Slick Watts and GHB Services Team up to give back to local schools.
Sonics legend donates money toward local elementary school’s playground
GHB Window Cleaning Inc. and Slick Watts, former NBA Seattle Super Sonic, teamed up to donate money towards new playground equipment. On Feb. 8th 2016, George Brewer, president of GHB Window Cleaning Services INC. presented MLK Elementary School a check to help in their efforts to purchase more playground balls for ‘Square Ball,’ Soccer & Kids Outdoor Games . Since airing, many have joined in the efforts and continue to bless the school with monies to purchase new playground equipment.
It is so great to see the local News take part in sharing the story with the community and giving the story ‘wings’ so other people can give to the local community.
In a recent fall restraint system anchor inspections for a client in Seattle, it was discovered that the system had to be red tagged due to the anchor not withstanding proper load limits which could cause massive injury or death to an employee using this system. The anchors on the system were not secure to the roof and loose. OSHA 1910 governs fall protection systems and states (10) Anchorages to which personal fall arrest equipment is attached shall be capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN) per employee attached, or shall be designed, installed, and used as part of a complete personal fall arrest system which maintains a safety factor of at least two, under the supervision of a qualified person.
If a fall arrest – restraint system or roof anchors are on any building, building owners are required to have them inspected at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
OSHA 1910.66 | WAC Chapter 296 Annual Inspections of Roof Anchors, Fall Protection System Inspection and tests – Periodic inspections and tests. OSHA 1910.66(g)(2)(i) Related building supporting structures shall undergo periodic inspection by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
1910.66(g)(2)(iii) The building owner shall keep a certification record of each inspection and test required under paragraphs (g)(2)(i) and (ii) of this section. The certification record shall include the date of the inspection, the signature of the person who performed the inspection, and the number, or other identifier, of the building support structure and equipment which was inspected. This certification record shall be kept readily available for review by the Assistant Secretary of Labor or the Assistant Secretary’s representative and by the employer.
Building owners Responsibility – Separate from the annual inspections, building owners shall ensure equipment or anchors be re-certified 1. At periods not to exceed 10 years, 2. When equipment shows excessive wear or damage, 3. When re-roofing or renovation 4. When equipment is modified or removed from the structure.
Is Your Current Window Cleaning Team Safe? Are you liable for any accidents that occur on your building?
With Spring Time just around the corner, it’s important to re-visit safety information about window cleaning safety & fall protection. With the recent news stories in New York & Seattle it’s beneficial for property owners & management companies to ask the right questions when it comes to safety. Below are a few simple questions to ask your current window cleaning team to ensure proper safety rules & OSHA standards are being followed.
Q: How many feet up is considered a fall hazard? A: 4 feet (OSHA 1910.23)
Q: When is Fall Protection Required? A: Any heights over 6 feet (OSHA 1926.500)
Q: How close to the roof’s edge can you be without being tied off in a full body harness? A: No person can be closer than 10 feet to an edge without fall protection gear.OSHA 1926 Subpart M (fall protection)
Q: Do you have a site specific safety plan? A: Per WAC 296-878-14005 a safety plan is mandatory.
Q: How often should roof anchors be inspected by a qualified person? A: OSHA requires that all building owners must have the roof anchors inspected annually (OSHA 1910.66)
At GHB Window Cleaning Inc. we believe that education is the first step to safety! That is why we are the only Window Cleaning Company in the Seattle area that has a division focused on fall protection safety and education plus our safety record is flawless. Also, most building owners are not aware that they are responsible for inspections & certification for any fall protection & fall restraint system. Our goal is to heighten awareness for owners, employees & property management companies of their obligations when it comes to fall protection.
