Security
Click Here for further details

Cleaning at height – our reputation hangs on it
By Advance Cleaning
Advance Cleaning was founded by four veterans of the cleaning business – all of whom met in the 1980s at the now defunct Ramoneur Cleaning. One of Advance’s Directors – Pat Coffey – can claim to have brought rope access to cleaning at height in the UK. Now Advance clean some of the tallest and most iconic buildings in the UK, the capital’s most famous stadia and household name department stores.
The evolution of working at height has been dramatic. Before the advent of rope access, cleaning the exteriors of tall buildings and hard-to-reach places was precarious and complex.
A rudimentary combination of universal beams, scaffolding, dead weights, cradles and a pulley system comprised the basic equipment necessary to access heights and awkward places.
Cleaning operatives would rig up a Bosun’s chair and swing from dangerous heights on a one rope system. With no back up system, each cleaner was responsible for his or her own weight – a frightening thought in retrospect.
Relatively speaking, the Bosun’s chair was one of the safest options available. Other systems were even more precarious. For example, as recently as the 1980s, the notorious ‘fiddle boards’ were famously used at the Houses of Parliament.
‘Fiddle boards’ were essentially planks of wood, which were pushed-through windows to form an external platform protruding from the structure. On the inside of the building someone was charged with the responsibility of sitting on the plank to weigh it down, whilst his colleague erected a ladder at the other end to scale the building and clean the windows.
Legend has it that Health and Safety legislation on working at height was initially inspired by Members of Parliament witnessing window cleaners using the dangerous ‘fiddle board’ system first-hand and deciding something needed to be done.
Clearly the cleaning at height industry needed a radical overhaul. With a proliferation of tall buildings and increasing levels of health and safety legislation, the cleaning industry was crying out for safer, more effective access methods.
In 1986, one of Advance Cleaning’s directors, Pat Coffey, was in charge of the biggest window cleaning operation in the UK at Lloyds of London. With thirteen onsite window cleaners and nineteen installed cradles, this was a window cleaning operation on a huge, unprecedented scale. The design of the building resulted in several access issues. Given it was such a high-profile building, keeping it clean was considered fundamental to its success.
“The inadequate systems available at the time could encourage unsafe practices and there were some cavalier companies operating in the window cleaning industry,” says Coffey. “In light of this, I was eager to find safer and more effective methods of window cleaning at height.”
Fortuitously, it was around this time that Coffey met an ex-Royal Marine who had realised some of the potential industrial applications of abseiling.
Abseiling was already being used in industry and engineering – on off-shore oil rigs and similarly inaccessible structures. Speaking to this ex-serviceman, Coffey began to wonder how abseiling could be applied to cleaning at height and organised a demonstration at Lloyds of London. “I was immediately impressed by the flexibility and practicality of the systems on show,” Coffey recalls.
“At this stage, I was not aware of rope access ever having been used for cleaning at height,” he continues. “When I took the concept to the facilities managers at Lloyds, it was more in hope than expectation. They were actually extremely receptive to the idea, which paved the way for us to develop the system with a view to implementing it on the building.”
Coffey and his team were fully trained in abseiling and quickly became what is believed to be the UK’s first ever rope access window cleaners. The original system they implemented was based on an extremely basic Australian version of abseiling. From that rudimentary beginning, a highly-complex and extremely effective rope access system for cleaning windows has evolved.
The Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) has been pivotal to this evolutionary process and continues to raise standards across all industrial rope access applications. IRATA formed in the late 1980s – around the same time Coffey started abseiling from the roof of Lloyds. Since then a clearly-defined progression for achieving certain standards in rope access – predominantly health and safety related – has developed into a full accreditation system.
As abseiling became increasingly complex and highly-skilled, IRATA kept practitioners up-to-date with developments in the discipline. The IRATA accreditation system – levels 1, 2 and 3 – soon became the industry standard for abseiling excellence. Today, to become a Level 3 IRATA technician (the highest level) requires years of dedication and many hours of instruction. Advance now has three Level 3 IRATA technicians in house which is unrivalled in the UK cleaning industry.
Advance Cleaning’s level of abseiling expertise is a key factor in being entrusted to clean some of the UK’s tallest and most recognisable buildings. One new London icon was recently-built to accommodate specialist access equipment for the highest floors. Before this was fully-functional, Advance suggested it could be abseiled as an interim measure.
