This news section reports what is publicly visible at the time of review: live product claims, announced launches, updated safety positioning, published guidance, and wider industry developments relevant to high-reach cleaning equipment.
This page is not a compliance ranking table. Products, voltage claims, insulation wording, and testing statements should always be checked directly on the supplier's own website before purchase or use..
Urgent Safty Recall Gutter Vacuum Systems!
⚠️ PRODUCT SAFETY RECALL ⚠️\
ANTI-CONDUCTIVE GUTTER VACUUM POLES
As part of our ongoing commitment to product quality and customer safety, Gutter Vacuum Systems independently tests products here in the United Kingdom, in addition to testing and quality assurance undertaken during manufacture.
During recent independent batch testing, a small number of our Anti-Conductive Gutter Vacuum Poles were found not to meet the advertised 10kV dielectric specification, with testing confirming protection to 3kV on the affected product.
While these results relate specifically to the poles tested and do not confirm that every pole within the production batch(es) are affected, when it comes to safety, we are not prepared to take unnecessary risks.
As a precaution, Gutter Vacuum Systems has therefore made the decision to recall ALL Anti-Conductive Gutter Vacuum Poles supplied between March and July 2026.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?\
All customers who purchased an affected product will be contacted directly by GVS and provided with a replacement at absolutely no cost to them.
Our newly produced batch has undergone independent testing today and passed testing at 37kV.
Furthermore, replacement pole sections will be individually tested and verified before being supplied to customers.
Customer safety is, and always will be, our highest priority. We are taking this matter extremely seriously and are committed to managing this recall promptly, thoroughly and transparently.
Independent verification is an important part of our commitment to maintaining the highest possible safety standards. Although we are naturally disappointed by this test result, the independent testing process has done exactly what it is designed to do: identify a product that did not meet the stated specification and enable us to take immediate precautionary action.
Only once the recall has been completed and affected poles have been replaced will our Anti-Conductive Pole range return to general sale.
We would like to apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding while we complete this recall.
⚡ PLEASE STOP USING AFFECTED POLES IMMEDIATELY.
Always remember that anti-conductive equipment must never replace safe working practices. Protective equipment should always be considered the LAST LINE OF DEFENCE when working around electrical hazards.
For GVS, there is no compromise when it comes to safety.
Look Up Look Out – Our View
Look Up Look Out believes the way Gutter Vacuum Systems has responded to this issue has been exemplary.
When independent UK testing identified that a small number of Anti-Conductive Gutter Vacuum Poles did not meet the electrical specification being advertised, GVS did not ignore the result, minimise it or wait for an incident to occur. They acted.
GVS contacted Look Up Look Out directly, explained what had been found, discussed the situation openly with us and kept us informed as their response developed.
They have now taken the precautionary decision to recall all affected poles supplied between March and July 2026, replace them at no cost to customers and individually verify replacement sections before they are supplied.
Their newly produced batch has also undergone independent testing and passed at 37kV.
We particularly welcome GVS's commitment to independent UK testing. They have also openly shared details of the independent testing facility they use, allowing us to add that information to our own testing resources for the benefit of the wider industry.
This is precisely why independent testing matters.
Testing is not there simply to provide a certificate or a figure for a sales page. It is there to discover when something is wrong before somebody gets hurt.
No manufacturer wants a product to fail a test. What matters enormously is what happens when one does.
In this case, GVS has demonstrated the behaviour we want to see across the industry: test independently, be transparent about the result, communicate quickly, protect customers and put the problem right.
Look Up Look Out will challenge manufacturers when we believe safety standards are not good enough. It is equally important that we recognise companies when they respond properly.
GVS deserves that recognition here.
This does not change one of the most important principles of the Look Up Look Out campaign: no pole, electrical rating or protective product should ever be regarded as permission to work dangerously close to overhead electricity.
Engineering controls and protective equipment provide additional layers of protection.
The first line of defence is always to LOOK UP, LOOK OUT and avoid the electrical hazard in the first place.
To anyone who owns one of the affected GVS poles: stop using it immediately and follow the recall instructions issued by Gutter Vacuum Systems.
Look Up. Look Out. Use it. Share it. Save a Life.
August News Update From Sophie our AI
August update – published electrical safety information is changing but first meet Sparky – the new face of Look Up Look Out ⚡
You may start noticing a new little character appearing around the Look Up Look Out campaign.
Sparky is our new campaign mascot, and he's got one very important job:
To help make electrical safety messages impossible to miss.
You'll start seeing Sparky popping up across the Look Up Look Out website, safety information, campaign graphics and future awareness material, highlighting important reminders and helping us explain serious electrical safety messages in a simple and memorable way.
When Sparky appears, take a second and read what he's telling you.
It might be a reminder to look up before raising a pole, a warning about overhead power lines, a prompt to check your equipment or simply one of those little safety messages that could make somebody stop and think at exactly the right moment.
Sparky isn't here to replace the serious guidance.
He's here to help people notice it and remember it.
And Sparky may soon have something else stuck in your head...
We're also working on the Look Up Look Out song, which will be released soon.
Yes, an electrical safety campaign now has a mascot and a song.
Apparently there was no responsible adult available to stop us.
But there is a serious reason behind both.
If a character, a picture, a warning, a sticker or even a song helps somebody remember Look Up. Look Out. before raising a pole beneath overhead electricity, then it has done something worthwhile.
So keep an eye out for Sparky.
You'll be seeing quite a bit more of him.
See Sparky. Think safety. Look Up. Look Out. ⚡
One message. One mission. One life at a time.
This month's water-fed and gutter-vacuum pole reviews have produced several interesting developments, and importantly, they demonstrate why these assessments are repeated every month and now back to serious industry news.
Streamvac makes a significant move
One of the clearest changes identified during the August gutter-vacuum review comes from Streamline / Streamvac.
Current manufacturer information now specifically describes the Streamvac gutter-vacuum pole kits as incorporating a non-conductive glass-fibre base section and glass-fibre half section, with carbon-fibre upper sections.
That additional product-specific information has resulted in Streamvac moving significantly higher in this month's evidence-based comparison.
I have not currently located a published electrical voltage rating, test standard or product-specific electrical test certificate for those Streamvac sections, so there remains an opportunity for further evidence to be published.
Nevertheless, this is exactly what these monthly reviews are intended to recognise.
Better publicly available electrical safety information should result in a better assessment.
GVS Kevlar Pro evidence continues to develop
There has also been further progress around the Gutter Vacuum Systems Kevlar Pro water-fed pole.
Public information now describes two Kevlar-insulated lower sections, independent testing at 33kV and 35kV, certification to withstand up to 35,000 volts, together with supporting test information and a publicly linked certificate.
The product remains marked as COMING SOON, so availability and electrical evidence continue to be assessed separately.
UltraReach evidence review remains open
UltraReach / Reach Poles remains strongly placed in the August water-fed assessment.
The Look Up Look Out campaign has now seen additional testing material relating to the UltraSafe range, while further certificate, conformity and supporting technical information is awaited.
No elevation to the top group will take place until that additional evidence can be properly reviewed.
That is important.
Manufacturers do not move up the rankings because they cooperate with the campaign. They move when the evidence supports the movement.
The wider August sweep found something else important
The expanded market search also identified numerous carbon-fibre, hybrid and aluminium pole systems for which equivalent product-specific electrical insulation or testing information could not be located.
That does not prove those products are unsafe.
It does show that there remains a considerable difference across the industry in how openly electrical safety information is published.
And that may be the biggest story of all.
Some manufacturers are now publishing insulated-section information, test voltages, laboratory details, certificates and technical documentation.
Others still provide little more than the material from which the pole is manufactured.
The direction of travel should be clear: if enhanced electrical safety is claimed, publish the evidence behind it.
The Look Up Look Out monthly reviews will continue to recognise manufacturers when better evidence appears and continue asking questions where it does not.
Evidence changes. Rankings can change. The objective doesn't: better information and safer choices for people working beneath overhead electricity.
Look Up Look Out continues to grow, develop and reach new audiences
August has brought another significant period of progress for the Look Up Look Out National Safety Campaign.
We have continued expanding and renewing the campaign website, carrying out fresh industry research, improving access to practical safety information and taking our evidence directly to public authorities.
The campaign was founded following a devastating electrical incident involving a high-reach pole and an overhead power line. Its purpose remains unchanged: to help prevent deaths, serious injuries and families experiencing the consequences of an avoidable electrical accident.
Everything provided by the campaign remains free to use, free to share and free forever.
A renewed and easier-to-use website
Work is continuing to improve the Look Up Look Out website and make it clearer, more informative and easier to navigate.
New photographs and information are being added throughout the site. Existing pages are being reviewed and reorganised so that members of the public, professional cleaners, employers, manufacturers, retailers and safety organisations can find the guidance most relevant to them more quickly.
The website now brings together:
- Public safety advice for people using extendable poles
- Industry guidance for professional users
- Downloadable risk assessments
- Independent water-fed-pole and gutter-vacuum comparisons
- Information about electrical testing and certification
- Guidance on safety claims, warnings and product transparency
- Near-miss reporting
- Survivor stories
- Advice about overhead-line shrouding and electricity-network contacts
- Campaign briefings, evidence and downloadable resources
- Industry and product news
- Free campaign stickers and logos
The homepage also provides quick access to practical electrical-safety information, equipment reviews, risk-assessment tools, near-miss reporting and the campaign’s growing collection of industry guidance.
New free downloadable risk assessments In Beta For Now.
One of the most important recent additions is the campaign’s collection of downloadable risk assessments.
