Tom,
Why on earth go to the bother of risk assesment and method statement on something so simple and straight forward as a first floor office?
This is a description of a large percentage of the work I do.
It is a high street clean.
I do understand that we are being asked for these things more often now, but the progression is that we should follow this procedure for all work.
As for risk (slightly off centre) did you know that in all ladder falls, 10% of them happen on the final step whilst descending the ladder? and often result in serious injury? (official government figures).
Steve,
JUst wondering, but is the only way you can get at these windows by making your way along the 2 foot ledge? Or would you be able to do the individual windows off the ladder?
Tom,
I do agree about the harnesses though, without eye bolts to attach them to they don't really serve much of a function, and in twenty years I haven't come accross much in the way of eye bolts that you could use for this.
Actually you can make that 32 years, for twelve years prior to becoming a window cleaner I was a decorator, was apprenticed on my fathers building company on leaving school.
I have done local authority work on local authority buildings, you would have thought that these at least would have provision of eyebolts for harness and to tie off ladders for maintainance work wouldn't you.
But they rarely do.
You would also have assumed that these details would be automatically seen to on new buildings, and not just offices but houses too, but they aren't are they.
It would seem that such safety measures will need to be retro-fitted.
Wouldn't it make so much more sense if these things were done on construction, also much easier then for health and safety officers to prosecute (or persecute) tradesmen who then do not make use of them.
Ian