Despite being the most experienced rope access technicians in the industry, Advance had never attempted anything on this scale previously. To mitigate any potential health and safety issues, Advance engaged the services of an abseiling expert – Paul Ramsden – to confirm their methodology. They also arranged a meeting with a council Environmental Health Officer to ensure everyone was happy with the plan and working together to deliver a safe and effective job.
Once everything was in place, with good weather required Advance picked an August date, abseiled from the roof of one of London’s most iconic skyscrapers and cleaned its famous windows. It was a resounding success. This experience proved that rope access window cleaning is efficient, cost-effective and really can reach places other cleaning methods can’t.
“With abseil, you’re totally in control of your own safety,” argues Advance’s Abseil Foreman Dan Fisher. “With mechanical equipment like cradles, things beyond your control can go wrong. With abseiling, there are no temperamental electrics involved – it’s you, a harness and some ropes, which you make your business to ensure are properly set up.”
Advance also clean the highest windows at some of London’s biggest department stores. Where this task might once have entailed road closures and cherry-pickers from the pedestrian pavement, rope access cleaning ensured the job was relatively straightforward and extremely cost-effective.
“Our experience has taught us that once all other methods are ruled out, rope access is usually the safest and most cost effective access option available,” says Coffey. “This is especially the case when set against cumbersome, expensive and disruptive alternatives like scaffolding.”

Height Safety
By Croner
Working at height is defined as work in any place from which a person could fall and cause personal injury. Surprisingly, a place is considered to be 'at height’ if a person could be injured falling from it, even if it is below or at ground level. Nasar Farooq, technical manager with health and safety experts, Croner, discusses the issues relating to working at height and offers practical tips to managing height safety.
There are specific precautions to be taken for all work at height regardless of the distance a person may fall. Therefore, it is essential that facilities managers consider the potential to cause harm rather than the height from which someone or something might fall.
The following are examples of facilities management activities that fall within the Work at Height Regulations; undertaking maintenance work, work on ladders (e.g. cleaning windows), work on staging or trestles (e.g. painting and decorating) and using a step ladder or kick stool to store or retrieve goods at height.
Preference should always be given to avoiding work at height, however if this is not possible the correct work equipment or other measures should be employed to prevent falls.
Work at height should only be done when it is ‘safe and reasonably practicable’ to do so and anyone working at height must be trained and competent (or, if being trained, supervised by a competent person).
It is important to note that the responsibility does not lie solely with the employer, or facilities manager or team - employees or anyone working under someone else's control, have a duty to report any safety hazard to the person in authority, use the equipment supplied (including safety devices) properly, and follow any training and instructions, unless they consider the activity to be unsafe, in which case they should seek further instructions before continuing with their duties.
Assessing the risk
Specific risk assessments should be undertaken for any operations involving work at height. With clear plans for emergency and rescue situations in place before the work begins. This is critical in engineering facilities where the work may be taking place above working machinery and/or chemicals storage areas.
An initial assessment should be carried out to determine whether there are work activities that involve a risk of personal injury from falls or falling objects. If at this point a task could be performed without working at height – which is a statutory legal duty – then this is the option that should be taken.
Where an initial assessment has found that working at height cannot be eliminated, employers are required to undertake a detailed risk assessment. This should include a careful examination of what harm could be caused from working at height and the necessary steps to reduce the likelihood of this harm occurring, taking into account all existing control measures.
Risk assessments should address:
- Those activities involving working at height
- The level of risk associated with working at height
- The need to introduce new or improve existing control measures.
The risk assessment process is about protecting people. It may seem obvious but unless the outcomes of the assessment are effectively implemented, the effort in developing the control measures is wasted.
Potential risk factors to consider include weather conditions (for outdoor working), means of access, individual and collective protection measures, fragile surfaces in the area of work, the risk of falling objects, situational hazards such as overhead electrical cabling and hazards relating to the type of work being performed (e.g. use of power tools and electrical hazards).
All risk assessments and control measures must be recorded and facilities managers should make regular inspections and monitor control measures to ensure they are working.
It is important to note that a risk assessment is not a one-off process but an integral part of the ongoing management of the working environment. It is good practice to review risk assessments on a regular basis and provide adequate information, instruction and training to everyone involved on completion of the assessment.
Particular consideration should be given to using the right type of access equipment for the job in hand. For example where non-complex work of a short duration with no leaning or twisting is to be undertaken, ladders may be suitable whereas for extended work periods other measures such as mobile elevated work platforms should be used.
