[paulgran1234]

bad luck mate,
i aways worry about decking and ladders i always get my lad to foot the ladders on decking. don't think there is any safer way than this.

get well soon and i hope the legs don't itch to much LOL

[Dave Willis]

Fell off mine today too 
lucky for me the ladder is only five foot long anyway so not far to fall when the bottom kicked out.

[SunShineCleaning]

rubber never grips on outdoor decking NOR  damp ground NOR dusty ground.

anybody MAKING OR selling rubber mats of any sort as a safety product is a total charlatan  

 i know this as i had a ladder slip out on me on a laddermat about 3yrs ago / i have since done a little research and now know that rubber mat/s  should not be used outdoors

Quite true, rubber and wet decking is lethal.

If it was me that had fallen 3 years ago I would have found another method of cleaning windows by now. 

shortly after that time i learnt that spikes fitted to a ladder / or using a trad pole are both good methods and i use these now
the point im making is that these rubber products are lethal in a lot of situations

And I agree rubber under ladders is very unsafe. However, the point of health and safety is first to eliminate the risk and then control whatever remains. By going up a ladder no matter how well anchored you still risk falling off. This is especially important if you employ. Many know of a way to eliminate falling off a ladder yet refuse to do it.

[lee_dewing]

Thanks everyone

[SunShineCleaning]

Thanks everyone

If you want any help putting the letter together I'm more than happy to help. Email on website

Stuart

[SunShineCleaning]

Fell off mine today too 
lucky for me the ladder is only five foot long anyway so not far to fall when the bottom kicked out.

A customer of mine fell from no height and bust his hip. He now has one leg shorter than the other due to bad repair of it. No joke!

[Bay View WCS]

I would go round and personally visit every one of the customers you are concerned about. I am fully confident that once you explain to them what has happened they will appreciated that you shouldn't be risking your life/health to clean a window.

You will no doubt discuss finding a way round any windows that cannot possibly be reached with a pole (which in reality should be very few). Anyone who, after hearing your reasons, still wants you to risk life and limb to clean their precious window should be dumped on the spot.

Good luck mate

Tom

[lee_dewing]

Agree Tom.

Will write to some and just tell others that are usually in.

Thanks Stuart I'l make something up over the weekend and email you a copy.
I take it you've been a windie a while; got a few stories their

Just thought of a custie i did about 7years ago; when i swapped over to wfp she wasn't keen.

She told me her husband use to climb massive heights on ladders and off them with no safety eqipment and "HE NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT!"
There is no begining to some peoples knowledge

[mark dew]

Very lucky and I bet your heart was in your mouth on the way down. I'm glad you're ok. 
While you want to avoid ladders and wfp together, the lesson to be learnt here is not with ladders, it's about footing them on decking.
Everywhere else they can be used safely. Just not on decking.


What size pole do you currently use?
If 10 - 20% of your customers require ladder for access then keeping them will pay for a longer pole soon enough.

You may not need to lose any.


 

[Richard iSparkle]

I'm w.f.p before anymore said.

Using ladder to access flat roof, thought angle off ladder was o.k and used rojak as on decking.

But ladder slid, cut and bad bruises, luckily grabbed flat roof for split second which must have helped.

drove to hospital and they xrayed knee shin and ankle.

I know stupid being w.f.p and still using ladder!

It's surprising looking at my round how many jobs i use ladder to access unreachable window(s)

So leave ladder at home but at a guess as haven't gone through whole job list but guessing 20-30%

of customers will have missed window(s) to no ladder policy.

Once i tell these customers do you think i'l lose them all?

Anyone had similar experience.

Just thankful not to have both my legs in plaster working a bit today and see how i feel.

Been told that bruising could cover whole shin and foot (black possibly) not happened yet.

Thanks everyone.
Lee

hi lee,

sorry to hear about your accident.

we have never used ladders for any cleaning and we have a reasonible sized WFP round.

i think you will be suprised how many windows you can clean from the ground once you get used to it being the only option.

i think on our houses there may be once house in 30 that we to have miss a window, maybe less than that.

sometimes you just have to get the right angle from the ground, sometimes you need a longer pole, sometimes you can clean them from next door's drive, and sometimes you can't see the whole window, but you can see enough to get your brush on it and feel your way through the clean.

you will get better quickly at these sort of windows when your only option is to clean it from the ground.

also, customers dont seem to mind at all if you say you cannot clean a window, as they can see themselves that it's awkward.

good luck

R

[JackieW]

I used to be 'trad' with ladders. Never fell off them although they did slip once, but re stuck.

 Last year I changed to WFP. I no longer carry my ladders on the van.

 If I can't do the window with a pole, I don't clean it. Haven't lost a customer because of it.

[steven ainger]

i very rarely use a ladder these days, once or twice a year.
but this is what ive done in the past on decking



there 3-4 inch wide paint scrappers, just slot them in the decking gaps to stop the Rojak slipping

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

For the 20-30% of your customers that have inaccessible windows, write and print off a letter to each custy that states what has happened to you and because of this, you will not be using a ladder again. You could offer to do the houses at a slightly cheaper rate if you are worried about losing them.

+ 1 - customers can't really argue with that!

[lee_dewing]

Thanks everyone.
Back to it monday.

Really surprised that bruising hasn't been worse.
Sore but not on painkillers now.
Jackie w and richard thanks.

Steve ainger good if that works for you mate, but not for me.
I think walking on decking is bad enough now on.
Stuff should be banned got a custie who's decking is quite greasy; haven't used a ladder on that.

Think i'l take a leaf out of you guys who leave the ladder at home.

[Roy Harding]

i very rarely use a ladder these days, once or twice a year.
but this is what ive done in the past on decking



there 3-4 inch wide paint scrappers, just slot them in the decking gaps to stop the Rojak slipping

I have drilled four holes in mine in the corners, so I can fit T shaped tent pegs.

Roy