Look Up Look Out

Safety Claims & Transparency

Look Up Look Out National Safety Campaign — balanced industry guidance on telescopic pole safety claims, UK standards context, consumer protection, and transparency. General information, not legal advice.

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

Campaign position: The Look Up, Look Out National Safety Campaign is not against consumers, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, or any individual product. The campaign encourages clear claims, clear evidence, clearer explanations, and safer decision-making. Users should be able to understand what safety-related claims mean, and responsible suppliers should have a fair opportunity to explain the basis and limits of those claims.

Purpose of this guidance

This guidance has been prepared to support safer decision-making across the window cleaning, exterior cleaning, gutter vacuum, solar panel cleaning, roof cleaning and wider telescopic pole markets.

Its purpose is to encourage clearer safety information, stronger product transparency, better warning durability and a shared understanding of the risks that may arise when long poles are used in environments where overhead electrical hazards may be present.

Telescopic poles, water-fed poles, gutter vacuum poles and other high-reach systems are widely used across the UK. Many are used safely and responsibly every day. However, where a known serious hazard exists, especially one involving overhead electricity, safety information must be clear, visible, durable and easy for ordinary users to understand.

This guidance is general campaign information. It is not legal advice. It does not make findings about any individual company, manufacturer, distributor, retailer, product or product range.

The aim is simple:

Clearer warnings. Clearer claims. Better evidence. Safer choices. Fewer preventable incidents.

Why labels and warnings matter

Safety labels and warnings are not decoration. They are part of the safety system.

A warning about overhead power lines may be the final reminder a user sees before extending a pole near a serious hazard. That warning may be seen by a professional window cleaner, a new employee, a subcontractor, a temporary worker, a second-hand buyer, a homeowner, a gardener, a facilities worker, or someone using a long pole for a completely different outdoor task.

That is why safety warnings should be:

  • clear
  • visible
  • specific
  • durable
  • easy to understand
  • available before purchase where possible
  • repeated where necessary
  • supported by proper instructions
  • consistent with the product’s design and marketing claims

A warning that is hidden, vague, too small, easily rubbed away, only placed in a manual, or missing from an online listing may not give users a fair opportunity to understand the risk.

Warnings are important, but they may not be the whole answer

Warnings, labels, instructions and training are all important. No responsible campaign would suggest otherwise.

However, warnings should not be treated as the only possible safety measure where a serious and foreseeable risk is known.

If a product is likely to be used outdoors, at height, around buildings, near service cables, near overhead lines, around gutters, roofs, windows, signs, solar panels, trees, garages, driveways or extensions, then the risk is not remote or imaginary. It is part of the real-world environment in which these products may be used.

A warning label saying “Do not use near overhead power lines” may be necessary. But the wider safety question is whether the warning, the product design, the marketing wording, the user instructions and the supporting evidence together give users a fair and realistic understanding of the danger.

Good safety practice does not rely only on perfect human behaviour.

It considers foreseeable human error, poor visibility, weather, fatigue, distraction, site layout, trees, building angles, pressure to complete work, lack of experience, and the fact that overhead lines are not always easy to recognise.

In real life, people do not always see every hazard in time.

Safety systems should recognise that reality.

Overhead electricity is not only a contact risk

Users should not assume that a pole has to touch an overhead line before serious injury can occur.

Electricity can arc or jump across a gap. This means a person may be injured or killed even where there has been no direct contact with the line.

This is especially important for long telescopic poles because:

  • they can be extended quickly
  • they may move in wind
  • they can flex or swing
  • they may be difficult to control at full height
  • users may be looking at the work surface rather than the space above them
  • domestic service cables and overhead lines may be partly hidden by buildings, trees or rooflines
  • users may wrongly assume that wires are telephone or communication cables
  • conductive or partly conductive pole materials may increase the consequences if something goes wrong

The campaign’s safety message is therefore simple:

Before using any extendable pole outdoors, stop first. Look up. Look out. Check for overhead electrical hazards. If in doubt, do not start.

Durability of safety warnings

Safety warnings are not only important when a product is new.

Where a warning is relied upon to communicate a serious risk, including the risk of contact with or proximity to overhead electrical lines, manufacturers, distributors and retailers should consider whether that warning remains visible, legible and understandable during normal and reasonably foreseeable use.

