Window Washing Safety at Height
Window cleaners have great job security because people love clean windows and glass needs to be cleaned regularly. Many of these windows are on a second story or even higher which puts window cleaners at risk of a fall. Window cleaners who have been in the business for a while have fallen or know someone who has. As a result, it’s important to prevent falls and detect them if they do happen.
A professional window cleaner is no stranger to ladders and often has to work alone. Even if cleaning with a water fed pole system, skylights and other windows need to be cleaned from a ladder or from a roof. Even with the buddy system, when working in pairs, there is a risk of an undetected fall. Many times a person cleaning windows inside would not see or hear a person cleaning windows outside if they were to fall.
There are safety laws around this work that are designed to protect workers including:
- 4 feet is considered a fall hazard (OSHA 1910.23)
- Fall protection is required at any height over 6 feet (OSHA 1926.500)
- You need a safety plan to handle these dangers (WAC 296-878-14005)
Automatic Fall Detection From Ladders or
Rigging Systems for Window Washers
WorkerSafety Pro is a smartphone app that is engineered for residential window cleaners because of their substantial risk above the fall hazard height. In the event of a fall, emergency contacts will be notified about the fall with location information. An emergency contact can also speak with the person working in the field to make sure they are ok.
Falls are a serious danger and are the second leading cause of death in the construction industry. We know that unless workers are securely tied to something at all times, which is impossible, falls are always a risk. Prevention is very important, but to save lives when it fails, response time is the key.
Peace of Mind for Window Washer Safety
“ My husband, who works on roofs everyday, most often alone, uses this app. Knowing that if he falls, I as well as his boss, will be notified, feels almost like he is always working with someone even when he isn't. This app doesn't eliminate the risk of falling, but does reduce the amount I worry about him while he is at work. ”
WorkerSafety Pro is a cost-effective way to gain potentially life-saving capabilities from the fall monitoring and fall detection system because it uses a smartphone. WorkerSafety Pro is also recommended for individuals and organizations to provide text and voice notifications, automatic check-ins, and other useful features.
This fall detection solution is very easy to use. You can see it in action in one of our tests. If a person does fall, a countdown timer begins. After the countdown timer, a fall-detected notification can be sent by email, text, and voice message to emergency contacts. If the person that fell is ok then they can send an all-clear message to their emergency contacts as an easy way to let them all know that they are ok.
WorkerSafety Pro has been rigorously tested with the “Fall Guy” test dummy. 100s of test falls have been performed to verify fall scenarios including unarrested falls, arrested falls, pendulum falls, and sliding falls. More fall testing information is available on the WorkerSafety Pro website and by email request.
WorkerSafety Pro detects falls as long as a wi-fi or cellular internet connection is available. If the internet is unavailable the app will display a message indicating there is no data connection.
You can learn more about the app here or in the App store and Google Play store.