Getting into and out of access equipment may create potential difficulties and such possibilities need to be carefully assessed as part of the whole risk management process.
Nasar is offering the following advice and tips regarding working at height to facilities managers, and can also provide advice on the latest legislation and regulations:
- Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of major injury to workers, therefore preference should always be given to avoiding work at height wherever possible and, where not possible, to use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls.
- Work at height should only be undertaken when it is ‘safe and reasonably practicable’ to do so.
- Anyone working at height must be trained and competent (or, if being trained, supervised by a competent person).
- Specific risk assessments should be undertaken for any operations involving work at height, with clear plans for emergency and rescue situations in place before the work begins. This is critical in engineering facilities where the work may be taking place above working machinery and/or chemicals storage areas.
- Potential risk factors to consider include weather conditions (if working outside), means of access, individual and collective protection measures, fragile surfaces in the area of work, the risk of falling objects, situational hazards such as overhead electrical cabling and hazards relating to the type of work being performed (e.g. use of power tools and electrical hazards).
- Particular consideration should be given to using the right type of access equipment for the job in hand. For example, where non-complex work of a short duration with no leaning or twisting is to be undertaken, ladders may be suitable whereas for extended work periods other measures such as mobile elevated work platforms should be used.
- Getting into and out of access equipment is a possible area for potential difficulties and such possibilities need to be carefully assessed as part of the whole risk management process.
- Employees also have a duty to:
- Report to their employer or person in control of the work any activity or defect relating to work at height that may endanger the safety of themselves or others
- Use any equipment provided for their use in accordance with any training and/or instructions relating to its use to enable their employer or person in charge to comply with their own health and safety duties.
Working at height is a high-risk activity and warrants particular attention when addressing workplace hazards. However falls from height and subsequent injuries are preventable. With a combination of risk assessment, proper planning, maintained equipment and training of employees working at height can be carried out safely every time.

A guide to Access Equipment
Ian Webber, Category Product Buyer for HSS Hire, discusses access equipment available for the FM sector
When choosing the correct access equipment for working at height, ask yourself two questions; Do I have to stretch? Do I have to work for a period longer than 15 minutes? If the answer is yes to either of these, then you should definitely not use a ladder. Strictly speaking, ladders should only be used as a means of getting to a workplace and should not be used as a platform to work from.
The 2005 Work at Height (WAH) Regulations certainly changed attitudes to using ladders. In the initial aftermath, ladder was a dirty word and hire figures fell significantly. In their wake came the explosion of low level access products such as the Pop-Up access platform, a powered access solution that offers a solid base to work at height. Taking only 8 seconds to reach a full height of 3.6m (and allowing 300 operations from just one battery charge) the Pop-Up is the most likely substitute for the ladder. It is mobile, compact enough to fit in doorways and is very easy to operate.
But the ladder has not been consigned to the scrap heap for all eternity yet – in fact over the last three years, ladders have made a comeback, as there is now better understanding of when and for what task they should be used.
For heights of around 2-4 metres, powered access is not necessary and there are a number of towers and platforms on the market which are perfect for short-term maintenance jobs and come with 360 ?guard rails for worker safety and protection. The benefits of using a platform are that they can be erected by just one person and can be moved along the floor easily, thanks to their lockable castors. No initial training is needed to use them, although point of purchase advice is given and I’d always recommend that an accredited training course be taken by anyone who has to work at height as part of their job, be it frequently or infrequently.
There are also a number of platform products on the market for hard-to-reach jobs. For example, the adjustable rigging on the stairway access towers makes them great for decorating hallways. They have a working height of around 2m and a twin guard rail platform of 1.3m, allowing for comfortable working. For busy offices, where perhaps you may need to work over workstations and desks, span access platforms are available to straddle an obstacle and work overhead.
For awkward to reach areas at a height of over 4 metres, there are a number of powered access products which are extremely useful - boom lifts can reach heights of over 30m. However, because of the type of machinery used and the sheer height of the apparatus, they require IPAF certification to use – they are certainly not appropriate for novice users.
But not all powered access equipment has such limits for operatives and a lot of our FM contracts find that scissor lifts are a pragmatic alternative to ladders and height-limited towers or platforms. We find on the market a good selection of indoor (electric) and outdoor (diesel) scissor lifts which cater for most jobs. Indoor lifts are powered by rechargeable batteries and provide a steady platform to work on at variable heights. As with the span access platforms, there are indoor scissor lifts which help facilitate work in awkward areas. For example, the narrow aisle scissor features a tight circle turning radius at a height of 10m, yet is only 810mm wide, useful for moving easily around corners and reaching for stock which is located high up (such as in a warehouse).
Outdoor scissor lifts do much the same, although external conditions such as the weather must be taken into account before use – they should not be used if winds exceed 28mph as they jeopardise the safety of the operator and those around him or her. For a flat and even terrain, such as concrete or tarmac, slab scissor lifts are absolutely fine. If the work being undertaken is over gravel, light debris or mud then rough terrain scissor lifts should be used. The rough terrain scissor lift conquers all with a 4x4 wheel drive powering all 2971kg of machinery. Differentiating components of rough terrain scissor lifts also include high grip tyres and, for the all-terrain leveller scissor, large outriggers that level the lift on 10 ? side lifts and 6 ?forward slopes. They combine safety and accessibility and are utilised frequently for structural roof work and maintenance.
Employers are legally liable for providing adequate training and the WAH Regulations were brought in to ensure industry-wide best practice. This is certainly true for the FM sector, which has seen significant growth over the last 20 years, is regulated by an official body and comprises workers who carry out a multitude of potentially dangerous duties, requiring work at height, each day.
Choosing the right piece of equipment for the right job comes with experience and the relevant training. And whilst training isn’t mandatory for use of low level equipment, I would strongly advise facilities managers to invest in a well-trained workforce and for anyone working in FM to insist on training from their HR supervisors. Work at height is responsible for over 100 deaths a year and should be taken seriously.

Zero tolerance
Why the construction industry must change its attitude to accidents
Kevin Fear, Head of Health, Safety and the Environment for ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the UK’s construction industry, talks about the prospect of creating an accident-free work environment.
In 2004, a Health and Safety Executive report[1] identified that accidents in the construction industry are often underpinned by two prevailing attitudes; “Just get it done” and “It won’t happen to me.”
Far too commonly accidents are a product of an industry culture that prioritises the job or task before the health and safety of the staff. Productivity, whilst clearly important to businesses and the project, is given a far higher priority than welfare and well-being.
For a number of years, large companies such as members of the Major Contractor’s Group (MCG) have been setting the standard for health and safety on construction sites and they are leading the way by introducing systems that are designed to assess and influence behaviour and culture.
But it’s also vital that smaller companies, which make up the vast majority of the industry, don’t get left behind and really tune in to the importance of keeping their staff safe, protecting their businesses and committing to changing common behaviours and culture around health and safety in the workplace.
Making a profit and keeping the business running is, understandably, the priority for the majority of small businesses, and it’s easy to argue that big conglomerates have much more time and resource to invest in stringent health and safety procedures. However, most firms do not fully appreciate that pro-actively managing health and safety issues actually protects the bottom line in the long term, rather than damages it.
The most important change is to understand and accept, as an abiding principle, that it is possible to have a work environment where there are no accidents. If your business culture can’t move away from an attitude that accepts accidents as part of work life, then it is not mature enough to gain from the benefits that behavioural and cultural change can bring.
The next stage is recognising that health and safety is everyone’s responsibility, not just a select few. In some firms, there is still a prevailing attitude that only workers cause accidents, but often the underlying reasons their occurrence can be traced to poor planning and management, or insufficient training, supervision or instructions. A lack of resources and pre-construction site investigation, poor design detailing or cultural attitudes also play a large role.
Excellent health and safety performance starts with the outlook of decision makers, and it is an important lesson to learn that it is the company head, not a designated Health & Safety Officer, who sets the tone and standard. A Health & Safety Officer’s role is merely to advise on what the law requires and how businesses can manage the risk. Once the boss’s attitude is right, the rest will fall into place.
In an environment where work can be delayed because of unforeseen, unsafe conditions, employees will naturally respond positively because they know they are being supported by the site manager.
This has been proved, most recently by the Department for Work and Pension (DWP) who helped to reduce the Accident Incident Rate (AIR) on its Jobcentre Plus renovation project to nearly 10 times lower than the industry average by following this technique of Achieving Behavioural Change (ABC).
