Starting in the late 19th century, we saw the first American skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building, sprout up in Chicago, standing at 10-stories and 138-feet tall. An explosion of skyscraper construction followed in every major American city, as did the demand for window cleaning services. Images of the brave pioneers who maintained these imposing edifices became a symbol of innovation and the ever-changing landscape of urban America. However, the industry came with its risks and in the 1930s, it was estimated that one in every 200 window washers lost their lives.
Fortunately, this is not the case today. In fact, window washing today is considered very safe, not to mention a well-compensated career path with exciting challenges. However, adherence to workplace standards and stringent safety measures, set forth and enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), is paramount. When performing vertical descent from great heights, load testing, regular inspection, maintenance and certification of anchors are some of the non-negotiable measures to mitigate risks and ensure workplace safety. Employers must remain vigilant, keeping abreast of regulations, conducting thorough risk assessments, and exploring safer alternatives when necessary. By prioritizing safety and compliance, organizations uphold their duty of care to employees and foster a culture of workplace well-being.
Mid and high-rise buildings have rooftop anchors designed for suspension systems that allow window washing and other maintenance jobs to be performed on a building’s exterior, and it is these anchors that serve as the linchpin of safety regulations for high-rise window washing employees. OSHA Regulation 1910.27 sets critical standards that must be met to ensure the safety of workers and prevent catastrophic accidents. A rigorous protocol ensures that rooftop anchors remain reliable and structurally sound. All components of a rope decent system (RDS) must support a minimum of 5,000 pounds, excluding seat boards which must be able to support 300 pounds, each worker must use a separate personal fall arrest system attached to its own anchor, and load testing is required to ensure anchors can withstand the forces exerted during operations. Employers must ensure that everyone using the RDS is trained according to OSHA standards for proper set up, use, inspection and storage of equipment, all equipment is secure and that all rope contact points are sufficiently padded for strengthening. Employers must also have a rescue plan that can be quickly implemented. Before a RDS
is used, building owners must inform employers in writing of the maintenance and certification of each anchorage, which is required at least every 10 years, along with an annual inspection by a qualified technician.
OSHA’s 300-foot rule also limits the use of RDS when heights exceed 300 feet. However, Industrial Rope Access (IRA) was introduced to the Chicago market in 2017 as a unique alternative to traditional RDS and is exempt from this height restriction. The IRA method leverages ropes and specialized equipment and techniques derived from climbing and caving to allow workers to safely reach difficult locations. IRA differs from traditional RDS in several ways. It has a front mounted fall arrest system and Type III harness designed with multiple points of attachment. It also uses a chest ascender, which allows workers to move to different areas with more ease, reducing the need for intrusive equipment and allowing for more versatility in hard-to-reach spaces. A dual rope system allows one rope to serve as the main working line, while another serves as a backup safety line, significantly reducing the risk of falls. In the event of a suspension line break or failure using a traditional RDS, its user would be hanging helplessly from a dorsal mounted lanyard, at least 3 feet from a physical “rope grab” device. With IRA, the user is secured to the chair, eliminating the risk of a chair or bucket sliding off and falling to the ground, potentially injuring pedestrians.
Like RDS, workers using IRA must undergo rigorous training and certification. All training for IRA is based on standardized criteria developed and maintained by The Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT). The IRA system is centered in both self-rescue and rescue of others, and training exercises are conducted every 90 days. There are two certifying bodies, including SPRAT and the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) and it is critical that building owners and managers verify that all technicians are properly certified. The certification system is tiered, whereby more experienced technicians can move beyond basic Level 1 to ascend to Level II “lead technician” or Level III “supervisor” status through additional training and experience. Before work begins, employers must create a work plan to determine who is fulfilling the necessary roles on each jobsite based on their verification at their respective levels. The work plan must be followed to ensure that all work is performed safely and includes routine site safety inspections, proper insurance coverage for all parties and documentation checks.
24 | COMMON INTEREST®
• Fall 2024 • A Publication of CAI-Illinois Chapter
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