[SteveTruman]

What peeves me off is that i am not allowed to use ladders to clean the windows as i am contracted to the builder. ( PLumbers and other trades have also been banned from using ladders ) But a window cleaner can come onto the site and clean occupied houses with a ladder........ Slightly unfair..

Regards

Steve

[poleman]

http://www.croner.co.uk/cgi-bin/croner/jsp/Editorial.do?cache=true&channelId=-48051&contentId=104065&feed=agim

Andy

[SteveTruman]

Ah well at least i can still go mountaineering  

Steve

[The_Fed_Man]

Steve, they are talking about mountaineering as well.

The guy that climbed Everest has recently made a comment about our becoming a Nanny State.

[Londoner]

The worst possible situation is to have total confusion ( which is what is happening now) and different people in Authority telling us widely differing things.

I can forsee a situation where some Authorities will persue window cleaners like criminals while others couldn't care less.

Even years from now this is going to be bouncing around and people on this website will be complaining about other cleaners undercutting them by using "illegal" practices and asking for clarification on this point or that point of law.

Its not only us thats affected. How are the TV aerial blokes going to do their job?

[Always_Better_Clea]

hi i too am new to this site and have been reading with intrest. i also have been considering investing in a pole but feel i will also need a bigger van , so will take time to finance. i have of course noted guys useing these systems and have noticed that they have hose pipes running across public footpaths and over roads how does that hang as regards the public tripping over them as i have seen none with signs also saw one the other day walk backwards on to the road and nearly get run over. Think i am safer on a ladder, sorry if this ground has been covered but as i say first time user. ps excellent site cheers Paul

[poleman]

WFP Systems as recommended by the HEALTH & SAFETY EXECUTIVE.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/campaigns/worksmart2/videos/wah9.wmv

[Philip Hanson]

Excellent video clip there from the HSE's own website.

Thanks very much Andy for posting it here.  Very relevant.  I'd recommend everyone watch it (Its only 45 secs long)

-Philip

[Duke]

hmm...had a look, but no sound....it's essential for us as domestic window cleaners to be able to use both methods...we have customers who don't like the pole method, and places where we cant get a pole to the job.I don't know how any of you cope where the access to the rear is through the house, we currently carry the ladders through. Customers are not too happy about leaky pipe work and water trolleys being taken through the house.....wet carpets and all.......so it's very much a case of mix and match... :-/

[Colin_Glenn]

I have a long hose reel and I leave the trolly out front. I have a demand feed pump so I take the hose through the letterbox and right through to the back garden so that both ends are outside the house. I have a hozelock connector which stops the flow when it's not connected to the pole. Then I turn on the pump and there is no danger of the house getting soaked inside as both ends are outside.

The only problem is that the back door is open a little for the hose to go through and if there are windows directly above the door I have to leave a cloth in the crack to absorb any water that might splash down.

Colin

[martin19842]

hi there,

i had a meeting last week, with abuilding company and have spoken to several over the past few weeks, this ladder issue, is affecting absolutely everybody,  it sems that the only people that will benefit, will be the cherry picker, scaffolding and ally tower boys.

so maybe we should get into that market.

martin

[Philip Hanson]

it sems that the only people that will benefit, will be the cherry picker, scaffolding and ally tower boys.

Let's not lose sight of the reason for the new laws.  10 deaths a year from working from ladders.  Surely WE will benefit by being less likely to be killed or injured.

I welcome the new regulations.  Anything that makes our industry safer must be promoted.

There's no doubt that these regs will save lives.

-Philip

[poleman]

YES I agree was the best business move I made... go to work knowing I'm SAFE, allmost twice as fast as ladder work AND you can go for bigger JOBS, get a WFP System could save your life.

ANDY

[geoffreyspecht]

maybe we should ban driving cars cars lorries stairs trains wars crossing the road fires cooking lakes the maybe the world would be a safer place to live in.

[geoffreyspecht]

it depends on what type of work u r doing poleman

[WavieDavie]

maybe the world would be a safer place to live in.

Geoffrey,

Even if you stay in bed all day, you'll get bed sores - nowhere's safe these days!

[poleman]

it depends on what type of work u r doing poleman

do you mean ladder work? if so have you read the WAHD? I'm now getting work from ladder window cleaners as companys know WAHD is coming in this year and they dont wont to be prosecuted and they are not going to pay out for eye bolts to be fitted at great cost to them.

Andy

[geoffreyspecht]

still doing council cotracts with ladders i wonder if they wil be prosicuted poleman

[geoffreyspecht]

poleman where does it say u r not allowed to use ladders for window cleaning in the eu directive

[Ken]

Been following this thread with some interest. Have printed out and perused a copy of the directive and notice that in several places it talks about use of ladders being permitted only if "safer work equipment is not justified". Who decides whether it is justified? Also point 4.1.6 talks about the influence of weather on work at height. What constitutes dangerous weather?
I spoke to my insurance brokers yesterday about this because most of my work (85%) is done with WFP but if I'm not insured on the other 15% it's going to be dropped or rethought. They have not heard of this directive and assured me that if my insurance was affected I would be notified by my insurance company. I'm not sure that I want to take the risk!
Any further updates?