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| Licensed operator Stuart Pitkeathly said: “A lot of the elderly can get confused." |
License call for window washers (Scotland): Window washers are being urged to clean up their act and get licensed. Now the police and council are urging homeowners to check their window cleaners are above board. Licensed operator Stuart Pitkeathly said: “A lot of the elderly can get confused. But if a window cleaner is licensed they will look out for them. “They’re vulnerable and we’ve really got to watch they are not taken advantage of. If someone isn’t registered and just doing it for whatever reason they don’t care about their customers, they’re just after the money.”
Licensed traders must carry their photographic licence card with them at all times. It shows their photograph, name, licence number and expiry date with the council’s logo and hologram. According to community PC Audrey Johnstone it is up to homeowners to ensure that traders they use are licensed. She said: “It’s not a case of cowboy window cleaners. It’s to make sure the appropriate checks have been made. “This will give them the peace of mind that not only have they had the appropriate police checks carried out but their cleaner also has public liability insurance in case any damage or if an accident occurred whilst cleaning their windows.” For more information contact the council’s licensing service on 01387 245922.
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| The new course will teach maids how to safely clean windows, hang laundry, use ladders and change light bulbs, among others. This year has seen a spike in the number of maids who fell to their deaths. |
New maid course in Singapore to focus on safety: Maids can now be sent for a four-hour course centered on working safely near windows. The program, to start running on June 30, is offered by non-governmental organization Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Skills Training. Half the time in the course will go into teaching them how to clean windows safely; the rest of the time will cover safety tips for hanging out the laundry, using ladders and changing light bulbs, among others.
Maids will learn through lectures and hands-on sessions. The cost: S$5 (US$3.9). Association president Seah Seng Choon said priority for places in the course will be given to maids who have not attended the now-compulsory one-day Settling-In Program. This was launched only last month for first-time maids. It covers issues such as safety, relationship and stress management, life in Singapore and conditions of work permits. Maids who have gone through the mandatory program may also register for the new course, but their applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Seah, also the executive director of the Consumers Association of Singapore, said: “The SIP covers safety among other issues. We think there's a need for a course like ours, which focuses on safety. It will reinforce the safety tips that maids should apply while working.” The Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Skills Training will run the course with Grace Management & Consultancy Services, the training provider for the Settling-In Program. Details of the association's course will be available at www.gmcs.com.sg/ from June 25.
Last week, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced that an employer or an adult representative has to be around to supervise maids when they clean the exterior of windows, and that window grilles must be installed and locked during the cleaning. The guidelines from MOM, to be enforced under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Regulations, followed a spike in the number of maids who fell to their deaths this year.
Maids will learn through lectures and hands-on sessions. The cost: S$5 (US$3.9). Association president Seah Seng Choon said priority for places in the course will be given to maids who have not attended the now-compulsory one-day Settling-In Program. This was launched only last month for first-time maids. It covers issues such as safety, relationship and stress management, life in Singapore and conditions of work permits. Maids who have gone through the mandatory program may also register for the new course, but their applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Seah, also the executive director of the Consumers Association of Singapore, said: “The SIP covers safety among other issues. We think there's a need for a course like ours, which focuses on safety. It will reinforce the safety tips that maids should apply while working.” The Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Skills Training will run the course with Grace Management & Consultancy Services, the training provider for the Settling-In Program. Details of the association's course will be available at www.gmcs.com.sg/ from June 25.
Last week, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced that an employer or an adult representative has to be around to supervise maids when they clean the exterior of windows, and that window grilles must be installed and locked during the cleaning. The guidelines from MOM, to be enforced under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Regulations, followed a spike in the number of maids who fell to their deaths this year.
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