Source: CLEANTOTAL
The Waspak is gaining ground in Europe now that German window washers can buy one with a subsidy. However, the Dutch invention is relatively often left behind in the work bus in our country, even though it has actually been proven to contribute to ergonomics. Is there anyone to blame in our country?
Sustainable employability, the mouth is full of it. Cleaning companies deploy occupational coaches, educators offer training courses and the RAS has even launched a whole campaign about it. Yet there seems to be a bit less focus on it in window cleaning. Not so much from the employer, but the employee often consciously chooses not to use tools.
Wax suit little used in practice
At the Schoonmaak Vakdagen in 2019, Clean Totaal conducted a non-representative survey. No firm conclusions can be drawn from this, however, it did reveal that most window cleaners who have access to the Waspak hardly ever use it. Because; too much work to put on, a lack of physical freedom and because it would not look good.
Creator of the Wax suit Fred de Ridder recognises this image. “The Wax suit offers ergonomic advantages, that is well known. Still, I don't understand why there are window washers who refuse to put on such a thing. It has been proven to contribute to physically healthy retirement. Incidentally, I also don't understand why the new laws and regulations of Working Safely at Height do not include the Waspak as a method.” In other words, according to the law, there is no difference in working with or without a Waspak. An impure decision, De Ridder argues.
For Clean Totaal, enough reason to put questions to both the RAS and Schoonmakend Nederland. The industry organisation says that, contrary to claims, the Waspak is actually being promoted: “It is a best practice in the Health and Safety Catalogue. We were very early with this, because when this was put in, there were not enough wax suits available at all to make it compulsory.”
Grant Germany, but not in the Netherlands
In Germany, a subsidy has recently become available on the purchase for the Waspak, which goes through BGBau, a kind of insurer similar to the former Ziekenfonds in the Netherlands. De Ridder thinks offering a subsidy is -understandably- a good step to boost the use of the Waspak. Schoonmakend Nederland: “In the Netherlands, the cost of purchase does not seem to be a barrier to use. Therefore, in that sense, subsidisation has never been considered. Employers here, unlike Germany, are responsible for the cost of absenteeism of the incapacitated employee. Therefore, the situation between Germany and the Netherlands cannot be compared.
Increased use of Waspak due to inclusion of method in training?
Cleaning Netherlands thus says the Netherlands will not opt for subsidisation. The Waspak will, however, be added to the RAS“ final and testing requirements from 1 January 2022. ”Perhaps positive use during training will also lead to more use in practice."
Coordinator of the RAS Examination Bureau Peter Bannink confirms that from 1 January 2022, the Wax suit will become a compulsory part of the examination for the Basic Professional Glass Cleaning Course. “And preferably combined with the prism goggles. But we are not going to make the latter compulsory, as there are people who really can't work with this.”
Incidentally, ergonomics is a continuing focal point of the Examination Bureau, says Bannink: “We are in the process of formulating our final and test terms a little more generally because there are several ergonomics trends. For example, working on one knee is fine, but leaning on something is also possible. And we are in the process of further training examiners in recognising multiple ergonomic options.”
Laws and regulations unchanged
The fact remains, that despite all efforts by Schoonmakend Nederland to promote the Waspak, that the new laws and regulations make no distinction between the regular tuckerpole and the tucker supported by a system that makes the work lighter.
And your editor does have an opinion on that. If the Waspak is to gain a foothold in Dutch window cleaning, I think there are two ways to do so:
- The phase of early adopters is over; innovations are eventually embraced. So the more often the Wax Suit appears on the scene, the more colleagues are inclined to wear it too. A tried and tested method that takes time.
- Include the Waspak in regulations and allow window cleaners to work with it longer than those without. In this way, the Waspak also offers an economic benefit rather than just an ergonomic one. After all, saving on an AWP is easily recouped.
English (UK)