OSHA Renews Partnership With International Window Cleaning Association

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has renewed its partnership with the International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA). The IWCA isn't just another window cleaning company, however. It's actually a nonprofit trade organization that represents more than 500 window cleaning companies and 10,000 workers.

Multi-story commercial buildings often require the services of professional window cleaners. Like all industries, however, there's an inherit risk of injury associated with this type of work.

Under this renewed partnership, OSHA will work closely with window cleaning businesses, unions, organizations and educational institutions to protect professional window cleaners from injury, illness and fatality.

When speaking about the renewed partnership, OSHA's Loren Sweatt explained that falls are the most common safety hazard to which professional window cleaners are exposed. With the help of the IWCA, however, OSHA hopes to protect window cleaners from falls and other related hazards, thus creating a safer industry.

"Falls are among the most common hazards encountered by professional window cleaners," said Loren Sweatt, deputy assistant secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. "We value IWCA's expertise and look forward to our continued alliance to ensure workers receive information and training to keep them safe on the job."

The alliance between OSHA and the IWCA dates back nearly two decades. In 2010, the two organized forged an alliance to create a safer industry for professional window cleaners. In 2012, OSHA and the IWCA renewed its partnership.

Of course, statistics reinforce the need for fall protection systems and solutions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), falls account for roughly 5% of all work-related fatalities for women and 11% for men. To put the problem of falls into perspective, statistics show it's the second-most common cause of work-related fatality, surpassed only by transportation deaths.

While fall-related injury and fatality isn't limited strictly to the window cleaning industry, professional window cleaners have a higher risk due to the nature of their work. There are ways to protect professional window cleaners from falls, however, beginning with the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Fall protection systems like harnesses and personal limiters, for instance, prevent workers from falling. Combined with training and education, employers in the window cleaning industry can protect workers from fall-related injury and fatality.

You can learn more about OSHA's alliances by visiting the organization's official website at https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/alliances/index.html. Here, OSHA lists all of its alliances, including national, regional/state and others.