WATER FED POLE SAFETY

Urgent Safety Notice: MUST Read!

When working near electrical hazards, safety must be your top priority. This guide outlines critical steps to protect yourself and your team. It will cover: 

  • Training and Competence
  • Jobsite Evaluation and Risk Assessment 
  • Avoid Hazards by Instituting Regulations
  • Choosing Your Equipment 
  • Handling Your Water-Fed Pole
  • Maintaining Your Pole and System

Each section shares vital information to help you stay safe on the jobsite. With help from this guide, you’ll learn how to:

  • Identify Electrical Hazards
  • Choose the Right Equipment
  • Establish Safety Zones to Minimize Risks

By following these best practices, you’ll be able to prevent potentially life-threatening incidents. Read through each section carefully and share with your team members. Safety is an ever-evolving training so be sure to stay up to date on new directives.

Training and Competence

All water-fed pole operators should be suitably trained and competent. A competent person may be defined as a designated person suitably trained or qualified by knowledge and practical experience. The goal of being properly trained is to allow you to:

  • Carry out your required duties at your level of responsibility.
  • Fully understand any potential hazards related to your work.
  • Detect any defects or omissions in your work.
  • Recognize any implications for health and safety.
  • Be able to specify appropriate remedial action needed, including refusal to perform the work if the risk is too great.
  • Know your limitations.
  • Feel empowered to ask for help.
  • Identify broken or potential issues with equipment before use.

Job Site Evaluation and Risk Assessment

A Job Site Hazard Analysis is an exercise in identifying what can go wrong during a job. It helps you determine unrecognized hazards, as well as hazards that might emerge when a new process or piece of equipment is introduced. While the use of water-fed poles eliminates the risk of ladders and lifts, it introduces new operational risks that apply to water-fed pole use. 

Before you even begin work on a property, it’s vital to check the site for any possible threats to yourself or your team's safety. During the job site evaluation, the goal is to find potential hazards through risk assessment. If you’re the employer, conduct the risk assessment yourself. Can you simply check for safety concerns while you work? No. Doing a thorough inspection for potential dangers before you start work is vital because a life-threatening hazard could be missed while you’re engaged in cleaning. With your attention undivided, take time to walk the property and note potential risks. What specifically should you look for?

When it comes to water-fed pole safety, your goal as an owner-operator or employer is to identify the presence or potential of an electrical hazard for your own safety and that of your team. You’ll want to determine what the potential consequences and worst-case scenarios are. Be wary of how an incident could happen and what contributing factors may lead to an accident. Determine how likely it is that an incident will occur, especially if you have new hires or new gear on the jobsite. Determine how these potential hazards can be controlled or neutralized. 

This allows risks to be identified and steps to be implemented to remove or regulate hazards, such as: 

  • Instructions for the operator to be vigilant regarding the work area surroundings.
  • Provide adequate PPE, high visibility clothing, and/or roof edge protection or other safety systems.
  • Consideration for the day and time of cleaning for worker safety, vehicle traffic, pedestrian traffic, etc.
  • Barricading off work areas to prevent public access.
  • Awareness of adverse weather conditions.

As you inspect the property, ask the following questions: 

  • Where will the operation occur? Is the environment especially prone to hazards? 
  • Who or what may it affect? 
  • What causes the hazard? 
  • What could happen if regulations are not put in place? 
  • Are there any other contributing factors? 

As you inspect the property, look specifically for these potential threats to safety:

OPERATOR HAZARDS

  • Electrocution - from contact or close proximity to overhead power lines.
  • Adverse weather - wind contributes to falling poles.
  • Slip Hazards - from wet pathways.
  • Trip Hazards - from an unorganized work zone.
  • Vehicle Hazards - from overloading, unstable, unsecured, or improperly installed equipment in the work vehicle.
  • Slip and Falls - resulting from working in slippery areas where water has frozen or not been properly disposed of and pooled.
  • Injury - from incorrect manual handling of poles and other equipment.
  • Falling Equipment - from improperly installed brushes and accessories.
  • Accidents While on the Road - accidents from improperly or unsecured tools and equipment shifting around haphazardly in the vehicle.

GENERAL PUBLIC HAZARDS

  • Injury to others from falling poles.
  • Trip hazards from trailing hoses.
  • Slippery areas from water pooling or freezing during colder temperatures.
  • Road accidents or vehicle damage from improperly secured or unsecured equipment.
SAMPLE JHA

Avoid Hazards by Instituting Regulations

Once you’ve identified the hazards, the goal is to neutralize or remove them safely. However, if you’ve determined that they can’t be eliminated, establish regulations by adjusting certain steps you or your team will take while working on the job site to avoid such hazards. 

