Working at Height for Window Cleaners and Maintenance
A window that takes two minutes to clean can still require careful planning. Falls can happen from a short ladder, a fragile roof edge or a poorly positioned access platform. Maintenance staff face similar risks when changing a fitting or checking a roof. The right method depends on the building, weather, ground, duration and task. A familiar job should not be treated as automatically safe just because it has been done before without an incident.
First ask whether height is needed
Part 4 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 sets out duties for work at height. It requires planning, supervision and risk assessment. Regulation 98 directs employers to avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable to do the work safely another way. For window cleaning, a suitable ground-based system may remove the need to climb. For maintenance, consider whether a fitting can be serviced from a safe existing position or redesigned for easier access.
If height cannot be avoided, assess the specific location. Check ground firmness and slope, overhead hazards, nearby doors, pedestrian traffic and vehicle movement. Look at rooflights and other fragile surfaces, not just the visible edge. Decide how materials will be brought up and kept from falling onto others. Record the chosen method and the conditions under which work must stop. Weather can change the answer even at a site visited many times.
Select equipment for the task
The regulations require suitable work equipment selected with the risk assessment in mind. A stable platform with collective protection will often be preferable to a method that relies entirely on an individual’s balance or personal fall equipment. A ladder may be suitable for some short, low-risk tasks when a safer alternative is not reasonably practicable, but it must be appropriate, checked, positioned securely and used within its limits. Do not use a chair, improvised platform or damaged ladder.
Window cleaning can require reaching sideways, handling water and working near members of the public. Maintenance work may add tools, electricity or a need to use both hands. Those details can make a ladder unsuitable even where the height is modest. Keep the work area below controlled so passers-by are not exposed to falling equipment. If the job needs a mobile platform or specialist access, arrange a competent operator and site-specific setup.
Plan for emergencies before access
Regulation 95 calls for emergency and rescue planning. Decide how an injured or stranded worker will be reached; do not rely on an unplanned emergency-service response as the only method. If personal fall protection is selected, the team needs a workable rescue plan and the equipment and competence to use it. Test communications where the work will occur. A lone worker cleaning an isolated elevation may need additional controls or a different staffing arrangement.
The HSA advises that lone-worker assessments consider communication, check-ins and response to missed contact. Set clear stop-work conditions for wind, rain, poor visibility or unexpected access problems. A supervisor should know the location and expected finish time. Workers should have authority to pause when the site no longer matches the plan, even if a customer is waiting.
Train for the chosen method
Training should cover the equipment actually used, pre-use checks, safe setup, exclusion zones, weather decisions and emergency procedures. Observe a worker setting up at a representative location. Ask what they would do if the ground were soft or a rooflight appeared. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires training to be understandable and adapted when risks change. Equipment instruction and supervision should match the worker’s experience.
Keep the risk assessment, equipment inspections, training and any rescue practice accessible to the team. Review after an incident, near miss, building alteration or change in access equipment. A certificate for a general course does not prove that today’s window or roof can be reached safely.
A pre-job pause
Before starting, confirm the access method, ground, weather, public protection, communication and rescue arrangement. If one element is missing, revise the plan before anyone climbs. That pause is a practical safety control, not a delay to be worked around.
Common access questions
Is a short ladder automatically low risk? No. A fall from a modest height can cause serious injury, and the task may require sideways reach, force or both hands. Assess the work and surroundings before selecting equipment. A quick job is not an exemption from planning.
Can rain or wind change an approved method? Yes. The 2007 Regulations require weather conditions to be considered. If grip, stability, visibility or control of materials is affected, stop and reassess. The method statement should say who makes that decision and how the customer will be informed.
Should a worker ever stand on a rooflight? Treat rooflights and other fragile surfaces as potential fall-through hazards. Identify them before access and prevent workers from approaching them without a properly planned protective system. A surface that looks solid from a distance may not support a person.
