Look Up Look Out

Before you start, look up, look out

National safety campaign: plain-English guidance for window cleaners using poles — especially if you are newer to the trade. Check for cables before you even start.

If cables feel unsafe, stop work and call 105 (Great Britain). In an emergency, call 999.

National safety campaign

If you clean windows with poles, this message is simple: check for cables before you even start.

Overhead lines must always be treated as live and dangerous. You do not need to touch them to get hurt. Electricity can jump a gap and cause serious injury or death.

The golden rule

Pull up. Look up. Look out.

Before you unload anything, stop and check:

  • above the house
  • above the driveway
  • side access
  • back garden
  • above garages, extensions and conservatories
  • anywhere your pole could swing, lift or travel

If you see cables and you are not happy, do not do the job.

If in doubt: walk away or call 105, If your in Northern Ireland call 0345 7 643 643

If cables look too close, too low, damaged, unclear, or you are not sure what they are: call 105 or NI on 0345 7 643 643 and ask for your electricity network operator. They can assess the line and advise what needs doing.

No job is worth your life.

Customer pressure and tight deadlines

Sometimes a customer may be waiting for work to be completed, a builder may want a job finished, or a homeowner may not understand why you are refusing to start.

Do not let pressure influence your decision.

If overhead cables create a safety concern, stop and reassess the job. If necessary, leave the site and seek advice before continuing.

Remember:

You are the person standing under the cables.

A delayed job can be rescheduled.

A serious electrical injury can change a life forever.

If safety measures such as line assessment, isolation, or shrouding are required, they may take time to arrange. That delay can be frustrating, but it is far better than taking a risk with overhead electricity.

Professional window cleaners know when to stop.

Walking away from an unsafe job is not losing work — it is doing the job properly.

What insulated poles really mean

Some poles have insulated or anti-conductive lower sections.

That does not mean you can work near cables.

Think of them like:

  • a seatbelt
  • ABS brakes
  • a last line of defence

They are there for accidental situations, unexpected hazards, or mistakes. They are not a green light to work close to overhead electricity.

Best extra safety choice: fibreglass

If you want an extra layer of safety, use fibreglass. Carbon fibre is electrically conductive, while fibreglass offers much better electrical resistance. That does not make any pole risk-free, but it is the safer option.

Do

  • Look up, look out at every job
  • Treat all overhead lines as live
  • Check the full area before unloading
  • Use fibreglass if you want the safer material choice
  • Leave the job if you are not happy
  • Call 105 if you need the line checked

Don't

  • Don't assume a wire is harmless
  • Don't think “it'll be fine, it's only a quick one”
  • Don't use insulated-handle poles as permission to go near cables
  • Don't work in high winds, storms, or bad conditions
  • Don't let a customer talk you into taking a risk

Final word

Most serious accidents happen when someone is rushed, distracted, or thinks they can get away with it.

Keep it simple: look up, look out. If you are not sure, don't do the job. That is not being awkward — that is being professional.

Spot the risk — know your poles and distances

Campaign infographic you can save, print, or share (examples only; always assume lines are live).

Spot the risk: know your poles and distances — campaign infographic

Sources of information

The practical guidance on this page has been drawn from publicly available safety information produced by recognised UK health and safety, electricity network, trade, and training bodies. These sources were reviewed and compared to identify the points they broadly agree on, and that shared advice has then been rewritten here in plain, practical language for working window cleaners.

Main sources reviewed:

  • Health and Safety Executive (HSE) — GS6: Avoiding danger from overhead power lines
  • Health and Safety Executive (HSE) — Overhead power lines guidance
  • Energy Networks Association (ENA) — Look out, look up guidance
  • Federation of Window Cleaners (FWC) — Use of window cleaning equipment near overhead powerlines
  • Federation of Window Cleaners (FWC) — Water-fed pole and health and safety guidance
  • British Window Cleaning Academy (BWCA) — Safety in window cleaning using waterfed pole systems

Where these sources broadly agree, that shared guidance has been used as the basis of the advice on this page. Original source documents may be provided separately for visitors who wish to read the full guidance for themselves.