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"The pace of single-family homeconstruction reached an all-time high of1.76 million units, [with the South andWest leading the way]," according to theNational Association of Home Builders(www.nahb.org). In fact, despite theBureau of Labor Statistics' estimation thatresidential building would decline in 2005and 2006, housing starts jumped in January2005 to the highest level in 2l years.As builders respond to the constructiondemand, the potential customer base forresidential window cleaners grows too.

This growth is good news but don't letthe pressure to meet demand affect safety.The biggest mistakes made in window

12

By Drue Ann Hargis-Ramirez, Write RightEnterprises

cleaning are a result of rushing or care-lessness, says Ron Friman, Owner/ExpertWindow Cleaning in Illinois. Ron alsoteaches route and retidential safety forthe International Window CleaningAssociation (www.iwca.org).

Safety on the job should be the firstconcern. And tt begins even before get-ting to the job site, says Jonathan Hood,PresidentlBxcellent Window Cleaning Inc.in Michigan, and an IWCA Board Member.Safety should encompass re._-eular safetymeetings, proper training and cer-tification,applications of standards and codes, anduse of the right equipment for the job aswell as following manufacturer euidelines

for all equipment. Safety should be at theforefront of every job from beginning toend and for residential window cleanersboth inside and out.

lN-HousE Snrrrv TnnNlNoSection 3.4.1 of the American NationalStandards Institute's ANSI/IWCA I-I4.1Window Cleaning Safety Standard reads,"Employers and employees shall be profi-cient in safe working procedures and properuse of equipment." ANSI (www.ansi.org)serves as administrator and coordinator ofthe United States private sector voluntarystandardtzatron system; the ANSI I-I4was adopted in October 2001 and sets the

standard for all window cleaners. In-housesafety training can be the first step to meet-ing the standards outlined in the I^I4.

Jonathan Hood runs his new employeesthrough a one-day safety orientation in-cluding a review of his company's 70-pagesafety manual. He compiled the manualafter attending an IWCA safety meeting. Itincludes 19 safety policies and a 3O-pointchecklist from equipment inspection tocleaning procedures. New employees aresupervised closely and work directly with

a crew leader for the first three months. "Itis a proactive approach designed to makesure proper procedure is installed in them,"

Jonathan explains. In tenyears his company has hadonly 2-3 mrnor accidents.

Don Chute is an industry vet-eran. He believes conductingregular safety meetings withyour employees is very im-portant. Don is currently adistributor of waterfed polesfor Eagle Power Products(www. eaglepower. com),operating under the nameLead Dog Enterprises, butfor more than 20 vears he

operated Total Home Care Inc. in Atlanta,Georgia. He recently sold the business,which is now called Total Home Care ofGeorgia. "Total Home Care [was and] isvery big on safety." Don conducted writtentests following safety meetings to ensurehis employees had read the company safetymanual. Don also recommends that eachjob should have a supervisor to ensure allsafety standards are practiced every day.

Jonathan holds monthly safety reviews

and an annual all-day safety event wherethe entire safety manual is read aloud. Hismonthly meetings also include a reviewof seasonal occupational hazards. For ex-ample, in October, they cover ladder safetyaffected by wet ground conditions; inDecember, they cover walking on wet ice.

STINoARDS AND Coors

The I-I4 standard specifies equipment with"practical and adequate safety factors andfeatures," while requiring "safe use, designand maintenance of such equipment." TheI-I4 is endorsed by both the IWCA and theBuilding Owners & Managers Association(www.boma.org). A guide to understand-ing the I-I4 is available from both organi-zations. IWCA members can order a copyof the I-I4 standard (a 4}-page document)through IWCA's website for $40 ($SS fornon-members).

The Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration (www.osha.gov) estab-lishes law through codes and regula-tions. Various sections of OSHA Code1910 "Occupational Safety and HealthStandards". which can be viewed onOSHA s website, apply to window clean-ing. Subpart D, for example, applies to

residential safety class being taught by Ron Friman

walking and working surfaces from laddersto scaffolds to manlifts. As mentioned inour high-rise article, the Martin's WindowCleaning Corp. website includes a listingof codes and standards which might behelpful; www.window-cleaning.com/osha_codes.htm.

Many states have their own OSHA divi-sions too. You'll need to make sure you fol-low the standards and codes for your state,which may be more stringent than federalOSHA codes. Links for state partners canbe accessed from OSHA s website. Forexample, California has a CaVOSHAProgram as part of its Occupational Healthand Safety Division within the Departmentof Industrial Relations (www.dir.ca.gov).Their window cleaning requirements canbe viewed at "http:/ lwww.dir.a.gov ltrtIeS/sb7g 1a5.html".

Snrr AND SouNo oN THE GnouNo"I think the biggest safety improvement inwindow cleaning whether residential, orcommercial in certain applications, is wa-terfed poles," says Jeff Klass, Owner/FirstKlass Window Cleaning in Wisconsin.He uses the DI-Cart from Eagle PowerProducts. His system uses the customer'soutside water source, which flows throughthe DI tanks. He also purchased both 12-and 3O-feet extension poles.

"The last time we used the DI-Cart," Jeffsays, "the client raved about how clean thewindows were. And the beauty is my feetnever left the ground."

The only danger with waterfed poles, ac-cording to Don Chute, is hitting a tree andknocking the pole out of your hand and ei-ther hurting someone or hitting a live wire.Fortunately, he says, newer homes have thewires underground. You can work aroundand through trees, but you have to pay

attention to the job. In fact,waterfed poles are the futureof exterior window cleaning,Don believes. Some windowsosuch as double hung windowswith storm screens. can't becleaned with waterfed poles.You'll have to get on a lad-der and get a squeegee to theglass for the job.

Lnoorn Snrrrv ANDCHorcr

OSHA Code 1910.26(c)(3)(i)reads 'A simple rule for set-ting up a ladder at the properangle is to place the base adistance from the verticalwall equal to one-fourth theworking length of the lad-der." Even more important cleaners needto have three points of contact on laddersat all times. Whether it's two hands andone foot on the ladder or one hand and twofeet, there should always be a three-pointcontact, according to Don Chute.

Storm windows, common in cold weatherstates, present another safety issue. Theymay need to be taken down with a suctioncup to clean; the suction cup allows thecleaner to have three-point contact withthe ladder as they descend. If they are toolarge, you may need two men on ladders,each carrying down one side of the stormwindow. In this case, you must be espe-cially careful for the cleaners to stay evenas they go down their respective ladders,and make sure no one is below in case thestorm window is dropped.

Many believe that extension ladders workbest outside and sectional ladders work bestfor inside work. Extension ladders aren't aseasy to move indoors even when collapsed,

leg leveler

Jonathan Hood explains. Sectional or pieceladders are convenient because they canextend up to 28 feet Keep your inside andoutside ladders separate so the ones usedinside will stay clean. Jonathan preferssectional ladders from Detroit Spongeand Chamois and he is partial to Ettoreproducts.

Jeff Klass prefers Little Giant ladders. Healso uses stand-offs, which is an accessorythat clamps to the top of his Little Giantladders to stabilize them. 'A stand-offholds you back off the side of the buildingso as you go up it is easier to keep your cen-ter of gravity. You can almost lean in ontothe ladder," he explains. He prefers LittleGiants because they flare at the bottom sothe base is wider. They are also multi-func-tional, he says, and adjust in one-foot incre-ments. They can also be used on stairwellsbecause you can adjust one side only.

Don Chute uses leg levelers on his lad-ders for uneven surfaces. "I wouldn't havea ladder without them. You can set the

ladder level by loweringone of the leg levelers onthe ground and the otheron the stair." Safety alsocomes into play whenpricing a job, accordingto Don. "When you do anestimate, take in mind thatsome windows are goingto need two people."

