High Rise Window Cleaning

Busy Bee: High Rise Window Cleaning

Have you ever wondered how the windows on skyscrapers and high rise buildings get cleaned? The answer is a professional high rise window cleaning service. A high rise window cleaning service uses specialized equipment to access and clean the windows of tall buildings. The employees of high rise window cleaning services are trained in the proper methods and techniques that are involved in the cleaning process. Window cleaning, NYC and elsewhere, in high rise buildings can be a dangerous task without the properly trained professional.

High rise window cleaning services are used to clean the windows of hotels, condominiums, shopping malls and universities. High rise window cleaners use products that remove hard water stains, salt residue, dust and pollen. The products they use do not leave streaks or soapy residue on the windows. Some high rise window cleaning companies also offer interior window cleaning services will other companies only focus on cleaning the exterior windows.

There are many factors that must be taken into account when cleaning the windows of high rise buildings. Some of the factors include the shape or design of the building, the obstacles on the property such trees and parking lots, the daily activity associated with the building and the weather conditions. Each factor affects the amount of time that is needed to access and clean the windows. To eliminate the daily activity and weather condition factors a lot of high rise window cleaning, NYC and beyond, is done at night and on the weekends.

High rise window cleaning is considered to be a preventative maintenance measure that is intended to keep windows from becoming deteriorated. Most high rise window cleaning services are performed about twice a year on existing buildings. Newly constructed or remodeled buildings should be cleaned up to four times in their first year of existence and then twice a year thereafter. The sealant that is used in the windows in newly constructed and remodeled buildings can run and cause stains which may become etched into the glass and cannot be removed.

High rise window cleaning, New York and elsewhere, requires strict safety standards that are set by OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The employees of high rise window cleaning services must undergo safety training and they must be insured because the occupation is very high risk. Because of the stringent safety standards most high rise window cleaning NYC based companies do not use stage scaffolding equipment to clean windows. The stage scaffolding equipment can be very hazardous as it can be caught by the wind and be thrown against the building and may result in damage to the building or the people cleaning the windows.

There are many safety concerns associated with high rise window cleaning, New York based and elsewhere. The major safety concern is making sure the window cleaners do not fall while performing their jobs. To keep this from happening, the window cleaners are attached to two separate security lines which are anchored to the roof of the building. Each line attached to the anchors has a minimum breakage strength of 10,000 pounds. Another major concern associated with high rise window cleaning is the safety of the people and property on the ground below the window cleaners. To reduce the risk of injury and damage to the people and property below, every piece of equipment that is used to clean the windows is attached to the people cleaning the windows. Even if the equipment where to slip out of the hands of the cleaners it will not fall to the ground.

High rise window cleaning requires the use of specialized equipment to properly perform the job. Some of the equipment used includes bosun’s chairs, man-lifts, ladders and water-fed extension poles. The mostly widely used piece of equipment in high rise window cleaning is the bosun’s chair. The bosun’s chair, also called a boatswain’s chair, features a rigid seat that a person sits in and ropes which are used to raise and lower the person while they are cleaning the windows. The chair’s setup is easy and quick when compared to other types of equipment used in high rise window cleaning, New York based and everywhere else. The chair is also less obstructing and is not as noticeable to people inside and below the building as stage scaffolding. The bosun’s chair is considered to be the safest piece of equipment used for high rise window cleaning. The user wears a full body harness which is attached to a security line that is anchored to the roof. The bosun’s chair is used when windows cannot be reached with ladders or by using extension poles.

• OSHA & IWCA Alliance