Telescopic and water-fed poles are often:

  • handled daily
  • extended and collapsed repeatedly
  • used in wet conditions
  • exposed to dirt and grit
  • exposed to cleaning chemicals
  • stored in vans or outside areas
  • rubbed by clamps, hands, gloves, hoses and other equipment
  • exposed to sunlight, cold, heat and general wear

If a warning is applied only by surface printing, transfer, sticker or another method that can fade, peel, rub away or become illegible, then a later user may no longer see the safety message at the point of use.

This may be especially important where a product is used by:

  • employees
  • new starters
  • temporary workers
  • subcontractors
  • second-hand users
  • family members
  • homeowners
  • people who did not buy the product originally
  • people unfamiliar with the original instructions

A warning can only help prevent harm if it remains present, visible and readable when the product is actually being used.

The campaign does not say that any particular labelling method is automatically unsuitable. However, where warning labels form part of the risk-control approach, manufacturers and suppliers are encouraged to review whether those warnings are durable enough for the expected working life of the product.

Possible approaches may include:

  • protected warning labels
  • embedded warnings
  • repeated warnings on more than one section
  • more durable marking methods
  • warning bands
  • contrasting colours
  • clear protective layers
  • replacement warning-label guidance
  • warning information built into clamps, handles or base sections
  • clear inspection instructions telling users to replace missing or damaged warnings

This is a practical product-safety issue.

If the warning disappears, the safety message disappears with it.

Point-of-sale warnings

Clear safety information should be visible early enough for a buyer to make an informed decision.

A buyer should not have to purchase a product first before discovering that there may be a serious electrical risk associated with using long or conductive poles near overhead lines.

Where a telescopic or high-reach pole is marketed for outdoor use, especially for work around homes, commercial buildings, windows, gutters, roofs, signs, solar panels, cameras, lights or other elevated areas, the product listing should make the overhead-line hazard clear.

This is particularly important for online sales.

A person buying a pole online may not receive advice from a trained supplier. They may simply see a product image, a reach height, a material description and a price.

If the product is carbon fibre, aluminium, partly conductive, or has no declared insulation information, that matters.

If the product is described as insulated, non-conductive, anti-conductive, voltage tested, electrically safer or suitable for enhanced electrical safety, that also matters.

Either way, the buyer should be given enough information to understand the risk before purchase and before use.

Safety claims and transparency

This section is about product safety claims and transparency.

It is intended to help window cleaners, exterior cleaners, businesses, purchasers, retailers, distributors and manufacturers understand how safety-related claims should be explained where telescopic poles, water-fed poles, gutter vacuum poles or other high-reach systems may be used in environments where overhead electrical hazards could be present.

The simple principle is this:

If a product is marketed with a safety-related claim, users should be able to understand what that claim means, what evidence supports it, and what limitations still apply.

Why safety claims matter

Safety-related words can strongly influence what a buyer or user believes about a product.

Terms such as:

  • insulated
  • non-conductive
  • anti-conductive
  • voltage tested
  • tested to 11 kV
  • tested to 25 kV
  • tested to 32 kV
  • tested to 50 kV
  • electrically safer
  • enhanced electrical safety
  • safe near power lines

may create an impression that the product offers a particular level of protection.

In an ordinary product description, a short marketing phrase may seem harmless. But where the claim relates to electrical safety, especially around overhead power lines, the consequences of misunderstanding can be severe.

A user should not be left guessing whether a claim applies to:

  • the whole pole
  • the lower section only
  • one handle
  • one component
  • one material sample
  • one batch
  • one laboratory condition
  • one test date
  • one product range
  • or the fully assembled pole in real working use

Good transparency does not require every company to publish every confidential technical document. It does require enough clear information for users to understand the basis and limits of the safety claim being made.

The 2026 Federation guidance and product claims

The updated 2026 Federation of Window Cleaners guidance strengthens the need for clear explanations around electrical safety claims.

The guidance recognises that overhead electrical hazards are a serious risk for water-fed pole users. It also reinforces that real working conditions must be considered when assessing risk.

For product claims, that matters.

If a supplier claims enhanced electrical safety, users should be given enough information to understand:

  • what has been improved
  • what has been tested
  • what evidence supports the claim
  • what part of the product the claim applies to
  • what precautions still remain essential

The updated guidance also refers to obtaining a Certificate of Conformity where a water-fed pole is supplied with a claim of electrical safety.

Look Up Look Out supports that principle of evidence-backed transparency.

A certificate or test summary should not be treated as a magic shield. It should be treated as part of the explanation.

Users still need to know what was tested, under what conditions, and what the result does and does not prove.

What should be clear when a claim is made

Where a safety-related claim is made, the following points should be clear where relevant:

  • what part of the product the claim applies to
  • whether the complete pole assembly was tested
  • whether only a section, handle, component or material sample was tested
  • whether the test was independent, internal, batch-based or product-specific
  • who carried out the test or assessment
  • when the test or assessment was carried out
  • what voltage, duration and method were used
  • whether the test was carried out in dry laboratory conditions only
  • whether wet, dirty, worn, aged or contaminated conditions were considered
  • whether the claim relates to insulation resistance, voltage withstand, accidental contact, material behaviour, flashover risk or something else
  • whether a Certificate of Conformity, test summary, technical note or clear explanation is available
  • what limitations users should still understand
  • whether the evidence applies to the actual product being sold

This information helps users make better decisions.

It also helps responsible suppliers avoid misunderstanding and unfair comparison with products making vague or unsupported claims.

Examples of claims that need context

The campaign encourages care with any wording that may create a safety expectation.

Examples include:

  • insulated
  • non-conductive
  • anti-conductive
  • voltage tested
  • tested to a stated voltage
  • electrically safer
  • enhanced electrical safety
  • safe near power lines
  • safer around electricity
  • suitable for electrical-risk areas

Some of these phrases may be accurate in a particular context.

The issue is not whether a phrase can ever be used.

The issue is whether the user can understand its meaning and limits.

For example:

A pole may have an insulated base section. That does not automatically mean every telescopic section offers the same protection.

A material sample may pass a laboratory test. That does not automatically prove the full assembled pole behaves the same way in wet outdoor use.

A voltage figure may be useful evidence. But it is only meaningful if the test method, conditions, scope and limitations are explained clearly enough.

A certificate may support a claim. But it should be clear whether the certificate relates to the actual product, a product range, a batch, a component, a material or a general factory capability.

This is why transparency is so important.

The stronger the safety impression created by the claim, the stronger the need for clear supporting explanation.

Certificates of Conformity and supporting evidence

Where enhanced electrical safety is claimed, a Certificate of Conformity can help users understand that the claim is supported by some form of declared assessment, testing or product evidence.

However, a certificate is most useful when it can be understood.

Users should be able to see, or be told clearly:

  • what product or product range the certificate relates to
  • who issued it
  • when it was issued
  • what test or assessment was used
  • what voltage or method was involved
  • whether the full product or only part of it was assessed
  • whether the result applies to the exact product being sold
  • what limitations apply

A certificate that is vague, generic, hidden, outdated, unclear or not connected to the product being sold may not give users enough confidence to understand the claim properly.

Look Up Look Out does not say that one testing route is automatically better than every other route in the absence of a dedicated UK benchmark for these products.

Different testing routes may serve different purposes.

The key issue is whether the claim is clear, the evidence is explained, and users are not left to assume more protection than has actually been demonstrated.

Testing in the absence of a dedicated UK benchmark

Independent testing may help manufacturers, distributors, retailers and users better understand product behaviour.

It may also show that a company is actively considering known risks rather than simply relying on historic practice.

However, testing should be presented carefully.

Different tests may not be directly comparable.

A test on a material sample is not the same as a test on a full assembled pole.

A dry laboratory test is not the same as real-world wet outdoor use.

A voltage-withstand test is not necessarily proof that a product is safe near overhead lines.

A claim of enhanced electrical safety does not remove the need to look up, look out, avoid overhead lines, carry out a site-specific risk assessment, and stop work where danger is present.

For that reason, the campaign does not ask users to assume that the biggest voltage figure is automatically the safest option.

The better question is:

What exactly was tested, against what method, under what conditions, and with what limitations?

Testing should therefore be treated as one part of a broader safety approach, alongside:

  • clear warnings
  • durable labels
  • honest marketing
  • safer product design
  • user education
  • transparent limitations
  • published evidence
  • inspection and maintenance
  • ongoing monitoring of incidents and near misses

General Product Safety Regulations 2005

The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 remain an important part of the product-safety framework in Great Britain.

They require producers to place only safe products on the market.

They also require producers to provide consumers with relevant information to assess risks where those risks are not immediately obvious, and to allow consumers to take precautions against those risks.

This is particularly important where a product may be used in a hazardous environment.

Electrical hazards are not always obvious. Overhead service cables may be difficult to see. Weather, poor visibility, fatigue, distraction, site layout, trees, building angles and lack of experience can all affect whether a user spots a danger in time.

For this reason, product safety should not rely only on ideal use.

It should take account of normal and reasonably foreseeable use, including the possibility that a user may make a mistake.

Consumer Protection Act 1987

The Consumer Protection Act 1987 may also be relevant when considering whether a product provides the level of safety that persons generally are entitled to expect.

That assessment may include the way a product is presented, marked, labelled, warned about, instructed for use, and supplied.

Look Up Look Out does not make legal findings about any individual product or company.

However, the campaign believes it is reasonable to ask whether high-reach poles used outdoors near foreseeable electrical hazards should carry stronger, clearer and more durable warning information, especially where the product is conductive or where electrical-safety claims are made.

Misleading omissions and marketing claims

Safety information should not be hidden, delayed or presented in a way that leaves buyers with a false impression.

Where important safety information could affect a buyer’s decision to purchase or use a product, it should be available clearly and early enough to matter.

This is especially important for online listings, where the buyer may rely heavily on product images, short descriptions and headline claims.

If a product is conductive, partly conductive, or has no declared insulation information, users should not be left to discover that only after purchase.

If a product is described as insulated, anti-conductive, voltage tested or electrically safer, users should not be left to guess what that means.

Objective safety-related claims should be supported by proper evidence.

Articles supplied for use at work

Where telescopic poles, water-fed poles, gutter vacuum poles or similar equipment are supplied for work use, duties relating to articles supplied for use at work may also be relevant.

The campaign’s concern is practical.

If a pole is supplied for use at work, and it may reasonably be used outdoors around buildings and overhead electrical hazards, then clear safety information, appropriate warnings, product instructions and any claimed safety evidence should be treated seriously.

A professional user should be able to understand not only how to use the product, but also what risks remain.

Online listings and marketplace responsibility

Online marketplaces have made high-reach poles easier to buy than ever before.

That creates a wider public-safety concern.

A long conductive pole may be bought by:

  • a professional window cleaner
  • a self-employed cleaner
  • a gutter cleaner
  • a roof cleaner
  • a solar panel cleaner
  • a facilities worker
  • a landlord
  • a homeowner
  • a gardener
  • a DIY user
  • someone putting up lights, cameras, flags or signs

Some buyers may have training. Many will not.

Some may understand overhead-line flashover risk. Many will not.

Some may realise that carbon fibre can conduct electricity. Many will not.

That is why online product listings should not treat safety warnings as an afterthought.

Where a long pole is sold for outdoor use, the overhead-line danger should be visible before purchase.

Where no insulation information is declared, that should not be hidden behind vague marketing language.

Where electrical-safety claims are made, the supporting evidence and limitations should be clear.

Questions users may fairly ask

Where a product is described using safety-related terms, users may fairly ask:

  • What exactly is being claimed?
  • Which part of the product does the claim apply to?
  • Was the whole pole tested or only part of it?
  • Was the testing independent?
  • Was it internal testing only?
  • Was the test product-specific or batch-based?
  • What voltage, duration and test method were used?
  • Was the test carried out only in dry laboratory conditions?
  • Were wet, dirty, worn, aged or contaminated conditions considered?
  • Does the claim relate to accidental contact, arcing, insulation resistance, material behaviour or something else?
  • Is there a Certificate of Conformity or clear supporting explanation?
  • Does the certificate match the product being sold?
  • What does the evidence prove?
  • What does the evidence not prove?
  • What precautions must still be followed?

These are not hostile questions.

They are practical safety questions.

A fair standard for industry communication

The campaign does not direct users to choose one product over another.

That choice remains with the individual user or business.

