required.
- Tenant inconvenience is kept to a minimum, works on any smartphone browser, no app needed.
- Social distancing maintained.
- Productivity increase; 5X more surveys per day.
- All collected data centrally archived for analysis.
- AI-based video and image scanning.
For more information on HostcommRVX remote visual assistance please contact [email protected] or visit our social housing web page:
