Knightsbridge Property Services would not exist without the support and hard work of our phenomenal field team. Our exterior maintenance crews have years of cumulative experience and collaborate in order to tackle some of the toughest maintenance projects that get thrown their way. Without our awesome specialists, Knightsbridge would not stand a chance in the bustling world of property maintenance, and it is through their joint expertise that we continue to thrive as one of the Lower Mainland’s most trusted strata cleaners. Our quality workforce comes equipped with one of the most important tools of all: a quality safety plan. While many of the tasks that we undertake involve hazards such as chemicals or working from heights, we go above and beyond to ensure that our team is safe at all times. By collaborating with our colleagues at Worksafe BC, we have implemented the following measures to ensure worksite safety:
1. Boom Lifts: Working at heights poses a whole variety of safety concerns. Few things will spoil a strata member’s day more than having a young worker fall from their roof (the worker will likely not enjoy this either). Taking this into consideration, we ensure that a telescopic lift is used at any job site that involves working at heights for prolonged periods of time. These mechanical marvels work wonders at reaching tough spaces that can benefit from a little TLC. Knightsbridge’s site supervisors are gifted boom lift operators who are fully certified and accustomed to navigating machinery through narrow streets and alleyways. Using boom lifts, we can take care of siding cleaning, gutter cleaning, moss removal, and much more. All from a 4 x 4 raised platform.
2. Fall Protection: When a boom lift doesn’t cut it, we use the more traditional techniques
: ropes and harnesses. For these to be effective, we do require that the strata that we service installs roof anchor systems. Alternatively, we can install our own temporary anchors, which are removed upon completion of the service. Once we have confirmed these essential tie-off points, our crew will use them to brave the precipitous strata rooftops. Although these systems are a great failsafe, we also promote additional safety measures, including rules where our specialists are required to work in pairs.
3. Eye Pro, Ear Pro, Foot Pro: Rooftops aside, working on the ground can lead to potential injuries. Pressure washing is one such activity. Since our staff work with machines that generate very high PSIs, it is mandatory that all personnel are equipped with closed-toe boots. In addition, we provide our new trainees with earplugs and goggles so that they can save their hearing and prevent any injuries resulting from flying rocks or splashed detergent. While it has not yet been an issue, we make it our mission to ensure that every team member wears all three of these prior to starting up the pressure washers.
4. Pre-Site Planning: Unlike many contractors, we take special care to perform very thorough walk-throughs of potential future job sites. This way, we can provide accurate quotes, while also pointing out potentially dangerous areas. There are many small nuances to each complex that could be hazardous for our team. During these walkarounds, our estimators use special tools to measure roof slope, take note of areas that cannot be accessed using boom lifts or brief stints on ladders, and also check for areas where the building may not be able to support a person’s weight.
Once all of this information has been gathered, we make sure that our clients are aware of what we can – and cannot do safely. Honesty is the best policy here, as we strive to create a safe environment while also establishing strong relationships with our strata and property manager clients.
Knightsbridge’s team of exterior maintenance specialists is a talented group that embodies our shared vision of quality workmanship and great customer service. Teammates of this caliber are hard to come by, so we prioritize job site safety over anything else. The aforementioned bullet points are just a few ways that we integrate safe practices into our everyday activities. Should you want to learn more, come drop by one of our team huddles. If you’re lucky, we may even take you for a ride on our boom lift!