[David Smith]

Safety issues .... working on a building site to clean the windows from the scaffolding. Not all windows/frames can be reached from standing position. How is this overcome and what precautions have to be taken? Is their specialist training available?

[Duke]

yes there is...err, bit of a waste of time cleaning windows while the scaffolding is still up.(work in progress) How high is the building (windows that need to be reached) ? ...a pole would probably do it anyway....more info needed....

[David Smith]

Windows and frames are being cleaned just prior to scaffolding coming down so work will have stopped. Cannot use any form of extension as tape has to be removed from frames. Height .. 4 floors. Most windows can be reached from scaffolding but some cannot be reached at their tops

[Duke]

Then assuming you can't abseil (specialist work)...the only other choice is a cherry picker....but if it's not part of your kit... hiring isn't cheap. Is it possible to get the scaffolding extended up ? Or some sort of temporary work station (ie: ladders) to near enough ?......

[martin19842]

hi there,

david,

we are a build clean company, as things are moving on, you will find more and more FIRST window cleaning to be done from scaffold.  i expect that you are talking about the top pelmet tape, where the mastic line inserted.

I have seen people standing on milk crates etc, but if Health and safety see you, you will be off site no questions.

more and more developers are coming down a rise at a time, to accomodate trades that need extermal access, and to make sure that they are H@ S legislation.

we get as many tapes off from scaffold as possible, a lot of developers are putting cherry pickers on site for aerial installation, gas and rain pipe installation,
basically then just jump on and away you go.  We have a benefit there because we have IPAF trained operatorsd aswell.  you will also require harnesses for cherry picker use.

any tapes that are inaccessible from scaffold, or cherry picker not available we get them from internal access.

regards

martin

[Ian_Giles]

At one time I did no end of builders cleans, not so many now.
I priced up one pretty large clean a couple of months ago, had to be a full written quote, I didn't get the job and as yet the windows still haven't been cleaned, the decoraters have tidied them up a little , but they still need initial cleaning on the outside properly, only now all of the scaffolding has been removed.
Getting at some of these windows of ladders is not really viable these days, so now it will mean being done with a cherry picker, this will mean costs way above my own quote as mine would have been off the scaffolding.
In my quotation I had gone to great lengths to explain the importance of using the existing scaffolding. Unfortunately developers aren't always as bright as they think they are. It's shame they haven't cleaned the windows properly, this building is in the middle of Chepstow, its all been renovated and should be looking gleaming and smart. It is amazing the difference spotlessly clean windows make.

Yeah, I know, I contributed nothing towards the original question in the post by David, but I thought I would post it anyway

Ian

[windows_chepstow]

I know Ian_Giles fairly well,

He's the ONLY water fed pole guy here in Chepstow (although a lad does visit here with one, for a small area).

When I was considering to be a window cleaner, I saw him STANDING on a second floor window sill, cleaning the window, looking like he didn't have a care in the world.   He'd stepped off his triple extention ladders onto the sill.  (Ian, the Solicitors in Chepstow - by the Kings Head).  (When I say second floor, that's ground floor, then the first floor - he was on the one above it.  There always seems to be a bit of confusion regarding first, second and third floors.)

He's now the safest with a WFP.

I haven't contributed to the original thread either.  Just thought I'd take a swipe at him.

[Philip Hanson]

There is a great deal of confusion regarding this issue, and it's one that is very important for our industry.

My advice is to READ THE DRAFT REGS FOR YOURSELF.

They are on the HSE website at:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/condocs/cd192.pdf

Only then will you be able to say you have examined the issue properly.

-Philip