Window Cleaning: A Risky Task

If you are a business owner there are some cleaning and maintenance jobs that just require experts; window cleaning is one of them. You wouldn’t attempt to install a toilet if you had no plumbing experience; so, cleaning your own glass and windows is the same thing. Why risk not only poor results but putting yourself in danger when you can hire skilled professionals to do this job? Just like with plumbing you need a very particular skill set and training to clean windows to a professional standard in a safe manner.

Cleaning high glass and windows can be a very risky job and presents very real dangers to the operative.  In fact, high-rise window and glass cleaning used to be one of the most dangerous jobs in the world with many fatal accidents occurring each year. Luckily in recent years with the advent of new technologies the risk has decreased significantly but nevertheless safety among operatives who carry out these high-risk cleans is paramount.

The company you hire to carry out your window and glass cleaning should have an excellent safety record and provide regular training to their operatives- after all at heights like these there are lives at risk. Providing the right training and regular refresher courses for operatives can help to minimise risk and work-related accidents and a professional cleaning company will be happy to show you their health and safety credentials. Keeping operatives safe should be a priority for any reputable cleaning company; it is the most obvious way to demonstrate to their employees that they care.

An essential part of this is having a responsible and experienced Environmental Health and Safety Officer. This is a very important role in the cleaning industry. An Environmental Health and Safety Officer will ensure that all employees relevant health and safety training is up to date and that all employees are always compliant with best practice recommendations. This is especially important for the employees who work at heights. In the cleaning industry health and safety training is absolutely imperative and nowhere is this more important than when working at height.

There are also very specific tools developed for cleaning of glass and windows that can do a lot to maximise the safety of window operatives. Tools such as high-reach telescopic poles have been developed for this exact purpose and allow their users to reach high and awkward windows from the safety of the ground.

Changing and inclement weather can have a huge impact on window operatives and they must be adaptable and recognise when the weather presents too great a risk to continue with the job. An experienced window operative will be used to rescheduling glass cleans and will be able to make a judgement about if the weather will affect the job adversely. Carrying out a job in heavy rain or stormy conditions is never acceptable and a responsible provider will recognise this.

A good window cleaning provider will focus on excellent, gleaming results achieved in a safe and structured manner.