September 16, 2013

OSHA Approves Spanish Version of WaterFed Pole

Through the OSHA and IWCA Alliance, the primary goal is for the IWCA to provide expertise and develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards and provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information in English, Spanish and/or other languages (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA’s and the IWCA’s Web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.

The most recent Alliance product created by the IWCA is the Water-Fed Pole Safety Training Program. Through the OSHA and the IWCA Alliance, IWCA developed a safety training program which provides employees in the window cleaning industry with information on safe use of water-fed poles. This PowerPoint program contains practical precautions and instruction to help window cleaners reduce risks at job sites while taking into account the requirements for the job. On August 12, 2013, OSHA formally approved the Spanish translation of this program and as a result it is now available to view here.

November 21, 2011

The International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) based in the USA is pleased to announce its formation of two strategic alliances with the Federation of Window Cleaners (FWC) based in the United Kingdom and the Australian Window Cleaning Federation (AWCF) based in Australia.

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November 18, 2011

The IWCA I-14 Window Cleaning Safety Draft Standard is available for second public comment/review. This allows interested and affected parties to submit comments on the content of the draft if so desired. The public comment period begins on Friday, November 18, 2011 and ends on Monday, January 2, 2012. The standard is intended to serve as a guide for window cleaners, regulatory agencies, manufacturers, architects, consultants, designers and building owners. The initial version of this standard was published in 2001. From that time, the I-14 committee has been making revisions to the standard based on comments and questions from all facets of the industry.

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May 19, 2011

The International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) unveiled its new Certified Building Maintenance and Safety Executive Program (CBMSE) which is designed for the building maintenance executive and/or safety training professional who is dedicated to providing the most current safety training education to their workers, but who may not participate in field work every day.

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April 4, 2011

The International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) will join with thousands of people and businesses worldwide, along with the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), representing more than 33,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members, the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Alliance Program participants, in raising awareness of the importance of being safe at work during the annual North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week this May 1-7 and Occupational Safety and Health Professional (OSHP) Day May 4.

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August 31, 2010

The International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA)/American National Standards Institute (ANSI) I-14 Window Cleaning Safety Standard committee is making additional revisions to the 2001 ANSI/I-14 Window Cleaning Safety Standard and will review the current set of changes during its next committee meeting, Sept. 23-24, prior to submitting the standard for its second public review.

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August 13, 2010

The International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced their alliance to promote safe and healthful working conditions for professionals who work within the window cleaning industry.

For more information, please visit the OSHA Alliance Web site at:http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/alliances/iwca/iwca.html

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August 13, 2010

The International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) is pleased to announce the development of a “Standard Practice for Cleaning Architectural Flat Glass” (WK29688) through ASTM International, an international organization that develops and publishes technical standards.

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