And don't forget to look atthe work area, Jeff Klasspoints out, before youeven set up your ladder.example of dog-and-leash method poling a slcylight

14

Look for overhead electrical lines and otherobstructions on the ground.

Ron Friman recommends safety rubberpads/shoes for ladders. The bottom of aladder has rubber plugs on the ends, butthese aren't enough to prevent slippage, hesays, especially on marble and tile floors.The rubber pads/shoes for ladders can bepurchased cheaply from window clean-ing equipment suppliers. He also recom-mends hard-sole work shoes for ladder use.ShoesForCrews.com offers a varietv ofwork shoes for window cleaners.

If using a ladder on decks, which can beslippery from rain or mildew, Don Chuterecommends using a 5-1 or putty knifewedged into the deck groove. The laddercan't slide backwards because the puttyknife stops it.

There are lots of different ladder types andmanufacturers, but it comes down to whatyou can afford. "Buy the best ladder youcan afford [then go one step further]l' ad-vocates Ron. He also recommends buyinga ladder rated at 250 pounds, which meansit can hold 1,000 pounds since the rating isbased on a l-4 rutto.

Fnom Lnoorn ro Roorrop"One of the most dangerous things windowcleaners can do is to get off a ladder onto aroof," Ron says.

Jeff Klass knows personally how danger-ous getting onto a residential rooftop canbe. Six years ago on a dewy spring morn-ing, while working on a 24,000 square feethome, he slipped 40 feet off a cedar shakeroof. He landed on the blacktop below,breaking his right ankle and four bones inhis left foot. "I won't risk life and limb forany piece of glass ever agarn."

Of course, this doesn't mean he isn'tclimbing on rooftops anymore, but nowhe uses special footwear called Korkers(www.korkers.com). They have specialremovable soles onto which special bot-toms can be attached, different bottoms fordifferent types of roofing material. He alsoevaluates roof pitch and if it's too steep hewon't get on it. ShoesForCrews.com alsooffers similir type roofing shoes.

Ron Friman doesn't believe shoes likeKorkers keep you safe enough, plus theshoe spikes damage the roof each time youwalk on it. When you slip, there is no timeto react, in his opinion. He advocates use ofa full-body harness with a safety line to re-strain you. It is essentially the same systemused for rapelling off a building, but thesafety line is horizontal.

He refers to it as the dog-and-leash methodand explains the safety line is attachedfrom one side of the rooftop to the otherwith you attached to the rope with'a ropegrab. He suggests tying one end of therope to your truck bumper and the other toa tree. In his IWCA safety class he dem'onstrates the technique with two trainedmen. Remember to take the keys out ofyour truck and don't use your customer'svehicle to anchor to.

Gunrn CrnNrNG SnrrryDon Chute had his crew clean gutters froma ladder, using a handheld blower to blowthe debris to the ground.

Jonathan Hood prefers to scoop the debrisinto plastic bags instead of blowing it to theground. If the roof pitch is acceptable, hewill allow his employees to clean the gut-ters from the rooftop, otherwise a ladder isused. His cleaners also wear eye gogglesfor splashes and rubber gloves calledWinter Monkey Grips. They are made of atough polyvinyl chloride material with in-

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sulated linings. Every company truck also carries wasp pesticidesbecause wasps may build nests in the gutters.

There are also plastic scoops, offered by TheGutterCleaner.com,which can be screwed onto the end of an extension pole. This mayreduce ladder work, but when using the ladder, don't lean it againstthe gutter or you can dent it.

Ron Friman says to be cautious about downspouts. His cleanerscarry a four feet piece of hose and run water down the spout toensure it's clear. If it's too cold, they drop a couple of pebblesdown the spout.

lNsror Wonr'A lot of window cleaners don't realize how expensive a residenceis," comments Ron Friman. Nor do they realtze how expensivethe furniture and knickknacks are inside the house. he adds. Headvocates teaching your cleaners not to move furniture withouta written waiver, and to point out pre-existing conditions on yourwork order.