These documents have been created to help businesses, contractors, self-employed workers and other equipment users think carefully about the hazards involved before work begins.
The risk assessments cover activities including window cleaning, gutter vacuuming and pressure washing. They are designed to help users consider matters such as:
- Overhead electricity and service cables
- The material and condition of poles and equipment
- Safe working distances
- Weather and wind conditions
- Ground conditions
- Public access and protection
- Water, hoses and electrical equipment
- Falling objects and debris
- Chemicals and cleaning substances
- Equipment inspection and maintenance
- Training, supervision and emergency planning
The documents are practical starting points and should be adapted to the actual site, equipment and work being undertaken. A generic document cannot replace a proper assessment of the conditions found at each individual job.
The purpose is not to create paperwork for its own sake. It is to encourage people to stop, look up, identify the hazards and make a safer decision before raising a pole or starting work.
Free Look Up Look Out safety stickers
Visitors can now request free Look Up Look Out safety stickers through the website homepage.
These stickers are intended for use on water-fed poles, gutter-vacuum poles, vans, water tanks, equipment, workplaces and other suitable locations.
They provide a simple reminder at the point where it may matter most:
Look up. Look out.
A sticker is not a substitute for training, risk assessment, safe distances or proper equipment. It is an awareness prompt that may encourage someone to stop and check above them before extending a pole.
The campaign continues to encourage manufacturers, distributors, retailers, cleaning businesses and individual operators to display the Look Up Look Out message visibly and responsibly.
Growing international interest
Look Up Look Out was founded in the United Kingdom, but the danger posed by overhead electricity and high-reach equipment is not confined by borders.
The campaign has recently received requests from people in Australia for safety information and Look Up Look Out stickers. Information and stickers have now been sent.
This contact is a welcome reminder that the campaign’s message is relevant wherever long poles, cleaning equipment, ladders, machinery or other high-reach equipment may be used near overhead electricity.
An open invitation to campaigners around the world
Anyone who believes their country would benefit from a similar campaign is welcome to use and adapt the information published by Look Up Look Out.
Individuals, safety organisations, businesses and campaigners in Australia, France, the United States, Europe and elsewhere may reproduce, translate or adapt pages and campaign resources to help raise awareness in their own communities.
There is no charge and no attempt to restrict life-saving information.
However, information must be checked and adapted carefully. Different countries may have different:
- Emergency telephone numbers
- Electricity-network arrangements
- Legal requirements
- Electrical systems and voltages
- Safe-distance guidance
- Workplace regulations
- Product standards
- Industry terminology
Anyone adapting the material should ensure that it remains technically accurate and appropriate for the country in which it will be used.
The message is more important than ownership. If accurate information from this campaign can help prevent an injury or save a life elsewhere in the world, it should be used.
National outreach to councils and public authorities
The campaign has also carried out a substantial programme of national outreach to councils and civic authorities.
A concise two-page briefing and the full supporting evidence report are being supplied to principal councils, with a request that the information be considered or passed to the appropriate departments.
These may include:
- Trading Standards
- Public Protection
- Health and Safety
- Communications
- Procurement
- Contractor-management teams
- Departments responsible for public and workplace safety
The purpose is not to demand a particular response from each council. It is to ensure that the evidence reaches authorities with the ability to examine the concern, share appropriate safety messages and consider whether further action is justified.
This is a one-off public-safety communication. Councils may use, forward or retain the information as they consider appropriate.
August industry and equipment review
The campaign has completed another review of publicly available information relating to water-fed poles, gutter-vacuum systems, pressure washers and other high-level cleaning equipment.
Our manufacturer and product comparison records are being used as the baseline so that genuine changes can be distinguished from products and claims already reviewed in July.
The campaign welcomes innovation that may improve safety, handling, ergonomics or efficiency. However, electrical-safety claims require particular care.
Words such as “insulated,” “non-conductive,” “voltage tested” or “electrically safer” should always be accompanied by a clear explanation of:
- What was tested
- Which sections or components were tested
- Who carried out the test
- The voltage and test duration
- The environmental conditions
- Whether the complete working system was assessed
- The limits of the claim
- The precautions that still apply
A voltage figure, insulated section or test certificate must never be interpreted as permission to work near overhead electricity. Avoidance, planning, safe distances and a site-specific risk assessment remain essential.
Further information published for the Kevlar Pro pole
Gutter Vacuum Systems continues to advertise its Kevlar Pro water-fed pole as a forthcoming product.
The company states that the pole uses carbon sections with its lower two sections reinforced with Kevlar insulation. Its product page now identifies test report 525025558 and states that the relevant sections were independently tested at 33kV and 35kV.
The page also supplies information about the test date, temperature and humidity and provides access to a certificate. The product remains described as “coming soon” and was shown as out of stock at the time of this review.
This represents a useful improvement in publicly available evidence. However, users should still examine precisely what was tested and understand that testing individual insulated sections is not necessarily the same as testing every part of a fully assembled working pole under all real-world conditions.
