[Blue Frog Systems]

Good choice Andyjm1, let us know how your quote goes

[Nathanael Jones]

If you worked in a 2 man team, had a harness & lanyard and secured yourself onto the balcony railing before you step out of the mewp, it'd be safe enough. Hard work and time consuming though, so charge a premium!

[Bryan_Dolby]

Hi Nathanel

Sorry mate wrong answer
You would have to check the railings have efficent load bearing capability
You could get the owner of the building to put in eye bolts
With harness this could be done do not think they will do this costs
Under health and safety law this cannot be done
The risk assesment should have on it high risk possible death

please do not do this practice

Bryan Dolby

[Moderator David@stives]

Nat

Also you should never step out of a cherry picker.

not very good advice for someone who represents a window cleaning guild.

Dave

[Moderator David@stives]

dont forget eye bolts need inspecting on an annual basis

[Niall McAllister]

Nat

Also you should never step out of a cherry picker.

not very good advice for someone who represents a window cleaning guild.

Dave

this from the man that isn't safe on the first rung of a ladder

[trevor perry]

Hi Nathanel

Sorry mate wrong answer
You would have to check the railings have efficent load bearing capability
You could get the owner of the building to put in eye bolts
With harness this could be done do not think they will do this costs
Under health and safety law this cannot be done
The risk assesment should have on it high risk possible death

please do not do this practice

Bryan Dolby

spot on, as i said in earlier post could be done from cherrypicker with a small wfp then you dont have to climb over and everyone is safe

[Bryan_Dolby]

This is what our industry is trying to avoid unsafe practices
People have put their opinion in and have not got any H/S qualifications

When it comes to health and safety lets try and get it right

The FWC have spent alot of time talking to the HSE and have a good relationship with them
Guidence produced on behalf of our industry

Bryan

[Window Washers]

If you worked in a 2 man team, had a harness & lanyard and secured yourself onto the balcony railing before you step out of the mewp, it'd be safe enough. Hard work and time consuming though, so charge a premium!

That comment is not a good one Nat....

[Steve CM]

not very good advice for someone who represents a window cleaning guild.

i agree!

[Nathanael Jones]

I take it all back! I've never done a job that required it, so hadn't given it much thought to be honest.

My reasoning was that all balcony railings are inherently designed to take the weight of 10 men or more, so testing & eye bolts etc would be unnecessary.  I'll admit I disagreeumption was wrong though.

[trevor perry]

This is what our industry is trying to avoid unsafe practices
People have put their opinion in and have not got any H/S qualifications

When it comes to health and safety lets try and get it right

The FWC have spent alot of time talking to the HSE and have a good relationship with them
Guidence produced on behalf of our industry

Bryan

i do agree that health and safety is very important but having qualifications doesnt mean some of the conclusions these qualified men come to are right as an example try reading loughborough universitys study on the correct use of ladders it is an absolute joke, in one part it recomends that to foot a ladder the person footing should stand on the bottom rung if i had followed that advice over the years i would be typing this from a wheelchair, another example of beurocracy gone mad is on flat roofs we always used to use a deadweight and a lanyard to restrict operatives movement to edge of roof now you cant do this unless the deadweight is safety kite marked and one of these costs about £2 grand for what is basically a weight with wheels on and in all fairness is way to heavy to use on many roofs so creates more of a problem than it solves

[andyjm1]

Good choice Andyjm1, let us know how your quote goes

Will do.

If I don't get the job or I don't hear anything do you think they would mind telling me what price the job went for. Only reason I wouldn't mind finding out is I have done about 8 medium to large commercial quotes since I started in this game and not got one of them. I would like to know how far out I am, do you think the property management company might at least give me an idea of how far out I was? Does anyone else follow up quotes?

[sparklebright]

Thanks for all the feedback and opinions.

I have given them my price and told them I would be going through the flats to clean the patio doors for safety reasons.

It's the climbing off the ladder and onto the railings bit I don't like the thought of, and even less the  climbing back on part, one slip and it's goodnight.

You're a wise man. Nothing is worth taking risks for really.
And if you do a job in an unsafe way it can render your life insurance invalid.

And before any naysayers say 'that's not true', I would advise you to check....because it is. Insurance companies will have room to wriggle out of paying up if are working in a dangerous way

[geefree]

Give another quote , excluding the patio doors,

or tell them access through the flat only.


Are they mad? 

[Moderator David@stives]

i
this from the man that isn't safe on the first rung of a ladder

And youre point is ?

[sparklebright]

Good choice Andyjm1, let us know how your quote goes

Will do.

If I don't get the job or I don't hear anything do you think they would mind telling me what price the job went for. Only reason I wouldn't mind finding out is I have done about 8 medium to large commercial quotes since I started in this game and not got one of them. I would like to know how far out I am, do you think the property management company might at least give me an idea of how far out I was? Does anyone else follow up quotes?

Always worth asking, they will probably tell you.
Just a postscript to this I recently lost a job.
18 flats, 66 windows 3 floors, 18 balconies (6 per floor). Some fool quoted £65 per 6 weekly clean.
Is it sour grapes to call him a fool? Probably, but the price comes to £3.61 a flat.
What a fool...

[dai]

When I do these jobs I make sure that the ladder is about  4 ft higher than the balcony rail, and resting on the wall, it's all about the way you transfer your weight from the ladder to whatever your going to stand on. In my case it's usually a convenient chair. If no chair is available I take a small set of steps up with me first.
When you step over, you place your leg on the inside of the rail, this holds the ladder in place.
If your careful, and I am, there is no more danger than stepping onto a flat roof, in fact less as that first step off a flat roof onto the ladder is something you have to be very careful with.
I wouldn't like to wash the underpants of some on here, if the were doing the job 50 years ago.

[sparklebright]

Yes but is taking risks is a good idea?
Even if you feel comfortable?
All those windys (1 a week) who either died or were seriously injured in recent years probably 'felt' perfectly safe.
People used to brush their teeth using radioactive toothpaste years ago cos it made their teeth shiny, was that a good idea because they weren't thinking of the risks.
Working safely doesn't mean you're a wimp it means you aren't stupid.

Life is risky in general it's true, but why takes extra risks you don't have to

[jonnyald]

personally i rest my ladder on the balcony rail itself rather than wall.  its what you and only you feel safest with at times like that.  i just prefer getting a good grip with both hands on the balcony rail before a foot leaves the ladder rung .i would place the ladder to the left side hard against the wall as i find it easier stepping off and on to my right  .    i agree with DAI  above,leaving a flat roof  and stepping onto ladder is  a time when  it pays to go very carefully .  choice of shoe is important too(sole )