Setting "THE" Standards

[John T 744]

The IWCA's organization I forever hear good things about. I've talked to many from that organization and of course served on the PWNA Board with two past Presidents of the IWCA who are Jim Grady and Kenny Cohn. The IWCA was very influential in having a standard set which is that safety hook thats a must on top of tall buildings so people who hang off the sides can be safely roped/harness in to that hook.

Could you imagine hanging over a 48 story building cleaning windows and not having a hook that became a standard available??

The most amazing pictures I've seen at some of these marketing contest were of the window washers hanging about one story down looking up at the lense of a camara with the busy streets 50 stories below them..Just close your eyes and you can picture it...Amazing!!

So with that being said it looks like one of the ways to get a standard set is thru a major priority which is SAFETY.

Another possibility is maybe thru reclaiming. IF the ***** or the PWNA can ever become the standard bearer of that there org's will explode. Robert Hindeliter is the ring leader of this and he is forever traveling around the country promoting and talking reclaiming. This was the number one factor as to why I joined the ***** and me still being a huge PWNA supporter.

I can see Roberts vision but I still can't grasp it because I am a slow learner. I need to hear him speak a few more times before I can really have it sink in as to what to do in my area as far as dealing with AHJ's etc.

Besides what I said above does anyone think there ever will be a way to set standards in wood restoration?? That one seems to me to be just about impossible due to so many different beliefs and approaches. Some AHJ's believe mixing in bleach in there cleaning process while others are adamantly against that. In the wood industry you can't even get all to agree about "Wood Glaze" or when its best to even stain new wood.

There may never be a standard set in the wood restoration field and there may never be a need for it. Safety is an easy one and reclaiming is a strong possibility for standards to be set. These are paramount to an organization if they can get these done. That makes there certifications so much more valuable.

Setting "The" Standard...is the Golden KEY!!!

[John T 744]

Imagine a group of guys brainstorming at a roundtable and then they see a way to get a "Standard" set in stone and what it will take to get that done. Now that would be truly amazing and to get recognized for it then the sky is the limit for that roundtable it they wanted to take that avenue.

Any other thoughts??

[mbryan 48]

I dont know dck about wood restoration, but setting standards in any industry is the biggest challenge any organization will ever face. The first one to actually do it will be in a league of their own.

[RPetry 564]

John stated:

There may never be a standard set in the wood restoration field and there may never be a need for it.

After the excellent presentation by Mr. Hindeliter last weekend at ACR, got me thinking a few things. For example, the Swabby 48 and its water reclaimation system. This may become a requirement in local juristictions over the next few years. Doesn't effect me, but I can see the marketing as well as regulatory compliance advantage.

In wood restoration, on most residential jobs, rinse water goes into the ground instead of the storm sewer. That may be acceptable now, but how about the future? We also use questionable chemicals in quantity, specifically NaOH and oxalic acid. How long before environmental regulators cast a hardened eye in our direction?

Being a relative newcomer in the PW industry, wood contractors are still below the radar. But one sure thing is that environmental regulation will only be more strict and pervasive in the future.