Warmer weather, sunshine and lighter skies may be welcome after the gloom of winter, but they also show up all the defects, repairs, damage and dirt that buildings have suffered. Perhaps this explains the custom of spring cleaning, both domestic and commercial. If this includes gutter cleaning, soffit cleaning and repair, or even window repair and cleaning it is best carried out by a professional with the right equipment and safety gear to work at a height. Numerous accidents and injuries happen, often during the spring and summer, when people try to do such jobs themselves. While it may save some money it can also result in injury if the person doing the work has not taken adequate precautions. In a recent incident a householder was cleaning the soffits at his home when he missed his footing and fell from the ladder he was using. He was unable to walk or move and was rushed to hospital, where tests established that he had fractured his pelvis and damaged delicate internal organs. The result was that he suffered from six weeks of unbearable pain and hospitalisation, although fortunately the diagnosis was that he would recover eventually. It is not likely that home accident insurance would cover an incident like this but imagine the cost to a business if an employee had been asked to do a similar job and ended up in a similar position. The outcome could be an expensive court case brought by the Health and Safety Inspectorate and an expensive fine if the company had been found to be negligent. If the result is serious and permanent injury and the business has lost an employee it might also face expensive compensation for the injury. While there is no doubt that working in a clean building in good repair and with windows that are not covered with grime that dims the light is good for the morale of the people working there, it makes sense that if there is high level work to be carried out a specialist cleaning company should be engaged. The Health and Safety Executive publishes guidelines and regulations on the equipment and precautions that need to be in place for safe working at height. Few businesses are likely to have all that equipment and may find that the hire charges and the necessary training of those who are to use them are extremely expensive. A reputable cleaning company carrying out a high level clean on a business premises will have employees properly trained in working safely at a height and will also have the proper equipment and materials for the job. It may be also that using professionals to carry out high level cleaning at regular intervals will not only ensure that any repairs needed can be spotted and dealt with before they become more expensive, but also that the company's insurance premiums will be reduced if it can demonstrate that it has taken care to keep its buildings clean and in good repair. Copyright (c) 2011 Alison Withers
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