Mike Cool sticker on the bucket, where’d you get it?
I know AC is very knowledgeable on Softwashing and there are some valid points in this video but most of this video will just get you a fat OSHA fine for negligence at best and at worst, you’ll kill an employee. It may be that since he released this video in 2012 some regulations have changed but it looks like the video was made closer to 2000. This system may save someone and if I was a one man show with no OSHA obligation, I might risk it, but it is by no means a legal setup.
Those pipe vents are not rated for any load, laterally or otherwise. They must likely will break inside if you do fall on them.
Removing fall protection while on the roof to relocate it is an OSHA violation. You should stay connected to the original anchor, place your new anchor, connect redundantly to the new anchor and then disconnect your original anchor.
No harness or rope is rated for bleach. Some may be mildly chemical resistant but any manufacturer will tell you not to use it after exposure to bleach. Even the washing instructions explicitly say to avoid bleach contact. The rope and harness that is exposed to bleach should be disposed of after each job. Otherwise you take all liability on yourself.
He is connecting to a “work positioning” point on his harness. It is not designed for protection but to hold a worker in position while working and must be supplemented with an additional “fall protection” system independent of the work positioning system.
How “rope grab” is a Petzl Ascender and is meant to hold a constant load while climbing a rope. It is not ANSI rated and should not be used for a protection system. They are regularlg used by arborists for work POSITIONING but not for protection. They use sharp teeth to grip the rope and hols your 250 lb guy conniving up. They will not tolerate the 1,000 lb shock when someone slips and jerks to a stop when they finish the slide. There are many examples of these taking a fall, shredding through the mantle of the rope and then sliding down the inner core leading to a catasteophic end.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but this video is NOT safe.
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I did the big ridgid vac and 30’ of 2" abs pipe in 10’ sections and 2.5" sections with hose clamps to hold the 10’ sections together. It works ok on leaves and even water if you put in a wet vac filter. Get a 20’ hose extension too. Over 25’, the pipe is so flexible and heavy, it is useless.
It does clog when sticks and leaves form a matrix. You can sometimes dislodge the clog with tapping it on the roof. Otberwise you’ll have to reverse the vac hose to blower mode to blast out the clog. If that doesn’t work, you will be lowering the pole to the ground to unclog.
Pine needles must be removed by hand. There’s not enough surface area for a vac to pull on.
With which scraping and tapping, I was able to remove mud but it would have been faster with a ladder. Mud can also coat the inside of the pipes and hose and must be flushed with water.
To check downspouts, you can put a penny at the outlet and then just the vac to blow up the downspout. When the penny flys out the top, you know the downspout is clear.
I did experiment with mounting a gopro 4 and using my phone as a monitor. The lag was a full 10 seconds so was unusable for real time work but was fine for inspection. The newer models may be much faster but you’ll need a lot of spare batteries for the camera and your phone
rigid vacs from home depot are residential machines and should not blow a properly functioning breaker or fuse if they are the only thing on the circuit.
Here is what I use. Check with your state CCB if you need to be licensed to install them. I also have the client sign an anchor installation agreement/waiver. You can install a temporary anchor without a license but you will have to seal all the nail holes and if you are going to repeat service more than once, you may as well set a permanent anchor. I’ve seen lots of roofs done by less than knowledgeable people with marks from 6+ temp anchors and nearly 100 patched up nail holes.
http://superanchor.com/retroFit.php
They sell HitchClip at home depot, and it seems like a good system for asphalt shingles. Cost per anchor is only about $11.00. You could offer to install them permanently for a fair fee, and then they would remain for subsequent cleanings. They come in different colors. You would probably need to install at least 4 on most homes.
I believe you would need a contractors
license to add roof anchors to a building structure since your changing/altering a roof.
Yeah, I suppose you might.
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I have a stack of stickers from WCR, they’d always show up when I ordered. I slap em on most of my buckets
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I should take pictures of my buckets tomorrow, I want to buy more just so I can put the stickers on ha
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LOL me too…
I guess it lingers from…
(skateboarding,surfing,VW bug) 
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I have a sick addiction to stickers, 1" pins, and patches… I think I’m way too punk rock for own good still haha
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License is not required to install anchors. There are differences from permanent and temporary anchors though.
Permanent anchors require the paperwork showing the supporting structure they are connected to. Load test documentation every 10 years and annual certification.
Temporary anchors must be installed by a person who understands and can explain process used and why the design will support the loaded weight under a fall.
OSHA can’t do anything to a person with no employees. They are to protect employees only.
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Thanks for sharing the information.
I just started my business, gutter cleaning is a portion of it, which I haven’t done yet. I’ve made the decision that I will not go any higher than a story and a half split level home. If people flip out about it, I’ll just tell them I’m only insured up to that high. I’ve always been a huge advocate of workplace safety, and I don’t find ladders to be very safe, no matter how much training someone has with them.