New Kärcher pressure-washer range
Kärcher is promoting a new Comfort Premium pressure-washer range within its K5 and K7 classes.
Published features include app connectivity, controls on the trigger gun, a four-in-one Multi-Jet lance, the 2Way!Wash detergent system and the Easy!Motion handling concept.
The K5 Comfort Premium is listed with a maximum pressure of 145 bar and a maximum flow rate of 500 litres per hour. The K7 Comfort Premium is listed with a maximum pressure of 180 bar and a maximum flow rate of 550 litres per hour. Both ranges include integrated hose-management and accessory-storage features.
These are principally developments in convenience, cleaning performance, storage and operator handling. They should not be confused with electrical protection for high-reach pole work.
Continuing scrutiny of pole and gutter-vacuum products
The campaign will continue monitoring the manufacturers and products recorded in its water-fed-pole and gutter-vacuum comparison sweeps.
Particular attention will be paid to:
- Products moving from prototype or “coming soon” status into general sale
- Newly published electrical test reports or certificates
- Changes to insulation or voltage claims
- New pole materials or designs
- Changes to the number of insulated sections
- New warnings and operating instructions
- Withdrawn products or removed claims
- New gutter-vacuum machines and accessories
- Pressure-washer developments
- Products entering the UK market for the first time
Where a manufacturer makes a safety-related claim, Look Up Look Out will aim to report the claim fairly, identify the evidence available publicly and explain any important limitations.
The campaign is not opposed to manufacturers, retailers or individual products. Responsible innovation should be encouraged. Clear evidence and honest explanations help protect users, responsible suppliers and the wider industry.
Clear warnings remain essential
The website now includes expanded guidance about warnings and safety labels on long poles and high-reach equipment.
Safety warnings should be visible, specific, understandable and durable enough to remain useful during the expected working life of a product.
A warning hidden in a manual, lost with the packaging or worn away after repeated use may not help the person who later uses the equipment.
Warnings should also be visible before purchase wherever possible, particularly where products are sold online. Buyers should not have to purchase and unpack a product before discovering important information about conductivity or overhead electrical hazards.
The campaign’s position is simple: where a serious and foreseeable danger exists, users should be given a fair opportunity to understand it before and during use.
Going from strength to strength
Look Up Look Out continues to grow because people are reading, sharing and supporting its message.
The website is becoming larger, clearer and more practical. New resources are being added. Product information is being reviewed. Evidence is being sent to organisations capable of examining it. Stickers and campaign information are reaching people beyond the United Kingdom.
There is still much more to do, but every shared page, displayed sticker, completed risk assessment and conversation about overhead electricity may help someone make a safer decision.
This campaign does not exist to sell products, collect subscriptions or build a commercial brand.
It exists to prevent another avoidable tragedy.
Look up. Look out.
Free to use. Free to share. Free forever.
Reviewed and updated: August 2026
2nd July Update For Industry News
Electrical Safety Moves Further Up the Agenda Across the Window Cleaning Industry
Electrical safety continues to move higher up the agenda across the window and exterior cleaning industry — and rightly so. The Federation of Window Cleaners has published updated 2026 guidance for the safe use of water-fed pole systems, with the document marked as amended on 31 March 2026. The FWC has also publicly described the updated guidance as being produced with industry input and under HSE review. The overall direction is clear: water-fed poles remain a major step forward in reducing falls from height, but they must not be treated as “safe by default.” Proper risk assessment, competent operators, pre-use checks, inspection records, weather awareness, vehicle safety, legionella controls and overhead power line risks all need to be part of normal working practice.
The strongest message remains the simplest one: Look Up, Look Out. The FWC and Energy Networks Association guidance reminds window cleaners to stop and look up before work begins, assume overhead lines are live, remember that electricity can jump gaps, and stay well clear. It also makes the emergency response clear: dial 999 and call 105 if electricity is involved.
A notable shift is the growing focus on evidence behind equipment safety claims. The updated FWC water-fed pole guidance states that where poles are promoted with enhanced electrical safety claims, the correct pole for that risk should be designed, manufactured, tested and approved, and that any pole carrying such a claim should have a certificate of conformity. The same principle is also applied to vehicle-mounted systems where crash-tested claims are made. This matters because the industry has relied for too long on vague wording, stickers, assumptions and “that’ll do” thinking. A pole described as insulated is not a free pass to work near electricity; it is only one part of a wider safe system of work.
On the manufacturer and supplier side, electrical safety information is becoming more visible. SkyVac’s skyWash system now highlights a blue insulated glass-fibre bottom pole section, independently tested to 37,500V for one minute. SpaceVac’s PROTEX system is described as independently tested by the University of Manchester to withstand charges up to 25,000V. Ionic says its Hydra poles are now fitted with a Dual-Protector electrically insulated handle independently tested to 10,000V. UltraReach’s FAQ sets out testing information and states that new safety-improvement testing is in progress.
Just as importantly, some suppliers are putting the caveats front and centre. Gardiner warns that carbon fibre poles are good conductors, that wet pole sections, hose and water can create additional risk, and that operators must not work where the pole could contact overhead cables. Window Cleaning Warehouse and FaceLift also warn that poles may contain conductive materials and must not be used near electrical lines, even where an insulated bottom section is fitted. That kind of plain warning is important because safety features should never be marketed as a substitute for safe planning.
Digital job planning is also starting to reflect the same direction of travel. Squeegee has published safety guidance on working near power lines and points users towards the FWC and ENA overhead power line guidance, while also acknowledging the Look Up Look Out campaign. That is a positive sign, because prompts inside day-to-day work systems can help turn safety advice into working habits before the pole comes off the van.
Training and competence are also becoming a stronger part of the conversation. The FWC continues to list IOSH-approved window-cleaning safety and risk-assessment courses for 2026, while exterior-cleaning training is expanding through LANTRA and CPD-accredited roof and exterior cleaning courses from skyVac. As the industry moves further into gutter, fascia, roof and solar cleaning, proof of competence will matter more, not less.
There is also a wider product-safety angle worth watching. Government and OPSS consultations published in 2026 propose stronger product-safety duties, including expectations around online marketplaces and the prevention, identification and removal of dangerous products. These reforms are not specific to window cleaning poles, but they are highly relevant to a trade where specialist equipment can be bought cheaply online and used around height, water, traffic and electricity.
The takeaway for the industry is straightforward: the conversation has moved on. It is no longer enough to say, “Don’t touch power lines.” We now need proper job planning, visible training, certified equipment claims, supplier transparency, inspection records and everyday working habits that make Look Up, Look Out part of every job — domestic, commercial, gutter, fascia, roof or solar.
Progress is being made, but the standard should now be simple: if a product is sold with an electrical safety claim, show the evidence. If a job involves a long pole, assess the surroundings. If overhead lines are present, stop, plan and stay well clear. That is how the industry protects lives while raising standards.
Industry Guidance Encourages Greater Transparency for Electrical Safety Claims
The latest Federation of Window Cleaners guidance, developed with input from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and other industry partners, contains an important message regarding manufacturers' electrical safety claims.
The guidance explains that where enhanced electrical safety or insulation claims are made, manufacturers should be able to support those claims with appropriate conformity documentation, such as a Declaration or Certificate of Conformity.
For many purchasers, this raises an understandable question:
Can I see the evidence before I buy?
Under current UK law, there is no general requirement for manufacturers or retailers to publish Certificates or Declarations of Conformity on their websites or automatically provide them with every sale of this type of product.
However, the latest industry guidance encourages greater transparency where enhanced electrical safety claims are made, and Look Up Look Out warmly welcomes this positive development.
The campaign has always encouraged manufacturers to provide clear information about electrical insulation, testing, standards and supporting evidence wherever possible. Making this information readily available allows purchasers to compare products more easily and make informed decisions.
Publicly available evidence also helps distinguish between a product claim and the documentation available to support that claim.
What this means for Look Up Look Out
Following this latest industry guidance, Look Up Look Out will place even greater emphasis on publicly available supporting evidence when carrying out future product reviews and comparison charts.
Where manufacturers choose to publish Certificates or Declarations of Conformity, independent test reports, named testing laboratories or other supporting documentation, this will contribute positively to our transparency assessments and may improve a product's overall position within our comparison rankings.
Our reviews are based on information that is publicly available at the time of assessment. They do not determine whether a product is safe or unsafe, nor do they assume that unpublished evidence does or does not exist. Instead, they recognise and reward openness, transparency and the willingness to support publicly declared product claims with accessible evidence.
This approach benefits everyone. It gives purchasers greater confidence, encourages informed decision-making and provides manufacturers with the opportunity to demonstrate the work they have invested in developing and testing their products.
Look Up Look Out believes that transparency builds confidence, and every improvement in transparency has the potential to help prevent future life-changing accidents.
Industry safety transparency continues to move forward
Published review date: 21 June 2026
Look Up Look Out has continued reviewing public information across the high-reach cleaning industry, including water-fed poles, gutter-vac poles, telescopic pole systems, overhead power-line guidance, product safety claims, and published test evidence.
The direction of travel is becoming clearer.
More suppliers are now recognising that long-reach pole work near overhead electricity is not a minor issue, and that public safety information needs to be clearer, easier to find, and backed by evidence wherever possible.
This update is not a product endorsement and it is not a compliance ranking. It records what was publicly visible at the time of review.
No pole, material, coating, insulated section, test result, certificate, boot, glove, weather condition, water purity level, or experience level makes it safe to work near live overhead electricity.
The first line of defence is always:
Stop.
Look up.
Look out.
Keep away.
