How to Safely Use Ladders When Washing Windows
If you are a window cleaner, there’s a good chance you’ll need a ladder to reach them. Here are some tips on how to safely use a ladder when cleaning windows:
• Start with a good-quality ladder that’s in full working order. Choose a level piece of ground to stand on, and open the ladder fully. Make sure that all the locking mechanisms are secured before climbing up.
• Do not place your ladder in front of a door that might be opened while you’re on the ladder and don’t lean the ladder against anything but a solid wall. Also, don’t put your ladder under power lines.
• Wash your hands before the cleaning begins to remove natural oils from your hands. Put a rag over your shoulder before you climb the ladder. Use this rag to dry your hands or any parts of the ladder that get wet, to prevent slipping.
• Put on slip-resistant shoes and climb the ladder slowly, making sure one foot is secure on a rung before moving your other foot to the next rung.
• Always climb with your body facing the ladder, never with your back to it.
• Stop climbing when you reach the safe standing level on the ladder, which is the second rung from the top in a step ladder and the fourth rung from the top of an extension ladder.
• When cleaning the windows, don’t stretch to clean them or you could fall. Simply climb down the ladder and move it closer to the window you are trying to reach.
