In 2026 a compliant skylight cleaning robot needs CE marking, an IP rating of at least IP54 and IP65 for wet work, and a documented remote-stop. CE and IP are not the same thing: CE covers safety and EMC, IP covers water and dust ingress, and buyers often confuse a label with actual test reports.
Safety paperwork is where a cheap import falls apart. A machine can carry a CE sticker and still have no test report behind it. When something goes wrong on a 15 m glass roof, the file you can produce decides who pays.
What does CE marking actually cover?
CE for a cleaning robot generally falls under the Machinery Directive and the EMC Directive. That means the maker declares the machine meets essential health and safety requirements, risks are assessed, and an instruction manual exists in the relevant language. Electrically driven robots also need to show a Declaration of Conformity listing the standards applied.
Ask for the actual documents. A Declaration of Conformity with no standard numbers is a red flag. For robot arms or cleaning heads that move under power, look for the relevant EN ISO 12100 risk assessment reference and EN 60204-1 electrical safety where applicable.
Which IP rating do you need for wet skylight cleaning?
| Rating | Protects against | Fit for skylight cleaning? |
|---|---|---|
| IP54 | Splash and dust | Light exterior use only |
| IP65 | Water jets, full dust | Recommended for wet work |
| IP66 | Strong jets | Heavy rain, industrial sites |
Anything below IP54 has no business on a roof. Water finds the electronics on the first heavy rain if the machine is left in place, and condensation inside a housing overnight does the same damage without a single splash.
What height-safety rules still apply to a robot job?
People assume a robot removes every rule. It does not. You still have an operator on or near the roof edge, so edge protection, a fall-arrest plan and a rescue plan remain. Batteries must be charged away from wet areas. A tether or power line running over the edge needs protection so it cannot be chafed on a sharp fixing.
- Remote emergency stop, tested before each job and recorded.
- Roof-edge protection regardless of robot autonomy.
- Tether or power line inspected for chafe points on every setup.
- No lone working for the first three jobs on a new roof configuration.
What certification gaps catch buyers out?
Three. A suction robot with no documented holding-force test at its rated slope. A battery pack without a UN38.3 transport test, which blocks shipping and voids some insurance. And a manual that omits the failure modes, meaning nobody has trained the operator on what to do when adhesion drops.
The realistic position: if a supplier cannot hand you a test report for holding force and a UN38.3 certificate for the battery on the first request, treat the safety claims as unverified. That is not paranoia. It is the same standard your insurer will apply.
What training and documentation should come with the machine?
A compliant delivery includes an operation manual in your language, a maintenance schedule, a spare-parts list with part numbers, and at least one day of hands-on training. Ask for a signed handover checklist. Without it, the first time an alarm sounds nobody knows whether to retrieve the machine or recall it, and that hesitation is where damage happens.
Training should cover the failure modes, not just the happy path. A suction alarm, a loss of remote signal, a flat battery mid-slope, and a brush jam all need a rehearsed response. Two hours of practising recovery on a low practice panel is worth more than a day of slides about features.
How do you keep a machine compliant over its life?
Compliance is not a one-off purchase check. Cups degrade, batteries age, software gets updated, and each change can affect a safety claim. Keep a service log that records every inspection and replacement, and re-verify holding force after any cup change. If you operate in a regulated site, your auditor will ask for that log, and reconstructing it after the fact is impossible.
Also re-check the installation if the roof changes. Adding solar panels, HVAC units or new shading over a glass roof can alter the cleaning path and the loads a robot places on fixings. A compliance file that was correct at handover can quietly become wrong after a building modification.
What does insurance actually require?
Insurers increasingly ask for evidence that height work is managed, and a robot changes the answer you give. What they want is a method statement, a trained operator, documented maintenance, and proof the machine holds its rated load. Present that pack and the conversation moves from risk to premium.
A robot does not automatically lower a premium, and no sensible broker promises that. What it does is remove the most severe exposure, a person on a rope, from a recurring routine. On a building with a long history of rope access, that change alone can justify a review.
Key Takeaways
- CE covers safety and EMC, IP covers water and dust; they are separate.
- IP65 is the practical minimum for wet skylight cleaning.
- Robots do not remove height-work rules: edge protection and rescue plans stay.
- Demand holding-force test data and a UN38.3 battery certificate.
- A CE label without a test report behind it means nothing.
Checking a machine against your compliance requirements? Send the spec sheet to our team through the contact page.