If in doubt, do not start the job.
Equip2Clean publishes detailed Kevlar gutter-pole safety certification information
Equip2Clean has now published a dedicated Kevlar Gutter Pole Safety Certification page for parts of its gutter vacuum pole range.
The page states that qualifying Carbon Push Fit and Carbon Clamp Fit gutter vacuum pole kits include two Kevlar insulated lower sections as standard, positioned at the operator end of the pole system where the equipment is normally held and controlled.
The published information refers to independent test report STD526000272 and states that the submitted test sample underwent a 35kV power frequency withstand voltage test for one minute.
The published summary records:
- Test voltage: 35kV / 35,000 volts
- Leakage current: 0.0mA
- Test duration: 1 minute
- Result: PASS
- Test standard: DL/T 1476-2023
- Issue date: 20 January 2026
- Test sample construction: Kevlar surface material over fibreglass
Importantly, the page also makes clear that the report relates to a submitted three-section, one-metre laboratory test sample, and that product kit contents and working lengths vary by individual listing.
That distinction matters.
Published test evidence is a positive step, but users should always check exactly which pole, section, kit, material, and configuration a certificate or test report applies to before relying on any safety claim.
Equip2Clean also includes a clear safety warning that protective construction does not make working near live electricity safe. The page states that Kevlar insulated sections are an additional protective measure and must never replace proper site assessment, safe working distances, suitable training or professional advice.
Status: Published safety certification page now visible.
Why it matters: This is a useful example of a supplier moving beyond a headline voltage claim and publishing more detailed supporting information, including a report number, test voltage, leakage result, test duration, standard reference, and safety caveats.
Source: Equip2Clean website
Equip2Clean water-fed pole listings also show clearer safety wording
Equip2Clean’s Aquaspray Venom water-fed pole product listings also now include public references to Kevlar insulated lower sections tested up to 35,000 volts.
Several product listings reviewed state that the lower operator-handling sections feature Kevlar reinforced protection, with independent laboratory testing recording successful withstand testing at 33kV and 35kV, a 0.00mA leakage current, and a PASS conclusion.
Some listings also include a clear reminder to look up before using long-reach poles and explain that Kevlar protection is an additional safety measure, not permission to work near overhead electricity.
Status: Product-level safety wording visible on reviewed listings.
Why it matters: Safety information is more useful when it is not hidden away. Putting safety wording directly on product pages helps customers see the issue at the point of purchase, where assumptions about pole material, voltage claims, and real-world risk can otherwise become dangerous.
Source: Equip2Clean website
Ionic Systems continues public electrical-safety positioning with Dual-Protector water-fed poles
Ionic Systems has published further information about its Dual-Protector insulated handle system for water-fed poles.
Its public article states that the upgraded water-fed pole range includes Dual-Protector insulated handle sections rated up to 50,000 volts, and says the new Hydra range was independently tested in a specialist laboratory capable of generating up to 100,000 volts.
The article also states plainly that carbon fibre conducts electricity, and positions the insulation as a barrier built into the lower handle sections where the operator’s hands are normally placed.
The wording is also careful in one important respect: it describes the Dual-Protector system as reducing risk, not replacing safe working practices or encouraging work near live cables.
Status: Public electrical-safety positioning visible.
Why it matters: Ionic’s wording reinforces a key Look Up Look Out message: carbon-fibre poles should be treated as an electrical risk around overhead lines, and safety claims should be supported by clear public information wherever possible.
Source: Ionic Systems website
Spotless Water publicly supports the Look Up Look Out campaign
Spotless Water has published a public article supporting the Look Up Look Out campaign and warning about the risks of using long-reach systems near overhead power lines.
The article explains the campaign message, refers to the incident involving Jason Knight, and highlights risks involving water-fed poles, gutter-vac poles, roof-cleaning equipment, solar-panel cleaning equipment, and other long-reach systems.
It also explains that electricity can arc or jump without direct contact, and encourages users to check for overhead power lines before starting work, assume lines are live, avoid the hazard, and contact the local electricity network operator where needed.
Status: Public campaign support visible.
Why it matters: Wider industry support helps spread the safety message beyond one company, one product category, or one trade. The risk applies wherever long-reach equipment is used near overhead electricity.
Source: Spotless Water website
BrushmanWFP / Gutter Vacuum Systems shows prototype insulated pole range
BrushmanWFP, which publicly identifies itself as part of the Gutter Vacuum Systems Group, now has an “iNSULATOR Range of Safety Poles” collection visible on its website.
The reviewed collection page listed two sold-out prototype products:
- V1 22ft iNSULATOR 10kVA 5-section fully insulated window cleaning pole
- V1 18ft iNSULATOR 10kVA 4-section fully insulated window cleaning pole
The collection wording states that the range is fully insulated and tested to 10kVA, with prototypes in development.
Status: Prototype / watch item.