When moving furniture or assembling ladders indoors, JonathanHood says, always watch for ground and overhead obstructions.Check surface conditions, such as hardwood, tile or carpet andhave someone foot the ladder inside on slippery surfaces. Hiscrews also use drop clothes, wear shoe covers over work boots,and put bonnets on ladder tops to prevent scratching the surfaceonto which the ladder is leaning.

When cleaning the outside of a window from inside, only one-flfthof your body weight can be outside, according to OSHA codes,says Ron. The I-I4 goes a step further, he says, and recommendskeeping one foot on the ground and your head inside. He currentlycle_ans the housing units at the University of Chicdgo, but the com-16

pany before his had one of their crew fall out a third-floor window(fortun ately onto an awning which broke his fall) because toomuch of his body was hanging outside.

If you're cleaning a skylight from a ladder, you'll have to catchyour water or it may drip onto the wall paint. How to do this?Don't use too wet tools, Ron says, and use microfiber rags andscrubbers. "Manage your water. Water can cause damage on car-pets or walls or furniture," he adds.

Everyone agrees you need to be aware of where your tools areat all times because of pets and small children. Don points out asmall child can drown in a bucket of water. "Keep it close to youat aII times." Some common sense also works, Don adds. Thrn offthe electrical source when cleaning lighted mirrors. Put covers onscrapers when not using them. Never put a ladder or pole in frontof a door or stairway. If you have to clean a window over a door,lock the door so no one can come in.

IWCA Snrrrv TnnNrNG CnssrsIn-house safety training and procedures will serve you well, butthe IWCA safety training classes will caffy safety the necessarystep further to fully protect you and your employees. "I recom-mend that everyone attend IWCA safety training. It is the mostimportant thing a company can do," says Don Chute.

Jonathan Hood agrees. "If you have a safety training class avail-able in your area,, it is worth the money to protect yourself as anowner. You can overlook some things."

IWCA's safety training classes are offered at its annual conventionand at regional events throughout the year. A fall event is sched-uled on October 15 in Seattle, Washington. An online registrationform is already accessible on IWCA's website. The cost is $ 129 forthe first person and $ 1 19 for additional employees if you registerbefore October 1. Another regional event is tentatively scheduledthis summer in Chicaso. but the detail and date remain to be de-termined.

All-day safety training is provided at the annual conventions.Stefan Bright, IWCA's Safety Director, kicks off the training withtwo hours on safety awareness, then different modules are offeredthroughout the rest of the day. Ron Friman teaches the route andresidential modules. At the conclusion of all the convention safetysessions, Stefan provides a quick review and wraps up the threedays worth of safety seminars.

being respecful of the home

IWCA WrNDow CmnNrNG CrnrFrcATroNThree years ago the IWCA formed the International WindowCleaner Certificate Institute (www.iwcci.org) to conduct its certifl-cation program. A company must join the Institute in order to haveits employees go through the certification process, explains StefanBright. The program includes studying educational workbooksprovided by the IWCCI, performing on-the-job hours on certainpieces of equipment including chemicals if applicable, and passingan exam. At the IWCCI website, over 150 companies are listed asmembers; nearly 100 have been certified to date.

The annual membership fee for a residential window cleaningcompany is $250. There are four different levels of certification.The Certified Window Cleaner RR level is for cleaners special-rzrng in ground-based route and residential operations. The indi-vidual certification fee is $200 but it lasts for three years and canbe renewed for another three vears for onlv $100.

lN rnr ENoRon Friman says it all comes down to thinking safely, pre-plan-ning and having the varieties of equipment you need and followingthe manufacturer guidelines for proper use of the equipmpnt.

Drue can be reached by emarl at WriteRightEnt@ao1.com.