[williamx]

Every window cleaner who has fallen off a ladder and been injured or died did not wake up that morning with the intention of falling, but it happened, why, because something they did was wrong.

In the 30 years that I have used ladders, there are many times I risked my life, I have never fallen but I have had quite a few near misses.

There are some occasions when ladders should never be used, because the risk is greater than the job is worth.

Yesterday I went out to quote for a house, the driveway to this house was almost vertical, the owner insisted that I use ladders because he had just had the outside wall painted that morning.

The driveway was concrete and there were loads of pot holes everywhere also there seemed to be a lot of grease on the driveway as well, there was no way that you could stabilise a ladder on it, so I refused the job, pointing out the many dangers that this job involved with using a ladder.

Anyway I did notice a young lad cleaning houses on the same road when I turned up, so I returned 40 minutes later to see this young lad up a triple ladder with only one leg of the ladder in contact with the ground the other was 3 inches short of the driveway.

On that job I can guarantee that this lad will fall one day, and when that day occurs I hope they prosecute and send to prison the home owner.

I would rather be, a alive nancy boy than a dead window cleaner.

[Sir Squeaky]

On that job I can guarantee that this lad will fall one day, and when that day occurs I hope they prosecute and send to prison the home owner.

That's just ridiculous.
You can't guarantee he'll fall one day. :

Next time he might put it at a safer angle, and he might be very careful anyway.
Just because you couldn't hack it, doesn't mean he'll come a cropper.

[mark f]

Not joining in , on that one! Im about 50-50 trad/ wfp. wfp certainly isnt a wonder tool on houses, but i love using it where i can to break my work up. Plus i dont have to do any dodgy windows any more. Have found weaning in customers by doing unreachable or dangerous windows with wfp a good way to switch across.

[Londoner]

Twenty years ago I used to work with a bloke called John. His son was a rising star in Junior football then. Not any more, he fell off a ladder a few years back and died of head injuries.
Johns wife had to turn the life support machine off.

Tell them ladders aren't dangerous.

If you do something risky, even if the risk is small you will eventually have something bad happen if you do it enough times. 

[williamx]

On that job I can guarantee that this lad will fall one day, and when that day occurs I hope they prosecute and send to prison the home owner.

That's just ridiculous.
You can't guarantee he'll fall one day. :

Next time he might put it at a safer angle, and he might be very careful anyway.
Just because you couldn't hack it, doesn't mean he'll come a cropper.

On that driveway, there are no angles where its is safe, the contrete is not level, it have hundreds of small holes everywere.

And as for me not been able to hack it, well I still go up ladders, but if I think that it is to dangerous to do so, then no customer is going to force me too.

How many times have you looked at a job and you know that it can be cleaned with a ladder but Its is going to be very dangerous to do so, you want to go the safe route but your customer does not.

The customer should not be able to dictact, what we as professionals, consider is safe or not.

It has nothing at all about having the "bottle" or being able to "hack it" its about SAFETY 1st 2nd and every time thereafter.

[Londoner]

AGREED !

[Sir Squeaky]

On that job I can guarantee that this lad will fall one day, and when that day occurs I hope they prosecute and send to prison the home owner.

That's just ridiculous.
You can't guarantee he'll fall one day. :

Next time he might put it at a safer angle, and he might be very careful anyway.
Just because you couldn't hack it, doesn't mean he'll come a cropper.

On that driveway, there are no angles where its is safe, the contrete is not level, it have hundreds of small holes everywere.

And as for me not been able to hack it, well I still go up ladders, but if I think that it is to dangerous to do so, then no customer is going to force me too.

How many times have you looked at a job and you know that it can be cleaned with a ladder but Its is going to be very dangerous to do so, you want to go the safe route but your customer does not.

The customer should not be able to dictact, what we as professionals, consider is safe or not.

It has nothing at all about having the "bottle" or being able to "hack it" its about SAFETY 1st 2nd and every time thereafter.

I agree, I don't use ladders at all, but I would if it wasn't dodgy, which this clearly is.

I never said it was right, but to say he's definately going to fall is wrong.
People could have said that about you or me in the past, but we didn't did we?

[williamx]

We were lucky, but on this job, its like watching someone cross a motorway every thursday, so far he has been lucky, but you know that one thursday, he will be knocked down.

[NWH]

I honestly can`t understand why anybody is keen to get up a ladder i know i`m not anymore,all of my customers love the pole they think it`s amazing.

[Scrimble]

i cant go wfp yet because i cannot afford it, i only have enough work for about £850 a month, i do however have a few toys to go with my ladder to make it stable, i dont do dangerous jobs where i am at risk of falling. i do want to go wfp and trad but am not in a postion to do so yet

however i am unwilling to start a thread up or reply to posts regarding trad window cleaning as i know i'll be shot down with the 20k setup van+wfp etc if you climb a ladder you will die brigade

[geefree]

It Has turned into a trad/wfp thread, so my apoligies to Vince.

But it wasnt meant like that, the topic.

it was really regarding how thing have chanded on this forum in the 18 months or so i have been w/c..ing

Back then, there was many a disagreement over trad and wfp,

and all the questions were mixed, including mine,

Now if you glance at every topic, its nearly always regarding wfp,

ro/ di vessels... backpacks, microbore , fittings it goes on and on.

so i just thought i would ask about who is trad still.

Good to see a mixed bunch still kicking about,

although i really did not start it as a "trad v wfp"


why do you all fall out over it?

You can have a great job and find it pleasurable either way..

when i started w/c trad, i will never forget it was the best job i ever had, and i loved doing it .

things are changing, everything moves with the times,

it matters not which route people choose, as long as you are happy, and making a living.


Gary.

[Neil271052]

however i am unwilling to start a thread up or reply to posts regarding trad window cleaning as i know i'll be shot down with the 20k setup van+wfp etc if you climb a ladder you will die brigade

Exactly.  :

Which is why I rarely post here any more. Most of the posts are about WFP equipment, rarely any anecdotes,  and now the cold weather is here all you get are cries of "my gears all frozen up"   

[Sir Squeaky]

My gear's all frozen up.

[Neil271052]

My gear's all frozen up.

  LOL

[L.J.S cleaning]

I use trad but looking to change to wfp in 6-12 months time has used the system. took ages convincing me 

[Malone Cleaning]

I,m 100% trad because I live in Germany where nearly all windows open inwards and nearly all my customers want their windows cleaned inside and outside so I very seldom need a ladder, I cleaned some Pilkington Glass recently though using distilled water and a spray bottle - it was weird but the customer insisted on it so what the heck 

[Captain Scarlet]

Ive fallen off a ladder twice, well it was an a frame, but even that could have been fatal, Ive never fallen off a higher ladder though and probably never will because I no longer use them, well once or twice a month! Luke

[seanpaul]

Traditional still, but got lot of 'new build' 3 storey stuff, so got pure freedom trolley.
Gonna convert to wfp for that. Got a lot of council houses and got a couple of lads doing that now. Don't know whether to convert that also. Lot of aggro....?

seanpaul