[rich fraser]

Does anyone have a generic Risk assessment/method statement I could use for emptying/cleaning guttering?  I've got some offices that I have to empty and clean box gutters on. I will have a banks man footing the ladder. Cleaning with WFP. Doing it at the weekend when no cars pedestrians about. Can't  use scissor lift as ground is uneven and shingle in places. Don't have a gutter vac before that suggested.
Thanks in advance for any help

[Nick Day]

If they are asking for a risk assessment it is incredibly difficult to risk assess any gutter cleaning job using ladders.
Your main risk is falling and as the result could be maimed or killed, and there is a safe alternative, is virtually impossible that any one would accept the use of ladders.

[Smurf]

If they have a H&S bod on site which they probably will I would have though he/she would not allow you to use ladders on that building as mentioned already

[Don Kee]

You can get mewps with tracks fir the uneven ground/shingle

Depends how uneven the ground is, depends on what you use

Maybe get something with a decent outreach, with stabilisers for the uneven bits?

[Nick Day]

Rich

You can get a damn good gutter cleaning kit for under £300.00 that will handle this and any other job with ease for up to 30' and more.
Schools and housing associations will not allow you on site with ladders. END OF!! This attitude is spreading...fast.
Unfortunately due to posting on here about expensive gutter cleaning kits, many guys have lost a lot of money.

[paulben]

Where can you get good gutter cleaning kit for £300 any link would be appreciated

[Nick Day]

Hello,

Our website should be shown below, we use the 1250 watt vacs all the time and they do the job. We started out with big vacs but then tested these machines and found they did the same job for a fraction of the price, also if you wanted a generator you only need a 2.4kva machine which can be lifted by one man and cost a lot less. These kits are designed for window cleaners who don't necessarily do a lot a jobs per year but want to do a few without the need to climb ladders! We've used them on houses, apartment blocks and schools and have always got the job done and we don't carry ladders.

Alex
Gutter Cleaning Systems

[Smurf]

First thing I would advise to get when doing gutter clearing quotes is a wifi camera fitted to a pole so you can actually see how bad they are and what you are up against without having to use ladders or worst quoting blind. You can also record vids and take still images not just inside of the gutters but for access and risk assessment purposes too. Myself I prefer wifi gopro type cameras as are waterproof and very robust unlike other so say guttercams being sold.

That way you have a much better understanding of the job in hand, can decide what best gutter clearing methods are to be used and if any added costs like access equipment, running a generator etc is required to be able to provide a more accurate quote.

RAMS in a nutshell bud.

[martin hulstone]

Rich

You can get a damn good gutter cleaning kit for under £300.00 that will handle this and any other job with ease for up to 30' and more.
Schools and housing associations will not allow you on site with ladders. END OF!! This attitude is spreading...fast.
Unfortunately due to posting on here about expensive gutter cleaning kits, many guys have lost a lot of money.

Rubbish, i clean schools and need ladders to climb onto first floor roofs to clean the windows. There is no other way of accessing them, unless you invest in a jet-pack!

[Smurf]

Martin did these schools ask you to supply a RAMS  before you started cleaning them?
If so was the ladder access to the ground floor roofs included in it?

If they did not ask to see your RAMS and you have not done one for each job then the schools and yourself  if anything should go wrong will be right in the crapper especially if you have employees and one of them gets hurt.

[martin hulstone]

I do a Rams with all commercial work that is submitted on my first clean with my p l insurance.
As you well know, if using ladders all other options should be considered, so if you need to gain access to Windows on a roof  then using ladders is perfectly acceptable.
This is stated in the Rams when carrying out my risk assessment.

[Smurf]

Nice one.

The point that nick way trying to get accross that the use of ladders on some contracts are simply not allowed for whatever that reason might be. 

[martin hulstone]

Thats fine, but he said schools will not allow you on site with ladders, END OF! but that simply is not true as i use them when needed on schools.