Jakarta, Kompas.com - The job of cleaning high-rise windows remains\none of the professions with high occupational risk in urban areas.<\/p>\n
Behind the clean, gleaming fa\u00e7ades of office buildings, workers daily\nrely on safety ropes tens of storeys above the ground.<\/p>\n
Labor market observer Timboel Siregar regards the trade as not\nsomething to be treated as a routine job because of the high risk of\naccidents.<\/p>\n
Timboel says all workers, including freelancers, still have the right\nto labour protection as set out in several employment regulations.<\/p>\n
\u2018This job is high risk. So there must be workers\u2019 compensation for\naccidents, death benefit, and safe working conditions,\u2019 he told\nKompas.com via WhatsApp on Wednesday, 20 May 2026.<\/p>\n
Companies or employers must ensure that workers deployed have social\nprotection and safe work equipment.<\/p>\n
He said high-rise window cleaners must work with full safety gear\nbecause the job relies on body balance, precision, and technical ability\nat height.<\/p>\n
Timboel noted that companies are also required to provide PPE and\nsafety equipment, not to burden workers with the full cost.<\/p>\n
\u2018Workers should not buy all their own protective equipment. That is\nthe company\u2019s responsibility because the job is high risk,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
He assessed that government oversight, especially by labour\ninspectors, still needs strengthening. After all, work in high-risk\nsectors cannot rely on the bravery of workers alone.<\/p>\n
In addition to social protection, Timboel highlighted the importance\nof certification and technical ability for rope-access workers.<\/p>\n
According to him, workers who descend to clean high-rise buildings\nmust have experience and specialised skills to reduce accident risk.<\/p>\n
He added that high-rise buildings using rope-access cleaners should\nalso have clear SOPs regarding the use of rope-access labour.<\/p>\n
The government, he said, must ensure that every deployed worker is\ncompetent and protected.<\/p>\n
When Kompas.com visited the BPH Migas Building, Tendean, South\nJakarta, on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, several high-rise window cleaners\nwere seen preparing to use safety equipment before starting work.<\/p>\n
They wore safety helmets, full-body harnesses or PPE, gloves, and\nnon-slip boots.<\/p>\n
On the harness attached to the body, several devices were fitted,\nincluding a descender, ascender, mobile fall arrester, carabiner, and\nkernmantle rope used to regulate movement up and down the building.<\/p>\n
During work, they rely on the rope system connected to the body to\nmove along the building while cleaning the glass.<\/p>\n
With the aid of rope-control devices and metal anchors, workers\nmaintain body balance amid gusts of wind and uneven building\nsurfaces.<\/p>\n
The workers interviewed by Kompas.com were freelance workers under PT\nMoramon, a company involved in general contracting, supplier and\ntrading, construction, interior design, and building maintenance.<\/p>\n
One worker, Fajar Maulana, said he was drawn to the profession\nbecause he enjoys the challenge.<\/p>\n
\u2018At first I was afraid, because humans are bound to feel fear when\nlearning. But over time you get used to it and become braver, especially\nafter knowing the SOP and the equipment,\u2019 said Fajar at the BPH Migas\nBuilding.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/observers-say-high-rise-window-cleaners-must-have-bpjs-ketenagakerjaan-and-ppe-1779542592", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }