You may have seen or heard a few horror stories circulating around window cleaning; from fatal or serious accidents to breaking and entering. Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous people operating in this profession and many lack proper training, the right equipment or regulation. This is why we’ve compiled this simple guide to safety considerations when hiring a window cleaner. 

So you want to contract someone to clean your windows. But you don’t want any hassle or headaches from damage to property, neighbours complaining about someone climbing over their boundary with a ladder, or what might happen if your cleaner injures themselves on your premises. Here are five requirements to make sure the person you hire, can meet.  

1. ID

Whether they’re coming to your place of work or your home, you want to know that the people operating on your premises are who they say they are and not some chancer wanting to check out what you’ve got inside. This especially applies to contractors using ladders; window cleaning can be a useful guise to get over fences and into open windows on upper levels. 

2. Up-to-date equipment

These days almost every large company and innovative independent window cleaner will have a water-fed pole rather than a ladder, a factor that further lessens the risk in terms of unlawful access. Plus water-fed poles are safer for both the operative and those in the vicinity — there’s no risk of falling or having a squeegee land on your head from a height. If you’re hiring a company to clean tall office buildings with multiple storeys, check they have scissor lifts, eyebolts, rooflines and hydraulic platforms, as appropriate. 

3. SWAH practices

For taller premises, operatives who are fully trained to deal with them are essential. Our team receive certification through IPAF (International Powered Access Federation). Be sure to enquire about what’s in place to ensure safe working at height (SWAH). 

4. Insurance 

Even with all this in place, there’s always a chance that something could go wrong. If you don’t have your own public liability insurance, it’s especially important to check that the contractor you use, does. Then if anything happens to them, or your property, it’s fully covered. 

5. A proven reputation 

The final failsafe is to check that the company has a track history of reputable service. This can be by word-of-mouth recommendations from those you trust or a sufficient amount of positive online reviews. 

If you don’t fancy taking any chances and want a reliable, responsible window cleaning service for your property or properties, drop us a line today.