[mat david]

hi there

have joined the forum recently and appreciate the good tips.

i have trawled the site for the answer to my question without luck so here gos.

have been using wfp for  3 years, starting on some blocks of flats. Over last year have moved some of my normal res business over to wfp (2 days p/w) and have found i get a serious neck ache. i use the top 2 sections of a 48foot power pole as it is the lightest - also got a 24foot red omnipole.

i spoke with someone who runs a major cleaning company and he reckons that i just need to do some neck exercises to strengthen it.

However i am just about to take someone on and buy a van based wfp system  and basically have a few questions

1. has anyone else had these problems and how did they resolve it?
2. what are the implications re employees and health issues
3. am i using the wrong pole?
4. or have a just got a weak neck?

cheers

[AuRavelling79]

How old are you? I'm mid-forties and if I have several days on the pole I get neck ache too. But I used to get an achey right wrist (don't laugh! ) when squeegeeing every day.

I have now made a conscious decision to continue doing my safest and easiest small residential houses by traditional means and also to occasionally do downstairs residential or commercial by squeegee.

This means that I'm not always (over) using the same muscle groups to the point of pain.

So typically it's:-

Monday/Tuesday Pole until shoulders/back ache then start blading bottoms mid- afternoon onwards.

Wednesday - All traditional squeegeeing/ladder.

Thursday/Friday - as Monday/Tuesday.

Although obviously this varies according to the kind of work I'm doing.

[Sir Squeaky]

Great idea MalcG, but I thought you couldn't change around on the same windows, as you're getting detergent on your pure water cleaned windows.

Doesn't that make you're job harder next time?

Roger.

[Ian_Giles]

Not really Rog, It depends on the detergent you use to a degree.
Also a factor the first time you use WFP on a property that has been cleaned with trad methods for donkey's years, is the fact that there can be a residue build up over the years on the edges of the window panes, the pure water gets into these little cracks and disolves a little of the residue, sometimes it can take a couple of cleans to get rid of it.
But if you decide to squeegee the windows one month, by the time you go over them with your WFP the following month, there simply hasn't been enough time for any residue to build up, hence there is no real problem

As for a stiff neck, I think it is just something you adapt to, or perhaps you are standing to close to the building?
I will also change hands frequently as I am working, haven't had any probs with a stiff neck or other muscles myself though.

Regards,


Ian

[Marc's on the Glass, LLC]

I think it is important for everyone to do some strength training.  It helps a great deal.

It can be as easy as push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups.  You will see improvements almost imediately!

Also, analyze how you work.  Do you bend over instead of squat?  What is your posture while poling?  Chances are you can make a small adjustment in something you're doing and improve that way also.

[steve k]

I have within 3 months of starting WFP sold my 30 ft glass fibre pole and an getting a carbon fibre. This is entirely due to the strain on my back/neck/skeletal system when attempting to rinse off the glass above 25/30ft with glass fibre. It cannot be good for you in the future so I have pre-empted such an injury and am going lighter.
 

[Craig_Mawlam]

In 2002 the HSE commissioned HSL (Health & Safety Laboratory) to produce a report looking into the potential for long-term strain injuries that could be caused by using waterfed poles. The report made a number of recommendations to manufacturers to reduce the weight of their poles, reduce the handle diameter and make the clamps easier to reach and operate and to provide proper training in order to reduce the potential for the kind of injuries that have been mentioned in this thread. The existence of this report opens the door to compensation claims against suppliers who did not follow the recommendations.

Ionic Systems response to the report was to introduce the Ergolite pole and develop the waterfed pole course available through the BWCA. In 2004 HSL produced a second report when they assessed the Ergolite pole and the BWCA waterfed pole course. The 2004 report concluded that the combination of the Ergolite pole and the BWCA waterfed pole training addressed all of the concerns raised in the report of 2002. A copy of the report can be downloaded from the documents area of this forum.

Ionic Systems takes the issue of repetitive strain injuries seriously. Increasingly we are hearing reports of such injuries all of which can be avoided if the right equipment and correct manual handling techniques are adopted. Please contact us for further information.

Kind regards
Craig Mawlam