A prequalification checklist for high-rise window and facade contractors, built from federal and California requirements.
Rope Descent And Powered Platform Rules Set Clear Training, Planning And Insurance Duties. This Paper Turns Them Into A Prequalification Checklist Owners Can Use Before A Contractor Reaches The Roof.
Download PDFExecutive Summary
Owners and property managers hiring for high-rise window cleaning or facade work should prequalify contractors before they reach the roof. The rules for rope descent and powered platform work set clear training, planning and insurance duties. Those duties map directly to documents an owner can request. This paper turns them into a prequalification checklist.
Key Points
- RDS Training: Each employee using a rope descent system must be trained per §1910.30. 1910.27(b)(2)(iii)
- California Training: Only properly trained employees may work from scaffolds or boatswain's chairs. §3282(f)
- Platform Proficiency: Working platforms may be run only by persons proficient in that platform, trained by a competent person. 1910.66(i)(1)
- Emergency Plan: A written emergency action plan is required for each kind of platform operation. 1910.66(e)(9)
- Workers' Comp: Every California employer except the state must secure workers' compensation. Lab. Code §3700
Why Prequalification Matters
Several duties are split between owner and employer. Before RDS use, the employer must obtain the owner's written anchorage information and keep it for the duration of the job. 1910.27(b)(1)(ii) A contractor that asks for these documents is showing it knows the rules.
Safety Program And Training Records
Rope Descent
RDS must be used per manufacturer instructions or under a qualified person's direction, each user must be trained per §1910.30, and the system must be inspected at the start of each workshift. 1910.27(b)(2)(ii)–(iv) Ask for training records for the specific crew.
Powered Platforms
Training must cover task hazards, platform hazards, emergency action plan procedures, work procedures and personal fall arrest inspection and use. It must be done by a competent person, and written work procedures must be provided. 1910.66(i)(1)(ii)–(iv) The emergency plan must explain the procedures for events such as a power failure. 1910.66(e)(9)
California
Only properly trained employees may be assigned to scaffolds or boatswain's chairs. §3282(f) On buildings 36 ft or taller, check whether an Operating Procedures Outline Sheet (OPOS) is required and on file. §3282(p)(1)(C)
Insurance And Bonding
California employers must be insured for workers' compensation by an authorized insurer or hold a DIR certificate of consent to self-insure. Lab. Code §3700 Request a certificate of insurance, and see our Hiring An Exterior Cleaning Contractor white paper for COI review. Liability limits and bonding amounts are business choices; this paper does not recommend figures.
Prequalification Checklist
| Request | Basis |
|---|---|
| RDS Training Records (Per Crew Member) | 1910.27(b)(2)(iii); 1910.30 |
| Platform Operator Training By A Competent Person | 1910.66(i)(1) |
| Written Work Procedures | 1910.66(i)(1)(iv) |
| Written Emergency Action Plan | 1910.66(e)(9) |
| Proof Of Trained Scaffold/Chair Workers | §3282(f) |
| Workers' Comp Certificate | Lab. Code §3700 |
| Acknowledgment Of Owner Anchorage Letter | 1910.27(b)(1)(ii) |
WCBA does not perform high-rise rope or suspended work with its own crews; that work is done by a vetted partner crew that is held to this checklist.
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.27 And 1910.66. ecfr.gov/current/title-29/part-1910
- Cal. Code Regs. Title 8 §3282. dir.ca.gov/title8/3282.html
- Cal. Labor Code §3700. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
This paper summarizes regulations and agency guidance for general information and is not legal advice. Requirements may change and vary by city; consult the current text, your local agency and qualified professionals.
Photo: “SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA BAYAREA01” by Adam Schultz, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped.
