The challenges of cleaning high-rise buildings

Recently, more and more residential blocks have been built along the riverbanks and on the outskirts of our cities. As well as becoming taller – high-rise buildings can be in excess of 50 floors, they now have more imaginative and creative designs and external cleaning to full height is a challenging prospect for even the most experienced service providers. 

For those up for the challenge, the creation of these new tower blocks has also created opportunities for professional window cleaning providers. A niche has been created for some vertical specialists, such as Principle, to provide an expert service with highly trained teams and management support.

There are a number of factors involved in planning how to clean a high-rise building. Firstly, each property and environment is different so planning is everything and, secondly, service providers, clients and staff must keep safety at the front of their minds when planning each and every piece of work.

Some aspects of planning will involve:

Safety  

The safety of the team is the main priority. This is the biggest issue of all and doesn’t just apply to operatives, but to everyone involved who might be affected. There are good reasons why window cleaners create exclusion zones and signage below their place of operation - a falling object from a BMU, for example, can be catastrophic to anybody below. In truth, window cleaning companies have little freedom to manoeuvre when it comes to safety and the basis of any approach is borne from safety legislation. The Health and Safety at Work Act, which became law in 1974, has been with us for almost 50 years and the principles around that legislation underpin the approach to cleaning a high-rise block today - safe systems of work, staff suitability for their task, information, instructions, training and supervision. 

Other Regulations have since been introduced and they provide excellent reference points. The Management Regulations (1992) are 30 years old and site-specific risk assessments and the culture around them is a necessity in this type of work. Proper documentation, understanding and sign-off are vital and the ethos of these specialist companies has to be an extremely safety conscious one. Typically, behavioural safety training is the norm for this type of organisation.

The planning of access is very much part of the safety planning process. The Work at Height Regulations and the hierarchy of risk requires employers to eliminate risks where possible. In reality, service providers are normally faced with a BMU (cleaning from inside via eyebolts is less common in high-rise blocks) or even the potential to abseil. The Work at Height Regulations are specific about planning for rescue, which is a positive thing but challenging for service providers when they are faced with limited facilities.  

Costing 

It can be a challenge to provide a competitive cost when knowledge of the building, its equipment and the local environment might be limited. Here, there is no substitute for experience and adopting common sense, breaking the work down along with the hours and peripheral costs, whilst keeping safety in mind at all times. It’s also the moment to consider how to provide best value for the client and deliver innovative solutions.

Staff 

A team will make or break a high-level cleaning contract. They can be an extremely valuable asset to a site and they should be specialists in their field. As well as being suitable for their task, they must be highly trained in their roles and the equipment they use and understand the importance of checking and double-checking processes and equipment - being mindful of any changes in circumstances. Employers must develop the asset they have in these members of staff and develop their skills and knowledge as they would any member of the team.

Flexibility

It’s important for employers, clients and staff to be flexible when approaching working at height as things can change quite quickly and the ability to adapt, think and react when in an exposed situation are a necessity. It is also important to have a mindset of being alert to others around and below the work position and be adaptable to providing reports, for example, on building defects and cracked glass.

Equipment 

The quality of equipment is vital to the success of a high-level window cleaning contract.  Maintenance regimes are governed by the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 but its general state, age and suitability may well govern how successful the cleaning can be. Additionally, BMU installers have the challenge of providing equipment that has to fit the building rather than the other way around and this can create access problems for window cleaners, which are increased if they are working 25 floors up or higher.

Weather 

Our unreliable weather can have a huge effect on the window cleaning operation and this largely comes back to planning, safety and rescue. It’s no fun to be stuck in a cradle when it is windy, excessively cold or hot, and changes in the weather should not be unforeseen.

Programmes of cleaning 

These are a vital part of the planning process but there needs to be an understanding from all parties that these programmes can be subject to change without notice

Health 

Safety is an area, which is covered from every angle but it’s important to also be mindful of the health of staff and this includes mental health. Employees need to be fit and suitable for the task and this needs to be assessed by employers for the sake of everybody. It is doubly difficult to carry out a snatch rope access rescue if an operative is unwell and is suffering from a condition that could have been identified and the situation avoided.

In conclusion, this is not an exhaustive list of factors but they are the main ones. Positive thinking and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances are important but above all service providers must plan, document and follow a process in accordance with legislation, remaining consistent and reviewing regularly.

David Saville is managing director of Principle’s Vertical Cleaning division and an executive committee member of the Federation of Window Cleaners

For further information about Principle Cleaning Services please visit www.principleclean.com