The entire management and operative team, from client to hired-hand, working on DWP’s Jobcentre Plus project were obliged to attend an ABC course, to pass the assessment at the end of the course and to obtain an appropriate ‘passport to work’ card.
The course was specifically written to address working in occupied buildings, identifying typical hazards that would be found during refurbishment works and to encourage operatives to think and behave safely towards others. An essential element of the course was that the client, architect and designers sat in the same training room as bricklayers, carpenters and site operatives. This broke down traditional hierarchical barriers and created, not encouraged, opportunities for dialogue across the whole construction team. Its success in reducing AIR, equated to minimum project savings of £8.9million over £600m construction spend. It was also recognised as best-practice by winning a number of industry awards.
Not only was the accident rate vastly reduced but the by-product was that workers were also found to be calmer, more efficient and happier. The ABC course, which is now being delivered through ConstructionSkills’ Site Safety Plus courses and run at training providers such as the National Construction College, shows that changing the behaviour and culture inherent within construction is both achievable and profitable.
Effective communication, also encouraged on the DWP project, is another key to preventing accidents on-site. If workers feel confident enough to approach their boss to highlight a potential hazard, accidents are greatly reduced. However, this breaking down of barriers does not just apply between workers and bosses, it must also be exercised between clients and contractors so that everyone is allowed to communicate any potential hazards or issues on-site.
The construction industry can be very macho at times, but involving workers’ partners on health and safety courses can also have a positive effect. On one I attended, attendees could bring their partners along and this was followed by a social function. It was interesting to see how attitudes changed once the partners showed both shock and anxiety upon hearing about the dangers of construction and the main causes behind accidents and fatalities.
To achieve our ultimate goal of zero accidents on construction sites there will need to be a dramatic change, where the traditional adversarial culture of the industry is broken down. This may sound like a pipe dream but other industries have already made a success of behavioural change; such as the oil, gas and nuclear sectors. I just pray that we don’t need our own major disaster, such as Piper Alpha, to make these changes a priority.

Your rubbish questions answered at RWM 08
Do you know the carbon footprint of your building or venue?
How can you minimise the waste from refurbishment projects?
What bins and signage are most effective for encouraging recycling?
What constitute hazardous waste and what are your legal obligations for disposing of it?
Find all the answers and much more at the Recycling and Waste Management exhibition (RWM 08) taking place at the Birmingham NEC from 16th to 18th September this year.
RWM’s event manager, Gerry Sherwood, says: “Whether you are motivated to reduce, recycle or reuse because of legal pressure, commercial opportunity or simply because of a compassionate conscience, RWM 08 is the one stop shop for solutions to help you manage your facilities’ waste in a sustainable manner.”
You can register now for fast-track entry and start to plan your own customised programme of free seminars. Facilities managers are likely to find a specific session applicable to them in the business seminar theatre where expert speakers will be discussing successful recycling initiatives in the areas of construction, retailing, manufacturing, logistics, packaging and food.
Following its successful launch at RWM 07, the dedicated Talking Climate Change zone will feature free sessions on energy and engineering for climate change, measuring carbon footprints and examples of how climate change can be addressed through recycling and waste management.
Meanwhile the outdoor and indoor exhibition areas will host over 450 companies including suppliers of bins, recyclers of a wide range of materials including paper and plastics, together with specialist consultants and waste management companies, many of whom will be launching new products and services for the FM sector. There will be exhibitors covering all aspects of waste management, whether you are looking for segregated recycling bins, a Waste Electrical Electronic Equipment compliance scheme or a disposal solution for used cathode ray tubes from your strip lighting (which are now classified a hazardous waste and subject to special rules and regulations).
With such a wealth of practical information and valuable contacts waiting for you at RWM 08, it makes sense to use the online Plan Your Visit facility in advance to produce a tailored route planner covering the product areas you are specifically interested in. Plan Your Visit can be found on www.rwminfo.com where you will also soon be able to view the popular seminar programmes and book your free places for sessions in advance.
Adjacent to the show, the RWM 08 Conference (booking fees apply) will run every day offering delegates in-depth, strategic information on key areas of waste management, examining how solutions can be both cost-effective and sustainable. Key sessions of interest to the FM sector include legislation updates, practical advice on halving construction waste and a number of sessions focused on solutions for retail and trade waste which will cover the pre-treatment requirements and the challenges of managing multiple locations.
Registration for RWM 08 is free. To register online go to www.rwminfo.com or call 01923 690663.