Health and Safety Executive

Gutter cleaning

These pages help you to:

  • identify the risks involved with cleaning gutters
  • choose the right access equipment to do the job

Working conditions

Questions to ask include:

Height

How high is the job from the ground?

Surface

What surface will the access equipment rest on (e.g. a wall, cladding, a pitched roof)?

Is this surface strong enough to take the weight of the workers and their equipment?

Ground

What is the ground condition under the area where access equipment might need to be set up - for example, is it sloping, muddy or uneven? The access equipment you use must be suitable for the ground conditions - stable, level and not liable to fall or collapse.

If you fall, what will you fall on to?

Weather

Is it raining hard, or very windy?

Task

What tools will you use to clean the gutters? How will you manage the debris?

Types of access

When looking at what you need to do the job, think about the following…

From the ground Can you do the work from the ground? Yes/No
From the roof Is the roof above the gutter accessible? Yes/No
Is the roof strong enough to work from? Yes/No
Does the roof have guardrails or other equipment that will prevent a fall? Yes/No
If no, can this be installed? Yes/No
From a platform Can you do the work from a mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) or tower scaffold? Yes/No
Fall protection Do you need personal fall protection to allow safe access? Yes/No
From a ladder Is the work low risk and short duration? Yes/No
Do you have a ladder that will reach the area? Yes/No
Can you secure the ladder safely? Yes/No
Can you or your workers use the ladder safely? Yes/No

Tips for safe working

  • Deal safely with the gutter debris. It is best to bag it in small quantities and lower it slowly to the ground - if there is a risk of falling debris, make sure no-one comes into the area below the work.
  • Take frequent breaks, especially when working from a ladder - do not work from a ladder for longer than 30 minutes at a time.
  • If you are using a ladder keep three points of contact wherever possible.
  • Make sure the people who will be doing the job have the right skills, experience and training to use the equipment safely and have been consulted about the right equipment to use.
  • If you are hiring access equipment, make sure you know how to install and dismantle it safely - ask the hirer for instructions or assistance if you need them.

Further reading

From experience

Good practice:

What can happen:

Directgov - Business Link

27.08.10