Why it matters: This suggests further product development in the direction of insulated or electrically safer pole systems. However, as with all public product claims, users should check whether full test evidence, certificates, test samples, standards, and product-specific details are available before relying on any safety statement.
Source: BrushmanWFP website
Streamline maintains practical overhead power-line safety guidance
Streamline continues to publish overhead power-line safety guidance for users of telescopic poles, water-fed poles, manual extension poles, and gutter-cleaning equipment.
The guidance reminds users to look up before starting work, carry out risk assessments, identify overhead electrical assets, keep away from power lines, assume overhead lines are live, and contact electricity network operators if unsure.
It also includes specific advice for gutter cleaning with carbon-fibre poles and warns that work should only be completed by people with appropriate training, certification and experience.
Status: Existing public safety guidance still visible.
Why it matters: Clear supplier guidance helps reinforce the same core message: the safest job is the one properly assessed before the pole goes up.
Source: Streamline Systems website
Editor’s note: evidence is improving, but caution remains essential
The industry appears to be moving in a more transparent direction, with more suppliers publishing safety wording, insulation claims, voltage testing information, and warnings about overhead electricity.
That is welcome.
However, Look Up Look Out will continue to apply the same cautious standard:
- What exactly is being claimed?
- Which pole or section was tested?
- Was the whole pole tested, or only a sample?
- Is the certificate public?
- Is the test report product-specific?
- Does the wording explain the limits of the protection?
- Does the supplier still make clear that no pole should be used near overhead lines?
Published evidence is always better than unsupported claims.
But even published evidence does not remove the need for planning, distance, awareness, training, and stopping the job if there is any doubt.
Look Up. Look Out. Save a Life.
Further update expected
Look Up Look Out will continue monitoring industry guidance, HSE references, Federation of Window Cleaners material, manufacturer safety claims, public certificates, and changes to product wording.
A further update will be added when newly expected industry guidance becomes publicly available.
Near-fatal 11,000V incident in June 2026 reinforces why Look Up Look Out matters
A recent public post shared within the window-cleaning community has described a serious electrical incident involving a pole used while cleaning solar panels near an 11,000V overhead power line.
According to the post, the operator was cleaning solar panels when the pole was lifted to re-angle the brush head and contacted an overhead mains power line. The incident resulted in serious injuries, hospital treatment, burns monitoring, abnormal heart rhythm monitoring, and a frightening recovery journey.
The worker wrote that hospital staff told him the incident was normally likely to be fatal, and that his footwear may have helped save his life.
This follows the tragic death of Ryan Goodwin in March 2026, another devastating reminder that overhead power lines remain one of the most serious risks facing exterior cleaners, roof cleaners, solar panel cleaners, window cleaners, and anyone using long poles or equipment near electrical assets.
Look Up Look Out exists for exactly this reason.
Before any job starts:
- Stop.
- Look up.
- Identify overhead lines.
- Keep poles and equipment well away.
- Do not rely on luck, footwear, weather, water purity, or experience.
- If there is any doubt, do not start the job.
- In Great Britain, contact 105 for advice about overhead electricity risks.
These incidents are not statistics. They are people, families, businesses, and lives changed in seconds.
Please share the message: look up, look out, and never become complacent around overhead power lines.
Status: Public safety reminder
Why it matters: A serious recent incident shows that the risk is still happening in real working situations, including solar panel cleaning and high-reach pole work.
This is not only a UK problem
Look Up Look Out began after a life-changing incident in the UK, but the danger is not limited to one country, one trade, or one type of pole.
Across the world, serious and fatal electrical incidents continue to happen when people, tools, poles, lifts, rods, or equipment get too close to overhead power lines.
Recent and past examples include:
- Australia: a worker died after a scissor lift reportedly came into contact with overhead power lines.
- Australia: a worker was fatally electrocuted while handling a long aluminium pole near overhead power lines.
- Brazil: a woman died while cleaning solar panels after her metal pole came into contact with electrical wiring.
- Canada: official safety reports describe window cleaners suffering serious injuries after water-fed poles contacted high-voltage overhead lines.
The pattern is painfully familiar.
Long equipment.
Overhead electricity.
A moment of contact or close approach.
A life changed forever.
These incidents show why the message must be repeated again and again:
Stop before you start.
Look up.
Look around.
Check for overhead power lines.
Keep poles and equipment well away.
If there is any doubt, do not start the job.
This is not about blame. It is about awareness.
No job, no customer, no deadline, and no amount of experience is worth a life.
Look Up. Look Out. Save a Life.
FederGutter Vacuum Systems publishes more detailed anti-conductive pole safety information
Gutter Vacuum Systems has now published more detailed public information about parts of its anti-conductive gutter-vac pole range.
Its anti-conductive gutter-vac pole section states that the poles are designed with two coloured layers of anti-shock material and are tested to withstand up to 10,000 volts. The page also describes the material used, includes inspection warnings, and states that testing was carried out in accordance with ASTM F2412-24 modified, clause 9 electric hazard resistance, between 12 June 2025 and 17 June 2025.
