So, when wc continue to get injured, insurance premiums rise, it is only a matter of time before the goverment steps in and starts to regulate. It has happened in other industries, plumbers, electricians etc.
What can be done?
The above is what is called a 'false premise'. You're saying two things which both sound logical, but aren't correct:
Firstly, because window cleaners get injured; insurance premiums will rise; therefore government will introduce new legislation regarding window cleaners.
Secondly, because plumbers and electrictians have to be Corgi or NICEIC approved; we're tradesmen, the same as them; therefore we should be 'approved'.
On the first point, I think this is unproven and us window cleaners are 'small cheese' when it comes to the service industry. The majority of us are self-employed and the risks we take, we choose to do so. I cannot see the government introducing more legislation than the normal health and safety stuff.
On the second point, plumbers and electricians have the capacity to kill their customers, either by carbon monoxide poisoning or by electrocution, and probably a few other ways I don't know of.
So, for example a cowboy plumber may kill a customer, but a cowboy window cleaner just leaves dirty windows.
I'm not be-littling our trade. We provide an important service.
But what I think, reading between the lines of your post, is what can be done for window cleaners to be given a higher status in the pecking order of industries.
I don't know, mate. But if we were, we'd each have more competition, which means less demand and lower pay!
Look in your local newspaper. There'll be loads of plumbers and electricians vying for new custom. In ours it's like that. But never a window cleaner.
Our low status can hide our (potentially) high incomes and well, dare I say it... stifle competition!