Here are some steps you can take to implement regulations:

ESTABLISH Minimum Approach Distance

  • Establish MAD: Minimum Approach Distances are established by first determining the voltage that is near the worksite. This information will provide a guide to help determine MAD. Power poles are often a good indicator of voltages. Once you know the voltages, establish how far you need to stay away from the lines to avoid contact or possible arcing. 
  • Establishing Drop Zones: Once you have instituted regulations for your worksite, the next step is to establish a drop zone for the areas near the overhead lines. Consider where you’re working and then give enough space around you and your team so that if you were to drop the pole in any 360-degree location, you’d have sufficient clearance.  

To ensure that MAD is allowed for, this simple calculation will help you: 

Extended Length of Pole + 1/3 of the extended length + MAD

For Example:

If you’re using a 40 ft pole that extends up to 30 ft of work area, you would establish a drop zone in a 360-degree angle of 50 ft. 

Here is the calculation:  

30 ft+10 ft (1/3 of extended length) +10 ft (minimum MAD) = 50 ft of Drop Area

Utilize PPE

Given the nature of water-fed work that happens with an extended pole, it is advised that PPE always be worn when an electrical hazard is present or near the jobsite. This would include wearing the proper electric-rated gloves, as well as dielectric footwear. Several accidents have caught users off guard as the extended length of the pole caused an issue, or with higher voltages, arcing can occur. Arcing is where the pole doesn’t have to contact the lines for an electrocution to happen. In several cases, by the time the user was aware of such hazards, it was too late, and serious injury or death occurred.

Supply your team with PPE, such as those we offer here at WCR.

  • InsuPole - a less-conductive fiberglass section that goes over water-fed poles. It is a must-have for safety from electrocution hazards. Use two to ensure your hands are always on an insulated section.
  • Rubber Gloves - The gloves protect the hands and help prevent electric current from entering the body.
  • Shoe Covers and Boots - Shoe covers slip over top of your shoes, but, if possible, full dielectric boots should be worn. The boots prevent the body from being grounded in case of an electrical shock. They should have an ASTM label on them with the letters EH for Electrical Hazard.

REQUIREMENTS THAT MUST BE MET FOR BOOTS:

  • ASTM F-2412-2011 ASTM F-2413-2011
  • Non-Slip/Non-Conductive Safety Sole
  • 6" High Ankle Support
  • Steel/Composite Toe

A user should always use properly rated and manufacturer-approved PPE and not make conductivity assumptions based on materials alone. 

OSHA - HAND PROTECTION - 1910.138OSHA - FOOT PROTECTION - 1910.136

REDUCE FATIGUE

Accidents happen fast when you or your employees are fatigued. There are many regulations you can implement to preserve your stamina and protect yourself from accidents caused by exhaustion. 

From choosing the right equipment for the job to using more stamina-friendly techniques, apply these tips to keep from tiring your muscles:

  • Make more use of your legs instead of your arms by stepping a single stride back and forward while using poles. 
  • Switch off handling the pole with a teammate to preserve energy and reduce the chance of strain. 
  • Switch between the left-hand side of your body to the right as you work to prevent overworking one side. 
  • Take regular breaks from pole work and do other tasks less taxing on the body.
  • Take periodic breaks from all activities to give your body the chance to recover.
  • Do not scrub or rinse sideways with any pole above 10 feet, as this puts a dangerous amount of pressure on your spine.
  • Rotate the pole from one side of the brush to the other as you hop over window frames and mullions to reduce fatigue. This lets you keep the weight of the brush on the glass and not on your body. 
  • Poles over 30' must be lowered before moving around a corner of a building since it can be easy to lose control of the pole at height. 
  • All motions should be confined to the waist and shoulder region.
  • Avoid extending your arms above the height of your shoulders.

LONE WORKERS & EXPOSED POSITIONS

  • Create a Contact System for Lone Workers: Any employee who works by themself, without close contact with co-workers or direct supervision, is considered a "lone worker". Note, this does not apply to self-employed window cleaners. Lone workers should be regularly checked on. So be sure to establish a contact system with regular check-in times. And try to avoid altogether a lone worker situation in areas that involve increased safety risks, such as on a busy street or near an electrical hazard.
  • Establish a Partner in Exposed Positions: An Exposed Position is defined as working in the same position for an extended period of time. You can mitigate the possibility of an accident from working in an exposed position by utilizing a partner. That person can help to identify risky work surfaces, assist with managing hose and equipment to prevent tripping, and direct pedestrians or traffic away from your work area. This also allows you to have your full concentration on your work and prevents incidents caused by being distracted. 

