Local MP Andrew Murrison has taken the campaign of a Westbury window cleaner who was electrocuted while working to the House of Commons.
The MP called for British standards for telescopic water-fed poles following Jason Knight’s accident in 2024, when he suffered life-changing injuries after being electrocuted by 33,000 volts.
Describing the incident in the House of Commons, Andrew Murrison said, “33,000 volts leapt, without physical contact, about two metres from an overhead power cable to Jason’s telescopic water-fed cleaning pole.
“In the UK, we tolerate high-tension power cables that are slung surprisingly close to commercial and residential buildings. But it wasn’t the overhead powerlines that failed Jason; it was the cleaning pole. It should not have mattered that he was close to a power line, because the pole should have been fully insulated, but it wasn’t. Jason was using a telescopic pole that could extend and retract. The handle section at the bottom was insulated, but the extended section was not. He was electrocuted when he reached up to retract the extended section.
“This debate is about designing danger out of tools in the first place, not just warning people to be careful while continuing to sell sub-optimal equipment.”
In the debate on 17th December, the MP called for an amendment or extension of British Standard 8020 to cover telescopic cleaning poles explicitly, with mandatory compliance and insulation required for both the handle and the first telescopic section.
Campaigning
Jason and his father, John, have been campaigning for mandatory insulation standards for poles and protective equipment.
John Knight praised the MP’s involvement, saying, “Andrew Murrison has been absolutely incredible. We’ve had four meetings with him and he’s completely on board, understanding the dangers of these telescopic poles even more now that anyone can buy them online without guidance or safety checks.
“People are using them at home with hooks to put up Christmas lights, clear gutters or lift cameras. There’s no standard, no consistent safety advice, and the Health and Safety Executive doesn’t seem to fully grasp the risks.
Free-for-all
“Most manufacturers want a standard to work towards because at the moment it’s a free-for-all. Training courses exist, but they’re expensive and not accessible to everyone. The BSI (British Standards Institute) has said they’re willing to develop standards, but we need them written into law. It’s not a case of if someone will get electrocuted using these poles, it’s when.
“Jason has been tireless in raising awareness. He continues to attend trade shows here and abroad and runs the ‘Look Up, Look Out’ campaign, promoting safety across the industry. He could have stopped after his accident, but he hasn’t. He’s determined to make sure no one else goes through what he did and to push for proper standards so both professional window cleaners and the general public are safe.”
Stephen Timms MP, Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions, said the British Standards Committee had previously rejected the inclusion of water-fed poles in British Standard 8020, concluding the standard was not suitable as it is intended to cover people trained to work on or near live electric conductors within the electrical industry as window cleaners should not be encouraged to carry out work near electric cables.
However, Andrew Murrison said that the British Standards Institute has now confirmed to him that they will now look at whether there will be an amendment to the relevant British standards.
