SECTION 5 – DUTIES
(a) Each employer
- shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees;
- shall comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act.
(b) Each employee shall comply with occupational safety and health standards. Find all rules, regulations, and orders issued pursuant to this Act which are applicable to his own actions and conduct.
OSHA Regulations that apply to window cleaning operations:
- Transportable Suspended Scaffolding – OSHA CFR 29-1926, subpart L
- Rope Descent Systems – OSHA CFR 29-1910.27(b)(1)(i)
- Permanent Suspended Scaffolding – OSHA CFR 29.1910-66
- Mobile Lifts (vehicle mounted) – OSHA CFR 29-1910.67
- Manually Propelled-High Lifts, Etc. – OSHA CFR 29-1926.556
- Ladders – OSHA CFR 29-1910.23
- Tower Scaffolding – OSHA CFR 29-1910.29 and OSHA CFR 29-1926.451 (E)
OSHA OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
To obtain copies of the entire Codes of Federal Regulations as listed, contact 1-202-783-3238. They are also available from their website at www.osha.gov.
ANSI Regulations that apply to window clean/building maintenance:
- Permanent Suspended Scaffolding & Powered Equipment ANSI – A-120.1
- Mobile Lifts – ANSI A-92.3 (Manual) – ANSI A-92.2 (Vehicle) – ANSI A-92.5 (Boom)
- Ladders – ANSI A-14.2 (Metal) – ANSI A-14.1 (Wood) – ANSI A-14.3 (Plastic)
- Tower Scaffolding – ANSI A-10.8
- Harnesses, Lanyards, Lifelines – ANSI Z-359
- Rope Descent System – ANSI/IWCA I-14.1
AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS INSTITUTE
To obtain ANSI Standards that are held by ASME, call 1-800-843-2763. Their website is: www.ansi.org
To obtain ANSI Standards that are held by SIA, call 818-786-3027. Their website is: www.scaffold.org
To obtain a copy of the IWCA I-14 Window Cleaning Safety Standard go to www.iwca.org
SUSPENDED SYSTEM – All equipment that hangs from the support system. A 30′ aluminum walkboard (deck) with two 1000 pounds maximum rated load Spider SC-40 Traction Hoists mounted on each end. 5/16″-8.3mm diameter 6119 Seale construction IWRC, right regular lay, preformed, improved plow steel wire rope are threaded through the hoists and terminated at the suspension eye bolt in the end of the outrigger beam. The motors are powered by 220 Volt, single phase, 6 amp current supplied by the building. This system may include a powered stage, wire rope, electrical cord, hoists, Rope descent system (RDS), tools, equipment and the worker(s). This system always includes the fall arrest equipment.
As the Operations/Safety Director for Martin’s Window Cleaning Corporation, my responsibility is to stay current on all applicable federal, state, and local codes, regulations, and standards as they apply to window cleaning, transfer that information through our safety and training program to our employees, insure that all applicable codes, regulations, and standards are being applied on the job site through daily inspections, and assure our customers through written and verbal communications that our operations are in compliance.
No matter what type of equipment is being used, when men are working more than six feet off the ground, their equipment, their lives, and the life of the public below the work zone is only as sound as the anchor to which their equipment and their independent fall arrest is attached. It is the goal of Martin’s Window Cleaning Corp. to partner with our customers to provide sound, identified, certified anchors on every job site.
-Martin Esqueda, CBMSE Operations/Safety Director, Martin’s Window Cleaning Corporation