Home repair costs rising thanks to health and safety rules: Health and safety regulations mean builders are increasingly using scaffolding rather than ladders as the cost of home repairs continues to escalate. The industry is being forced to change its working methods to comply with Government legislation and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines covering the use of ladders, and the extra cost is hitting the customer. The HSE guidelines state: "When working from a ladder, three points of contact should be maintained. That means both feet and one hand in contact with the ladder or stepladder. It continues: "Do not work off the top three rungs - they provide a handhold." Many firms are now so worried about being taken to court for breaching the regulations, where they could face an unlimited fine, that they have abandoned ladders altogether and are working from fixed structures for roofing. Allan Buchan of the Confederation of Roofing Contractors said: "The health and safety people have gone crazy to the point where our members think it's not worth using a ladder. "They would be prosecuted if anything went wrong and household could be held responsible, too. Even if it's a flat roof you are supposed to use scaffolding. "And if you use a ladder you've got to have a man at the bottom all the time." He added: "The HSE carries out spot checks all the time and if you get caught you're in serious trouble. It's a massive burden on the industry because in some cases the scaffolding costs more than the job. You might have to pay more than £1,000 to put up scaffolding at a three-storey house, even if it's only for a £200-£300 repair job."
Window-cleaning costs are also rising as firms give up their ladders in favour of new technology such as extendable poles, which wash the glass by shooting purified water at it from a tank on the ground. The system can cost up to £12,000, on top of which the contractor needs a van to carry the machinery to jobs. In all, a window cleaner's hourly rate may now cost £15 an hour compared to £7-10 previously, according to the Federation of Window Cleaners. Last year 45 workers died and 3,750 were seriously injured in falls. An HSE spokesman said: "The HSE expects people working at height with ladders and other access equipment to be competent to do the job. This does not necessarily require formal training."
A couple of water fed pole videos: The first from Steve of KendaClean in Ipswich & the second from Matt of Clearvision.
Window-cleaning costs are also rising as firms give up their ladders in favour of new technology such as extendable poles, which wash the glass by shooting purified water at it from a tank on the ground. The system can cost up to £12,000, on top of which the contractor needs a van to carry the machinery to jobs. In all, a window cleaner's hourly rate may now cost £15 an hour compared to £7-10 previously, according to the Federation of Window Cleaners. Last year 45 workers died and 3,750 were seriously injured in falls. An HSE spokesman said: "The HSE expects people working at height with ladders and other access equipment to be competent to do the job. This does not necessarily require formal training."
A couple of water fed pole videos: The first from Steve of KendaClean in Ipswich & the second from Matt of Clearvision.
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