The campaign’s role is to encourage clear, fair and evidence-backed communication so that users can compare products more responsibly.

For users, the message is:

Do not assume. If a product is described as insulated, voltage tested, non-conductive, anti-conductive, electrically safer or as offering enhanced electrical safety, ask what evidence supports that description and what limits apply.

For suppliers, the message is:

Clear evidence and clear explanation help protect everyone.

If a product has been improved, tested, labelled, certified or reviewed, explaining that work properly can help users make informed choices and can help prevent unfair comparison with vague or unsupported claims.

Safety claims should help users understand risk.

They should not create assumptions that are stronger than the evidence.

Product safety reform and future regulation

The UK product-safety framework is continuing to develop.

The Government has recognised that the existing product safety framework needs modernising, particularly because the way people buy products has changed and unsafe products can be sold online.

Look Up Look Out welcomes any serious discussion about stronger product-safety duties, clearer online marketplace responsibility, better warnings, improved traceability and stronger action where unsafe products are placed on the market.

For high-reach poles, the campaign believes future regulation should consider:

  • durable overhead-electricity warnings
  • clear point-of-sale safety information
  • stronger controls on conductive poles sold for outdoor use
  • clearer duties for online marketplaces
  • evidence-backed electrical-safety claims
  • public Certificates of Conformity where enhanced electrical safety is claimed
  • a dedicated British Standard or recognised testing framework for telescopic and water-fed cleaning poles
  • better incident recording where poles are involved in overhead-line injuries, fatalities or near misses

The campaign is not asking for unnecessary red tape.

It is asking for proportionate action where serious foreseeable harm can occur.

Independent testing directory

A global directory of organisations offering potentially relevant testing services is available separately on this website:

Independent Electrical Testing and Certification Centres Directory

Inclusion in that directory does not represent endorsement by Look Up Look Out.

The directory is intended as a practical resource for manufacturers, suppliers and others who may wish to explore testing options in the absence of a single defined UK standard for these products.

Ongoing development

This guidance will be reviewed and updated as UK standards, product safety law, testing methods, legal interpretations and industry practices develop.

The campaign welcomes constructive engagement from:

  • manufacturers
  • distributors
  • retailers
  • online marketplaces
  • trade bodies
  • trainers
  • insurers
  • safety professionals
  • window cleaners
  • exterior cleaners
  • regulators
  • standards bodies
  • electricity network operators
  • members of the public

The aim is simple:

Clearer information. Safer decision-making. Fewer preventable incidents involving telescopic poles and overhead electricity.

Relevant UK frameworks referred to in this guidance

This guidance refers to the following UK frameworks and principles:

  • General Product Safety Regulations 2005, including the obligation to place only safe products on the market and to provide consumers with relevant information to assess non-obvious risks.
  • Consumer Protection Act 1987, particularly the principle that product safety may be assessed by reference to what persons generally are entitled to expect, taking all the circumstances into account.
  • Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, including the risk of misleading actions or misleading omissions where important information is omitted, hidden or presented unclearly.
  • Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, including duties relating to articles supplied for use at work.
  • Advertising standards principles, including the need for objective claims capable of substantiation to be supported by evidence.
  • British Standards context, including the current absence of a dedicated UK electrical-insulation standard specifically written for telescopic or water-fed cleaning poles.
  • Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 and ongoing UK product-safety reform discussions, including the need to modernise product safety rules for online and changing markets.

Note: This guidance is intended to explain safety transparency principles in plain English. It should not be treated as formal legal advice.

Reference links for internal checking

The following official or recognised references support the legal framework and standards context discussed in this guidance:

  • Consumer Protection Act 1987, Section 3
  • General Product Safety Regulations 2005
  • GOV.UK guidance on the General Product Safety Regulations 2005
  • GOV.UK product safety advice for businesses
  • Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
  • Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Section 6
  • ASA / CAP guidance on substantiation of objective claims
  • BSI Knowledge: BS 8020
  • HSE overhead power line guidance
  • HSE window cleaning guidance
  • Federation of Window Cleaners 2026 water-fed pole safety guidance
  • Hansard: Window Cleaning Industry Workplace Safety debate
  • GOV.UK consultation on the UK’s new product safety framework

This guidance should be read alongside the other Industry Guidance & Testing sections: