If you are cleaning a ground floor window in your home, the task is pretty simple. A spray bottle with a cleaner, some paper towels and you are good to go. When you are a professional tasked with cleaning windows in commercial high-rise towers or multi-story residential buildings, it’s a very different situation.
There are a number of key considerations that come into play when you are cleaning windows in a building that towers over the street below. Many different factors, from safety rigging to weather conditions to PPE must be considered when you are evaluating window cleaning safety.
What Are the Safety Precautions That Must Be Taken While Cleaning Windows?
In order to do their job safely, window cleaning professionals who work at great heights have to utilize fall arrest equipment. One of the most common forms of this equipment is a safety harness. These harnesses should be designed specifically for the job, and should be tailor fitted for the employee. Professional window cleaners also use roof riggers and anchors which are on or can be secured to the roof. These hold the ropes that are used to suspend the climbing mechanisms.
The harness is often connected to a proper anchor point via a lanyard that is energy-absorbing. Both the anchor points and the fall arrest mechanisms and equipment need to be visually inspected and tested regularly. In addition to taking steps to make sure the worker is safely tethered, proper precautions must be taken to make sure that tools and materials used in the cleaning process are secured.
What PPE Is Used During Cleaning
If you are a window cleaning professional working on a high-rise or tall residential building, you are going to need PPE to help keep you safe. In addition to the proper equipment necessary to protect against falls, workers will need to use gloves and eye protection.
A helmet can help protect the window washer from even more serious injury if they happen to fall. It also serves to protect the worker from a head injury that might occur if an object has fallen from above. Proper work boots that help protect the feet and keep workers from slipping are a must. High visibility clothing helps assure that the workers are visible to those around them.
What PPE is Required for Cleaning Environment?
Protecting against falls and similar accidents is key to any high-rise window cleaning project. Because they are working with cleaning chemicals, workers also need to be outfitted with gloves and eye protection that keeps them safe while they are engaged in the cleaning process.
One of the keys to keeping window cleaning workers safe is extensive, and repeated, training. When they are working high above the city below, workers must rely on their training to make split-second decisions that will protect their health and safety, and the well-being of those around them.
Which PPE Is Appropriate as Per the Cleaning Requirement
Each high-rise window cleaning project is different, and you can’t simply choose the correct PPE without understanding the unique requirements of each cleaning job. Depending on the chemicals used for cleaning, eye protection, gloves and protective clothing might need to be upgraded. In some cases, harsh chemicals could even require the use of respirators.
Another key element in assuring worker safety is that each employee must constantly verify the safety of their workmates. They should always maintain good communication, and keep an eye on developing situations and potential weather events.
High-rise window cleaning projects are inherently complex and can be hazardous unless proper training and safeguards are put in place. PPE must be tailored to the unique requirements of each individual project. Window cleaning professionals who work at height must receive extensive training, and always utilize modern, state of the art equipment.
At Shine on Anchors, we prioritise excellence in commercial window cleaning to keep your business shining.
If you want to hire a company you can trust to get your high-rise window clearing done perfectly, professionally and safely, contact us today by calling (773) 227-4522 or emailing anchors@shineongroup.com.
