Professional window cleaners often have many health and safety considerations in order to perform their job. Cleaning at height is an integral part of the window cleaning profession and is a process that, unless proper precautions have been taken, carries a large amount of risk.

In fact, recent figures show that in Great Britain alone, up to seven window cleaners are killed each year by accidents occurring while they are at work. In addition, 20-30 more suffer major injuries caused by falls, with countless others suffering less serious injuries that result in loss of income through being unable to work.

Economic pressures mean that many householders, workplaces and window cleaners themselves have all accepted such practices as risks that are unavoidable parts of the job. However, this does not have to be the case. Building owners, designers, and professional window cleaners need to understand that these accidents will continue unless a different approach is taken.  According to Unger, through its range of water fed poles, much of the injury risk can be eliminated.

Unger’s HiFlo CarbonTec Pole System is an award winning sectional pole that allows the user to clean at all heights up to 49ft, thus reducing the need to buy a collection of telescopic poles to reach different heights. The pole can be stored and transported in a GearBag which is less that 6ft long, allowing the user to use more compact, less expensive vehicles to transport the equipment, with the added benefit that the pole can be locked inside the vehicle, preventing thieves from stealing it.

The lightweight carbon fibre sectional tubes extend and reach any height up to 49ft, and because each tube is the same diameter width, it performs with improved rigidity, mobility and flexibility. Assembly is easy, safe, and tool-free and once the pole is assembled the user can move freely at ground level while cleaning a much larger area of space.

Additionally, the new HiFlo Advanced and Advanced+ telescopic pole ranges have been launched by Unger to compliment the ‘flagship’ CarbonTec pole and expand the range of water fed poles in order to achieve mass market appeal to all professional cleaners.  While the purpose of all Unger water fed poles is to limit the risk involved with cleaning at height, there are some key differences with the HiFlo Advanced and Advanced+ telescopic poles.

With a choice of glass fibre or carbon fibre materials, the HiFlo Advanced and Advanced+ pole range is telescopic rather than sectional.  Extending up to 35ft, the HiFlo Advanced and Advanced+ poles feature improved clamping technology. Four inserts on each clamp grip the pole evenly rather than pinching it in one particular place which can cause excessive stress at a single point and can weaken and wear the pole.  Neither the HiFlo CarbonTec or the HiFlo Advance and Advance+ require any tools or instruments to assemble and all of the poles are available with a choice of brushes and goosenecks allowing for optimum contact between the brush and the surface being cleaned.

Not all windows need to be reached using high access equipment and poles, so Unger continues to develop its range of products designed for windows that are all within easy reaching distance.  The new ErgoTec glass scraper can remove thick layers of paint, dirt, grime and sticky residue from glass surfaces without causing damage to the window or glass surface and it comes with two differently sized blade widths - 15cm for larger areas and 10cm for regular use.

It also incorporates an easy blade-change mechanism which works by pushing the blade release button and then just sliding the blade in and out of the handle. In addition, perhaps the most useful feature is that the new scraper can lock onto the end of one of Unger’s telescopic poles, allowing the user to reach heights of up to 33ft.
By taking people’s safety and wellbeing into consideration, Unger endeavours to design products that tick all the boxes for modern day users; products that look great, made from top quality components that are more comfortable and ergonomic to use, producing real time saving results and reducing the risk of injury and downtime to the user.

Unger equipment offers small and large businesses a full range of quality tools, providing the users with a much needed advantage over competitive businesses of a similar size - a crucial factor to consider for growth and expansion.