Reduce the opportunity for accidents while working in exposed positions by: 

  • Taking regular breaks
  • Tidying up work areas
  • Assessing your work area to identify potential hazards

Once regulations are implemented, review these precautions with your team. Demonstrate how PPE works or make clear what Minimum Approach Distances are in place to stay safe on the job site. Have employees attempt the new regulations and gather their feedback. As you work, make sure workers are not trying to bypass regulations to work faster. Stay conscious of your surroundings and check frequently that all regulations are still in place throughout your time on the job site. It may even help to take notes on what regulations you’ve put in place as a reference, so that none are forgotten throughout the workday. 

OSHA - WORK PRACTICES - 1910.333

Choosing Your Equipment

Choosing the right equipment for water-fed window cleaning can be a challenge, as there is a lot of variety out there. However, here at WCR, we offer only the best selection of water-fed poles guaranteed, so no matter which option you choose, you’re certain to get a reliable pole. Here are some key factors to consider when narrowing in on the right tools for the job.

  • Duration and extent of the work
  • Height of the windows
  • Condition of the site
  • Means of purified water delivery

Avoid choosing a water-fed pole that’s too much for the job at hand. For example, you don't want a 50 ft pole to work on 20 ft high windows. You may reason that it’s a good idea to have the extra length “just in case”, but you’ll also be managing additional, unnecessary weight. That weight will only feel heavier as the day goes on, bringing on fatigue faster, and thus, potential accidents quicker. Options from the XERO Micro Series of water-fed poles allow you to drop sections you don't need for the job. Or the XERO Destroyer utilizes extensions for additional length. The goal is to have your pole adequately reach the top of the windows, but not over-reach.

Handling Your Water Fed Pole

There are two ways to extend your pole when you first get to the site to clean windows:

  • Vertical Extension - This is the recommended way to extend your water fed pole. You extend the sections of the pole vertically as it rests against the building you will be working on. This allows for a single user to raise the pole.
  • Horizontal Extension - This method requires two people to raise the pole from the ground to an upward position. It is done by one person footing the base of the pole while the other walks it into a vertical position.

There are also two ways to handle the pole while you clean windows:

  • Arms - Using just your arms is a perfectly acceptable method for poles that are under 30' as they are generally light enough to not cause extreme fatigue and stress on your body.
  • Legs/Full Body - When you start to work with poles over 30', you need to use your entire body for proper cleaning technique. Utilizing your legs and body to rock the pole up and down distributes the weight better.

When working with a water fed pole, it's important to consider how the weight of the pole is being displaced onto the facade of the building and not on the user of the pole. The recommended ratio is 1:3. It's important that not so much pressure is applied to the building that it causes strain on the body and prevents optimal cleaning results.

Do’s and Don’ts:

DO:

  • Identify defects and hazards that may compromise safety
  • Carry out pre-use checks of equipment
  • Tag and take out-of-service equipment that is defective and/or damaged
  • Cordon off and/or display suitable warning signs when working in public areas
  • Cover up extension cords to prevent trip hazards

DON’T:

  • Use a defective water-fed pole
  • Use a water fed pole near overhead power lines
  • Use a water fed pole system if the GFCI is not working properly
  • Use an extension cord that is damaged or severed
  • Leave excess hose and equipment lying around your work area

Maintaining Your Pole & System

Waterfed poles that are in disrepair require more physical effort to operate. It's important to properly care for your water-fed pole to ensure it doesn't become a hazard on the job.

Prevent damage to water fed poles by:

  • Not tossing them around haphazardly
  • Not hitting them against buildings
  • Not dropping them on concrete or asphalt

Damage could lead to accidents. So if you’re the employer, give all your water-fed poles a good inspection before use to discover any cracks or defects in the carbon fiber or clamps. Management should also conduct regular, documented inspections of poles that monitor the degree of use based on the type of pole. Any defects that are found during inspections should be remedied before further use, or the entire pole should be replaced. Here at WCR, we are happy to help you find the replacements needed or get you a new pole quickly. 

It's equally important to visually look over your purification system before use. When it has electrical components such as a pump, it is especially important. It's imperative to ensure all of the electrical components are operating properly and the GFCI is working correctly. Also, check that any extension cords have not been damaged and appear in good condition.

Some information used from the IWCA and OSHA Alliance.

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