Scottish plumbers and fitters are ignoring regulations to fit anti-scald devices to new bathrooms according to a survey by anti-scald tap manufacturer, Intatec, which has launched an online survey to gather more evidence.
Since 2006, every bathroom refurbishment and new build bathroom in Scotland must be fitted with a thermostatic mixing valve to prevent injuries and deaths by bath scalding. Intatec's first survey was carried out in Glasgow and Edinburgh and questioned plumber’s merchants on the sale of anti-scald valves, since the regulations came into force.

Intatec’s commercial director Cynthia Fisher said “We looked at the situation in Scotland a year after the regulations came into force and found that there was only patchy awareness about the new regulations, and indeed about anti-scald. Some merchants knew about it, some didn’t'.

She added 'Our survey revealed that if a bathroom was subject to any official inspection, for example new build, anti scald valves were being fitted as matter of course. On the other hand, plumbers and fitters involved with refurbishments that involved no element of official inspection avoided anti-scald valves where they could.”

The initial Intatec survey was conducted face to face with a small number of merchants, but the firm has now launched an online survey to obtain a much larger survey response.

Intatec plans to present the results of its new online survey to the Scottish government. Plumbers' and builders' merchants in Scotland are urged to complete the Onlinesurvey