Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Frequently Asked Questions & Useful Resources => Topic started by: corky on October 25, 2007, 08:45:48 pm

Title: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: corky on October 25, 2007, 08:45:48 pm
Didnt see the news myself so all second hand information from people who think they know best, that by june 2008 I wont be able to use a ladder as well as no water is this right ? Any comments on this would be great thanks
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: tacky on October 25, 2007, 09:24:37 pm
i dont think a complete ladder ban .has been mentioned as of yet.
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Moderator David@stives on October 26, 2007, 08:57:33 am
Corky

All untrue

Dave
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Stephen Dwyer on October 26, 2007, 05:29:12 pm
I certainly hope that this is not true as I work traditional and cannot afford a wfp. 
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: corky on October 27, 2007, 10:29:40 am
YES, LIKE YOU I USE TRADITIONAL I UNDERSTAND ITS TO DO WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY AND WE WILL NEED HARNESSESS EVEN ON DOMESTIC WORK ! THANKYOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS THOUGH
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Neil_A on October 27, 2007, 11:09:03 am
There may be new laws coming as to how you have to use a ladder...

I cant see them being banned all together

I think there will be a law saying you have to have a person at the bottom of the ladder
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: George P on October 28, 2007, 01:41:47 pm
there has been talk of ladders being footed to be banned as the person footing ladder can become distracted and bored, absolulutly daft byt thats whats been said
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: paul saunders on October 28, 2007, 05:13:21 pm
And who's going to enforce this ban. ::) ::)
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Neil271052 on October 28, 2007, 06:25:11 pm
YES, LIKE YOU I USE TRADITIONAL I UNDERSTAND ITS TO DO WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY AND WE WILL NEED HARNESSESS EVEN ON DOMESTIC WORK ! THANKYOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS THOUGH

.........and what will you fasten your harness to?

I doubt customers will want eye bolts fixing in various places in their walls. ;)
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: windowwashers on October 29, 2007, 07:50:17 am
Didnt see the news myself so all second hand information from people who think they know best, that by june 2008 I wont be able to use a ladder as well as no water is this right ? Any comments on this would be great thanks
not heard of the ladder ban, I use wfp and trad. Banning water is a subject that is being talked about alot but speaking to the water companies about it, they said this will be aimed at the domestic market first, then the commercial market but is unlikely to ever happen, there has been no hose pipe ban in my area (anglian water) for over 15 years, dont lose sleep over it, it just seems some like to scare monger (then call it news)
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Neil271052 on October 29, 2007, 12:08:14 pm
there has been no hose pipe ban in my area (anglian water) for over 15 years, dont lose sleep over it, it just seems some like to scare monger (then call it news)

You are lucky.

Where I live in the SE there has been a hosepipe ban most years except this year.

After all the rain we had this summer.  ;)
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: isaacstradling12 on December 18, 2007, 01:46:28 pm
There is no ladder ban

The new GUIDELINES stated that only the right equipment for the job could be used and that to take care not to be using ladders that are unsuitable!

Who would enforce the ban anyway if there was one? the police? the council?

Think about it...

Wouldnt you of heard something more than a rumour?
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: poleman on December 18, 2007, 04:01:33 pm
there has been talk of ladders being footed to be banned as the person footing ladder can become distracted and bored, absolulutly daft byt thats whats been said

I agree, someone can be distracted and footing is not safe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gek2uXCYdmw

Andy
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Jake on December 18, 2007, 07:01:37 pm
That's a classic 'pay peanuts get monkeys' lesson !
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: poleman on December 18, 2007, 09:21:26 pm
chuffin hell  ;D

Andy
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: AuRavelling79 on December 19, 2007, 05:33:26 pm
Chuffin' Ice!
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: pingu on December 31, 2007, 09:04:35 am
I have heard it said that ladders for window cleaning is banned here in Holland....

mmmmm...

Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: windowwashers on January 20, 2008, 01:11:51 am
there has been talk of ladders being footed to be banned as the person footing ladder can become distracted and bored, absolulutly daft byt thats whats been said

I agree, someone can be distracted and footing is not safe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gek2uXCYdmw

Andy
I agree and it is not chuufin funny, for chuffs sake  :P
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Collybolly on January 20, 2008, 01:44:39 am
Wish my window cleaner would bring his ladder & bucket back. He's gone posh with a flash van and WFP.

Trouble is, we live on a main A-road so the windows get really grubby, in a white-washed house...the front of which is now streaky and grey thanks to the water running down the walls.

I guess this is 'the norm' but I'm going to have to 'let him go' and get up my own ladder.
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: pot on January 20, 2008, 10:58:28 am
I am sure you can read post on here, but your window cleaner has invested in the future of window cleaning, twice as fast, 100% safer than ladders, cheaper on insurnce, gives more pride in the job, and be able to quote for bigger jobs, gone have the days of flat cap, fAg in mouth, dirt cloth, brigade.
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Neil271052 on January 20, 2008, 11:08:16 am
I am sure you can read post on here, but your window cleaner has invested in the future of window cleaning, twice as fast, 100% safer than ladders, cheaper on insurnce, gives more pride in the job.....

..............and leaves dirty runs down the front of the customers house.  :(

WFP is not the future of window cleaning, just a different method.
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: pot on January 20, 2008, 11:18:43 am
Come on, I use a ladder at the moment to access my windows (where safe) and I am fully aware of the WAHR

but I am clever enough to know, that WFP is going to be a good investment for my business, and be able to give my family a better living, than I can give them now

 
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Wayne Thomas on January 20, 2008, 01:36:36 pm
Wish my window cleaner would bring his ladder & bucket back. He's gone posh with a flash van and WFP.

Trouble is, we live on a main A-road so the windows get really grubby, in a white-washed house...the front of which is now streaky and grey thanks to the water running down the walls.

I guess this is 'the norm' but I'm going to have to 'let him go' and get up my own ladder.

OR, paint your house grey so that it blends in with the streaky water marks ;D
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Collybolly on January 20, 2008, 05:06:27 pm
Tried that once, looked naff. Plus a couple of the windows have started leaking in when he gets his pole out  :o   Not impressed.
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: poleman on January 20, 2008, 10:42:21 pm
Very simple really

Employ a window cleaner that does it trad, its not illegal to, just make sure he works in a safe manner or ask the chap to rinse the wall! I have and I am sure he will be reasonable about it

Andy
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: bonzo boy on February 19, 2008, 07:28:29 pm
in my honest opinion wfp is a con, no way does it clean glass in a satisfactory way. only people that say it does are the ones who laid out their greens to purchase the things. end of.
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: poleman on February 19, 2008, 08:57:12 pm
in my honest opinion wfp is a con, no way does it clean glass in a satisfactory way. only people that say it does are the ones who laid out their greens to purchase the things. end of.

So you wont be keeping a open mind then ::) ::) ::) no wonder there is a Ladder V WFP with a view like that  :(

Andy 
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: see clear lee on February 20, 2008, 12:43:00 am
in my honest opinion wfp is a con, no way does it clean glass in a satisfactory way. only people that say it does are the ones who laid out their greens to purchase the things. end of.

or i guess you could say the only people who dont like it are the ones that havnt goit it  :P :P  ;D ;D
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: pjulk on February 20, 2008, 01:17:13 am
Quote
in my honest opinion wfp is a con, no way does it clean glass in a satisfactory way. only people that say it does are the ones who laid out their greens to purchase the things. end o

Rubbish

If that was the case there would be hundreds of systems on ebay every week.

Have you every used a WFP
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: johnny_h on March 19, 2008, 07:31:35 pm
in my honest opinion wfp is a con, no way does it clean glass in a satisfactory way. only people that say it does are the ones who laid out their greens to purchase the things. end of.
ive heard it all now !!!!
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Grafters Cleaning Services on March 20, 2008, 08:18:06 am
in my honest opinion wfp is a con, no way does it clean glass in a satisfactory way. only people that say it does are the ones who laid out their greens to purchase the things. end of.
yet another trad boy that slags off wfp because he cannot afford one, or don't earn enough to justify buying one ;)
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: [GQC] Tim on March 20, 2008, 10:27:22 am
He'll switch, don't worry.  ;D

If Squeeky can do it, everyone can.
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Adam Boss on March 20, 2008, 07:08:00 pm
Grafters,
 I am a Trad boy as you put it but I also have wfp, I can see wfp has problems as you can otherwise this forum would have nothing to talk about.
It does an reasonable job shats why I use it on awkward and high jobs.

Quote

yet another trad boy that slags off wfp because he cannot afford one, or don't earn enough to justify buying one ;)
Lets keep it real and not make silly comments like yours.
Regards

Adam
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Grafters Cleaning Services on March 20, 2008, 10:35:41 pm
Grafters,
 I am a Trad boy as you put it but I also have wfp, I can see wfp has problems as you can otherwise this forum would have nothing to talk about.
It does an reasonable job shats why I use it on awkward and high jobs.

