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OSHA Compliance for Window Cleaning Contractors

You arrive, you rig, you descend. The question nobody asks until an inspector does is who certified the anchorages you just tied into — and the answer is not supposed to be you.

What gets cited

The standards behind the findings that come up most in this work. Each links to the text on osha.gov.

  1. 1

    Powered platforms for building maintenance

    29 CFR 1910.66

    Suspended equipment used without meeting the standard’s requirements for design, inspection and operation.

  2. 2

    Rope descent systems and anchorage certification

    29 CFR 1910.27

    Rope descent used without written information from the building owner that each anchorage has been identified, tested and certified.

  3. 3

    Personal fall protection systems

    29 CFR 1910.140

    Independent fall arrest not rigged, or components used outside their rated configuration.

  4. 4

    Duty to have fall protection

    29 CFR 1910.28

    Work at height on roofs and setbacks while rigging, before the descent system is even in use.

  5. 5

    Training

    29 CFR 1910.30

    Workers not trained by a qualified person in the specific system they use, or retrained after a change in equipment or conditions.

Anchorage certification is leverage, not paperwork

The rule places a duty on the building owner to inform you, in writing, that the anchorages have been identified, tested, certified and maintained — and it sets an interval for that. A contractor who asks for it before quoting is not being difficult; they are declining to accept a liability that was never theirs. Getting it in writing protects the crew and the company at the same time.

Questions we hear

Who is responsible for certifying anchorages?

The building owner. They must provide written information that each anchorage has been identified, tested, certified and maintained, and the employer must not permit rope descent until that information is received.

How often must anchorages be certified?

The standard sets a maximum interval measured in years for testing and certification. Ask for the date alongside the confirmation and check it against the interval.

Is the descent line also the fall arrest system?

No. A separate, independent personal fall arrest system is required — a single line serving both purposes is not compliant.

What is suspension trauma and does it change our rescue plan?

A worker suspended motionless in a harness can deteriorate quickly. Prompt rescue capability, not eventual rescue, is what the plan has to deliver.

Templates that apply here

Free checklists from the library — no charge, one short form.

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Compliance for window washing, without the consultant

WorkSafely SMB builds the programs above, keeps the training attached to them, and has the records ready when an inspector asks.

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General guidance only, not legal advice. Which standards apply is fact-specific and requirements change. Verify against the current text and consult a qualified professional on your own operation.