WINDOW CLEANING & WORKING AT HEIGHT
Balancing technology and expertise at height
Chris Thomas, Managing Director of commercial window cleaning specialists JV Price (JVP), explores how tethered drone technology and in-house accreditation combine to keep teams safe when maintaining the UK’s tallest buildings.
Working at height has always demanded a careful balance of skill, safety and the right equipment. Generally, a high-rise building is defined as anything standing over 50m, and the number in the UK is increasing. With hundreds planned over the next five years across our major cities, the demands on the facilities management industry continue to evolve.
Technologies such as drones are becoming an increasingly valuable part of that picture. However, rather than replacing traditional methods, they should be viewed as another tool in the toolbox, working alongside rope access, building maintenance units (BMUs), mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and Reach & Wash systems.
When maintaining some of the UK’s tallest and most complex buildings, there is rarely a single solution. Window cleaning, façade cleaning and building maintenance all present different challenges. Selecting the right methodology requires experience, technical knowledge and a clear understanding of both the building and its environment.
Expert collaboration with drone technology
When parts of a building are difficult, dangerous or disruptive to reach, drones can be a significant asset. Working with a specialist drone operator allows the right technology to be carefully selected for precision cleaning in restricted or hard-to-reach spaces.
At JVP, for example, we work alongside specialist drone provider KTV Working Drone to deploy tethered drone technology on a range of projects. Untethered drones can require significant exclusion zones in the event of a malfunction, potentially requiring road closures. By contrast, with a tethered drone, in the unlikely event of a malfunction, the drone remains suspended, reducing risk and allowing for smaller exclusion zones and less disruption to sites.
The tethered drone can also operate within centimetres of a building’s surface, helping to deliver a more consistent finish. Beyond windows, the same approach can be used for façade cleaning, statues, sculptures and other high- level applications.
None of this happens without rigorous compliance, detailed planning and the appropriate Civil Aviation Authority permissions. Building the expertise and operational track record required to work safely at this level typically takes six to 12 months, reinforcing why collaborating with experts is vital.
The right expertise Technology is only part of the picture. Behind every effective
48 | TOMORROW'S CLEANING
working-at-height strategy is a team with the training, experience and accountability to deliver it safely and efficiently. Window cleaning providers who maintain large in-house teams can offer national reach and a streamlined service to clients. Maintaining that in-house capability helps ensure consistent standards, accountability and service delivery across a diverse range of projects.
“The integration of drone
technology has introduced many positive changes, including improved safety, greater
efficiency, cost-effectiveness and environmental benefits.”
A national approach needs to be supported by a strong focus on training and compliance, including NEBOSH- qualified health and safety expertise and compliance with the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA). As the global authority for industrial rope access, IRATA sets rigorous training requirements and operational guidelines covering rope access techniques and associated equipment.
While IRATA membership is not a legal requirement for providers, becoming a member company is widely recognised as a benchmark for best practice within the industry. As an IRATA member company for more than a decade, JVP undergoes independent audits every three years, covering health and safety, operational management, continual improvement and innovation.
Combining these high standards with an in-house national operating model helps maintain consistent standards whether undertaking a complex access challenge or a routine maintenance programme.
Evolving tools
As technologies like drones become more widely available, working at height will keep evolving, but the fundamentals remain the same: drone experts and experienced professionals using the right tools for the job, with safety at the forefront. That allows organisations like ours to take on new challenges, at ever-growing heights and continue setting the standard.
www.jvprice.co.uk x.com/TomoCleaning
"
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58
