Abseiling is a complete adrenalin treat to all the adventure sport lovers around the globe. However, these days this sport has become quite popular in the maintenance industry; especially in cases involving high rise window cleanings.
The reason for this development is very simple; with the boom in high rise constructions all over the place there is a massive increase in the window cleaning requirements today.. Gone are the days when people used to use a squeegee and bucket for cleaning their windows. Today the windows require complex cleaning solutions and that too at a higher risk to the cleaning staff. However the financial implication of this method of cleaning the building façade is too good to resist. It’s far more cost effective to hire an abseiling maintenance crew than install a fully fledged scaffold and cradle.
What is Abseiling?
Basically this is sport which involves climbing down from a vertical surface from a good height, using ropes, harnesses and a rappelling. This sport is very effectively used while working on high rise buildings.
How it is done?
Abseiling allows the trained workers to quickly do their work with the least disruption. A range of cleaning and repair activities can be taken up, such as gutter maintenance and repair, window cleaning, glazing replacement, pipe replacements, wiring, roof cleaning etc.
The usual method of access to the building is through the roof or from a top floor balcony. Rigging points are usually easily available in these places, such as chimney stacks to secure balcony railings. A solid and secured point is used which is strong enough to hold the weight of the worker and his equipments at the same time. . To this point the worker usually puts down two lines, one of the line is the actual working line and the other one works as a safety backup line for the crew.
Some important problems which must be given priority:
Be aware of the design implications and the specific requirements of the building in question. Make it a point to discuss the finer details with the maintenance contractor before they begin their work. This is an important step in curbing potential problems from cropping up later.
Some usual problems:
1. The cleaners do not turn up at the right time.
2. Equipment failures. Due to the nature of the work involved equipment failure can have a huge effect on the productivity and safety of the crew.
3. Weather conditions might prevent the crew from carrying the cleaning or repair work. This is usually associated with windy conditions which could result in snow and ice formations, and can also be a potential cause of concern.
4. Quality window cleaning process is also an important point which must be taken care of by the crew members. Bad work may mean one would have to start the work of cleaning the windows all over again, much before the expected time.
5. Damage to the property and men is an important clause which must be taken care of in the work contract. The building owners should not be held liable in cases of accidents involving the crew or residents in the building.
Safety Issues:
The unwritten rule in abseiling cleaning high rise buildings is that the higher the building the higher is the risks associated with the cleaning job. Below mentioned are some steps which ensure that safety aspect is taken care of.
Crew safety:
The workers will be abseiling down the façade of the building and would be several stories up from the ground and safety. Thus it is of paramount importance that they are adequately trained for the job. They should also have command over the specialized and powerful equipments they would be using for cleaning the window.
Resident or tenant safety:
The crew must also ensure the relative safety of the people living inside the building.
Passerby safety:
With all the heavy equipment being used very high above the ground and hanging by ropes, there is always the possibility of something or the other going wrong. Thus the area which might be must be cordoned off whenever possible. And the safety signs need to be implemented.
Putting adequate attention to safety abseiling is a very cost effective way for building maintenance and cleaning works.
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