[Steve H]

Hi Guys,
Working traditional at present, as such have been looking at the working at height regulations. Other than stating the obvious, i cant see where these rules make any difference to working at heights (only doing residential at present) not hanging off buildings or anything. Have i missed something guys or are the rules just making sure people are aware of the dangers and that you should make sure you do everything safely - just checking as i dont want someone form the council (or wherever) coming round lecturing me on what i sould and shouldnt be aware of.
Thanks in advance
Steve

[robertphil]

be sure you have adequate ladder insurance is my tip.  the standard seems to be covered to 10 metres on ladders but a few insurance firms (from my research) only cover much lower heights worth checking in detail before you buy

[SunShineCleaning]

Can of worms now open.


Forget the regs for now, check out your insurance document small print, it will mention something about doing all you can to minimise the risk of an accident.
If an accident happens that involves £1000's they will want to see your RAMS.
If you don't have one they will want to know what your policy is.
If you have done little to minimise the risk, you are in a bit of bother.

They know there is a safer way of working, from the ground floor and will wriggle out of any payment if you can't demonstrate that you have minimised risk.

Now the regs.

Can it be done with less risk than from ladders.
In 99.9% of the time yes.
In that case then that is how it should be done.

Worms now everywhere...

[Nathanael Jones]

Avoidance of risks from work at height.


98. Taking account of the general principles of prevention in Schedule 3 to the Act, an employer
shall—
(a) ensure that work is not carried out at height where it is reasonably practicable to carry out the work safely and without risk to health otherwise than at height,
(b) without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (a), ensure that work is not carried
out at height unless it is reasonably practicable to do so safely and without risk to
health,
(c) where, having regard to paragraphs (a) and (b), it is necessary to carry out work at
height, take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent an employee falling a
distance liable to cause personal injury, including—
(i) ensuring that the work is carried out—
(I) from an existing place of work, or
(II) in the case of obtaining access or egress, by using an existing means of
access or egress,
in compliance with this Part, where it is practicable to do so safely and under
appropriate ergonomic conditions, and
(ii) where it is not practicable for the work to be carried out in accordance with
subparagraph (i), ensuring that suitable and sufficient work equipment, in
compliance with Regulation 100, is provided to prevent a fall occurring,
(d) where the measures taken under paragraph (c) do not eliminate the risk of a fall
occurring—
(i) provide sufficient work equipment, in compliance with Regulation 100, to
minimise the distance of a potential fall and the risk of personal injury, and
(ii) without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (c), provide such additional
training and instruction or take other additional suitable and sufficient
measures to prevent, so far as is practicable, any employee falling a distance
liable to cause personal injury.

While the text mentions "Employer" this also covers sole traders where you are employing yourself.

Most insurance policies (Accident/injury & PL policies especially) have a bit in the small print saying you are not insured if/when conducting illegal activities - - going by the letter of the law above,.. they could possibly get out of paying your claim if you were working at height when there was another practicable option, and had an accident.

[dazmond]

plenty of window cleaners still use ladders with no problems at all.if your sticking to domestic accounts you ll be fine.............until you fall off!!hopefully you wont but it happens mate all the time.

i spent 16 years climbing ladders 100+ times a day and fell off twice and had a few near misses.i was very lucky not to injure myself more than i did.other window cleaners have not been so lucky.shattered heels,damaged backs,brain injuries and in some cases they have died.

i cant for the life of me why window cleaners still insist on cleaning windows from a ladder.they is absolutely no reason to take the risk 99% of the time with the explosion of WFP cleaning.


best wishes


dazmond

[George P]

good point dazmond, but what amazes me even more is when they have wfp but still use ladders because customer dont like wfp, mate of mine did this, fell off, luckily no lasting damage, i think he still does it for some customers, i know i wouldnt and i wouldnt expect staff to unless it was a builders clean,

[Steve H]

Thanks guys for all the replies, i agree the ladders should go whenever possible, as its dangerous at times but also the insurance companies know how to wriggle out for sure.

I think we have had this mentioned a few times, but just asking again, typically (and i know thats how long is a piece of string scenario) how much would it cost to set up with a wfp - say to carry round, so i could do those awkward high windows and probs do the downstairs trad for now?

Is this approach worth it? or would you not get enough done this way ie keep running out of power/water etc.... would it be just as cheap to put a mounted system on a trailer?? i have a trailer already for the car i use.

My round is building up at a decent rate, i know i will have to go that way at some point.

Thanks in advance

Steve

[William McCafferty]

when I crashed my van the other year, I was forced to use a backpack for over a month using a very small car the insurance company gave me.

I never missed a job, in fact I found on a lot of my round the backpack was faster than using the van system.

so depending on your tap water, all you need is a di tank and resin, a backpack, a pole (clx27), 6 to 8 25 litres containers and a TDS meter.

less than £400 and you are in business

[Joseph Michael]

I have also found some great answers to this question, and the answer from HYDRO has really got me thinking. I am working with my ladders all the time at the moment but I already want to get a pole system for jobs above the grouund floor. It looks like this system is certainly worth looking into, anymore information at all please?

Regards

Joe