[DASERVICES]

Any company you join you have to go on the companies H&S course.
When you work on a building site you have to be trained on H&S.
Certain tools in the building trade you have to have a H&S certificate before using them.
Window cleaners ( not wfp ) will use ladders 60% throughout the working day.
So should HSE be looking at this to create awareness and safety!

[steve k]

they already inform quite a bit:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/ladders.htm

[simon knight]

I voted no because using ladders 60% of my working day probably means I know far more about using them safely than yer average H&S guy. And I reckon this goes for any seasoned w/c.

[StevePB]

 I agree 

[D.Salkeld_Ltd]

Hi All,

I voted Yes.

1. Because D.A. said "before starting the job".  I assume he means new window cleaners?

2. No matter how "seasoned" we are we can always lift our awwareness of the dangers of ladders.

3. My responce to the WAHR is to introduce a "licence" or Qualification certificate for proffossional use of portable ladders - a bit like for chain saws and fork trucks.

If I were an employer and we used ladders I would gladly send me us all on a H&S coarse to gain a certificate for ladders.


David

[tacky]

i voted no .what can a hs course do .that u could not do ur self . ie being an experienced window cleaner .u could give a employee .more do n donts than any course.u do these courses over 1 or 2 days .n still dont have the experience what u would have learnt off u .they just have some useless bit of paper .to say they can climb n put up a ladder saftley .dont get me wrong some of these courses we need .but not this one .

[Mr.G]

I voted NO cos there's far too much government interference in peoples lives already and it grows daily.
 the safety information's readily available for those who seek it
the logical next step would be H and S courses for every ladder owner...  every stepladder owner...

[DASERVICES]

Yes David I meant when first starting the job.

Not whilst being in the job for years as the saying goes "you cannot teach an old dog new tricks"

Plenty of old dogs on here

[KarlJones]

Well, my fears are that it would effectively mean we had to have a licence.  Although I am not 100% against a licence I do feel that this would bring it in through the back door which might cause extra problems.

On the other hand, of course your 100% right, we think we know we are safe when we may not be.  Experienced window cleaners do have accidents.

I will vote yes on the safety aspect, but it would seriously cause a real upturn of the industry if it happened and I doubt any of us would really like it.