Quote

yet another trad boy that slags off wfp because he cannot afford one, or don't earn enough to justify buying one ;)
Lets keep it real and not make silly comments like yours.
Regards

Adam
adam,
As you are a relatively newbe yourself you will not of seen that over the years the amount of trad boys (as i call them) slating wfp without seeing how it works or the results it can achieve,

For example, how can you say that you don’t like Chinese food until you’ve tried it,

People with no concept of the product should not (in my opinion) slate something they know nothing about, so therefore my comment ... your quote... is not so silly after all

When i first joined this forum i too was trad but i was also very eager to find out more about wfp,
Rather than slate it i researched it and by using this forum decided this was the way forward


Ps what does shats mean?
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Adam Boss on March 21, 2008, 06:36:13 am
Newbie ?,

I have been here since 2004 as have you, yes I have read all the post regarding WFP over the years.
With your sweeping comment you generalised and that was the wrong thing to do, and you have to cherry pick your work to get a reasonable finish with WFP as has been stated on here many hundreds of times.
SHATS was a typing error and should have been, thats, as you should have picked up by reading my post. Also a quick look at my profile would have showed you we both registered in october 2004.

So from one newbie to another newbie

Regards

Adam  ;)
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: David Slater on August 27, 2008, 12:26:33 am
Didnt see the news myself so all second hand information from people who think they know best, that by june 2008 I wont be able to use a ladder as well as no water is this right ? Any comments on this would be great thanks

Its absolute rubbish!

Corky, this country has adopted a very peculiar stance on H&S legislation.

It will not come out and categorically 'ban' ladders, nor will it endorse their use.

The actual laws concerning the use of ladders is left very much down to the 'user'...but should you fall off them (or if a member of your staff falls) then the H&S Executive can (and will) throw the full weight of the law behind a prosecution....of YOU!

Let me try and explain -

You go to a job and use a set of ladders to access the windows - Is this illegal? NO

You go to a job and use  a set of ladders and your staff member falls - will you be taken to court? YES

Why? - because you didnt 'Assess the Risk' or 'Consider Alternative Methods' before their use.

You could use a bread knife to change a fuse if you wanted...theres nothing 'illegal' about it....the only time it becomes 'illegal' is if an accident results from your working practices.

You and me (and all of us!) are on some very sticky ground right now. The government will not come out and say ladders are illegal...but WILL prosecute us if we use them and an accident results from their use.

You really are in a 'no win' situation.

Use them and everything is fine...no problem.

Use them and something happens...you will be prosecuted!
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Neil271052 on August 27, 2008, 08:17:20 am
Are you sure this is correct?

How can you be prosecuted in the courts for something that is not illegal?

What if injury is caused by WFP?

Is that OK then?

Accidents happen.

If you are legally using tools in a correct manner how can you be prosecuted?

From the H&S courses I have attended we were informed that the stuff they come up with are "guidelines" not legalities.
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: poleman on August 27, 2008, 04:29:40 pm
YES he is right to a point, however you can be in the brown stuff even if you don’t fall! If you’re working in an unsafe manner, with no safe systems of work in place and you get court, then what will happen your get enforcement notice and if you don’t comply, then yes they can take you to court, and they often do!

www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/index.htm
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: poleman on August 27, 2008, 04:38:41 pm
Like this two window cleaners, didn’t fall but very unsafe working practise 
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Chris Galloway on September 22, 2008, 05:56:53 pm
Didnt see the news myself so all second hand information from people who think they know best, that by june 2008 I wont be able to use a ladder as well as no water is this right ? Any comments on this would be great thanks

Its absolute rubbish!

Corky, this country has adopted a very peculiar stance on H&S legislation.

It will not come out and categorically 'ban' ladders, nor will it endorse their use.

The actual laws concerning the use of ladders is left very much down to the 'user'...but should you fall off them (or if a member of your staff falls) then the H&S Executive can (and will) throw the full weight of the law behind a prosecution....of YOU!

Let me try and explain -

You go to a job and use a set of ladders to access the windows - Is this illegal? NO

You go to a job and use  a set of ladders and your staff member falls - will you be taken to court? YES

Why? - because you didnt 'Assess the Risk' or 'Consider Alternative Methods' before their use.

You could use a bread knife to change a fuse if you wanted...theres nothing 'illegal' about it....the only time it becomes 'illegal' is if an accident results from your working practices.

You and me (and all of us!) are on some very sticky ground right now. The government will not come out and say ladders are illegal...but WILL prosecute us if we use them and an accident results from their use.

You really are in a 'no win' situation.

Use them and everything is fine...no problem.

Use them and something happens...you will be prosecuted!

You also forget the customer/client that contracts you is also prosecuted.
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: vision tech on September 22, 2008, 11:04:25 pm
them 2 guys in the picture should have put their ladders up another 3 rungs and place them between the windows , then its easy to reach both at once safely.
Title: Re: NEW LAW ON USING LADDERS
Post by: Gerry Styles on September 22, 2008, 11:44:43 pm
Check it out, or speak to your local EHO, thay are very helpfull

www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/heightreg.htm