Gutter Vacuum Systems has also published information about its coming VAC-U-VENT Kevlar suction release pole. This page states that the new base pole will feature Kevlar insulation and has been tested to withstand up to 35,000 volts. It also states that Kevlar sections were tested and passed on 29 April 2025, with no flashover or breakdown during the withstand voltage test.
Status: Anti-conductive pole range live now. VAC-U-VENT Kevlar marked as coming soon.
Why it matters: Publicly declared test information, test dates, material descriptions, and inspection guidance are important steps toward clearer safety information in the gutter-vac pole sector.
This does not mean any pole should ever be used near overhead power lines. Awareness, distance, risk assessment, and stopping the job if there is any doubt remain the first line of defence.
Source: Gutter Vacuum Systems websiteation of Window Cleaners publishes expanded 2026 water-fed pole safety guidance.
The Federation of Window Cleaners (FWC) has now published updated 2026 guidance covering operational risks, overhead electrical hazards, road safety, manual handling, training, and risk assessment for water-fed pole users.
The guidance strongly reinforces the importance of recognising overhead electrical dangers, maintaining safe distances from power lines, and treating water-fed poles as potentially conductive in real-world conditions.
Status: Live now
Why it matters: One of the clearest publicly available pieces of industry guidance currently available.
Source: f-w-c.co.uk
Equip2Clean continues publicly signalling insulated gutter-pole development
Equip2Clean continues publicly referencing ongoing investment in product safety, including Kevlar-insulated water-fed poles tested to 35,000 volts and insulated gutter-cleaning poles expected as part of its 2026 direction.
Status: Announced development
Why it matters: One of the few suppliers publicly discussing future insulated gutter-pole development in clear terms.
Source: equip2clean.co.uk
UltraReach continues promoting insulated base-section technology
UltraReach continues promoting insulated base-section technology across parts of its water-fed pole range.
Status: Live now
Why it matters: Lower-section electrical protection remains a visible competitive feature in the market.
Source: reachpoles.co.uk
Streamline maintains cautious Kevlar safety-positioning
Streamline continues positioning Kevlar-reinforced base sections as an additional protective layer rather than claiming full insulation.
Status: Live now
Why it matters: Careful wording creates a more measured public safety message.
Source: streamline.systems
Gutter Vacuum Systems continues publishing explicit anti-conductive claims
Gutter Vacuum Systems continues publicly stating that parts of its anti-conductive gutter-pole range are tested to withstand up to 10,000 volts.
Status: Live now
Why it matters: Publicly declared anti-conductive claims remain important reference points within the sector.
Source: guttervacuumsystems.co.uk
skyVac continues expanding training and safety-focused content
skyVac continues promoting high-reach cleaning safety, operator training, and ground-based working.
Its website includes general safety guidance for telescopic pole use, including warnings not to use telescopic poles near overhead power lines.
Status: Monitoring source
Why it matters: skyVac remains one of the most visible and influential brands in the high-reach cleaning sector.
AI Caution: On the skyVac pages reviewed, I found no public statement confirming that the lower sections of its gutter-vac pole systems are insulated, anti-conductive, electrically tested, or voltage-rated.
I also found no product-specific electrical test certificate, voltage test sheet, or published safety data sheet confirming electrical insulation performance for the gutter-vac pole systems reviewed.
This does not mean the products are unsafe. It means that, based on the public information reviewed, customers should not assume electrical insulation or anti-conductive performance unless this has been clearly confirmed by the supplier.
Consumers and professional users should ask direct questions before purchase or use, including:
Is the lower pole section insulated or anti-conductive?
Has the pole been electrically tested?
What voltage was it tested to?
Is there a certificate, test sheet, or safety data sheet available?
Does the safety claim apply to the whole pole system or only to specific sections?
We welcome any future public evidence from skyVac relating to pole safety, electrical-risk reduction, testing, certificates, or product development.
As always, no telescopic pole should ever be used near overhead power lines. If there is any doubt, stop the job and seek advice before work begins.
Source: skyVac website
AI Editor's note
At Look Up Look Out, we believe public discussion around pole safety, electrical risk reduction, and product transparency benefits the entire industry. We welcome all manufacturers, suppliers, training providers, and industry organisations who continue investing in safer working practices.
Where suppliers publicly share safety developments, testing information, insulation data, or R&D progress, we are always pleased to highlight it. Our campaign remains focused on awareness, transparency, and encouraging positive safety conversations across the high-reach cleaning sector.
— Sophie AI Editorial Support
Look Up Look Out National Safety Campaign
Prepared for website publication — Look Up Look Out National Safety Campaign.
Readers are encouraged to check source links directly and review manufacturers' latest wording, specifications, certificates, and safety guidance before purchasing or using equipment.
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