The International Solar Cleaning Academy (ISCA) clarifies a common misconception: across major jurisdictions, regulators require employers to train workers—yet they generally do not endorse commercial training brands. Compliance is demonstrated when employers provide accurate, hazard-specific, and effective training—not when a regulator’s logo appears on a certificate. ISCA’s programs are purpose-built to help employers meet those legal duties in solar-panel cleaning, where electrical and work-at-height risks are unique and significant.

Regulators Require Training; They Don’t Badge Private Providers

  • United States (OSHA). OSHA explicitly states it does not approve, certify, or endorse private trainers or courses; employers must ensure training is appropriate and effective for the hazards present.

  • United Kingdom (HSE). UK law requires adequate instruction and competence. HSE guides employers on how to select a competent provider rather than endorsing one; work at height remains an employer duty.  Working At Height document

  • Australia (Safe Work Australia / WHS). PCBUs must provide information, training and instruction suitable to the task and risks (e.g., WHS Reg. 39); there is no national endorsement list of private providers.

  • European Union (EU-OSHA / EU law). EU-OSHA is an information agency (it does not endorse commercial providers). The binding Framework Directive 89/391/EEC obliges employers to ensure each worker receives adequate, job-specific training.

Bottom line: regulators set the outcomes (trained, competent workers; risk-based content). Employers meet those outcomes by choosing training that is accurate, current, and hazard-specific.

What Is The Generic Global Guidance?

Global rule of thumb: regardless of jurisdiction, you’ll need (1) suitable and sufficient training matched to your hazards, (2) evidence of competence, and (3) records to prove it to inspectors, auditors, clients, and insurers.

A firefighter and solar cleaner spraying water on to a solar panel

Firefighters: Compulsory Training For Water Near Live Electricity & The Lesson For Solar Cleaning

Fire services worldwide require robust, standardized training before crews are allowed to apply water streams near energized equipment. Guidance emphasizes tactics such as distance, stream type, and isolation to control shock/arc risk (e.g., UL/FSRI findings indicating safe standoff distances for 1,000 V DC sources; national guidance noting that housings and roofs can become conductive and that high-pressure streams can penetrate enclosures). This training framework keeps crews compliant with their national safety regimes (NFPA in the U.S., national operational guidance in the UK, etc.).

By contrast, there has been a dearth of standardized training for solar panel cleaners—workers who also operate with water near energized, high-voltage DC equipment and often at height. ISCA fills that gap, translating firefighter-style rigor (hazard recognition, defined controls, documented competencies, and refreshers) into the solar cleaning context, so employers can demonstrate they’ve adopted credible, defensible training aligned to their legal duties.

ISCA PV Fire Safety Certificate

Why Solar Panel Cleaning Demands Specialized Training

Solar cleaning exposes workers to live DC circuits (often >600–1,500 V), wet-work around energized components, and work at height (roofs, canopies, carports). Typical failure modes include damaged connectors, insulation faults, and DC arcing; controls include avoiding live work, isolating/verification where applicable, equipment and methods that prevent water ingress, appropriate PPE, and robust access/egress planning. These expectations map directly to OSHA/HSE/WHS/EU duties for electrical safety, PPE, and work at height.

How ISCA certification helps you meet legal expectations (US • UK • AU • EU)

ISCA Certificate

ISCA’s curriculum is mapped to regulator-set duties—helping employers satisfy what the law expects:

  • Electrical safety-related work practices (US OSHA).  Role-appropriate training for non-electricians, aligned to OSHA 1910 Subpart S (e.g., hazard identification, approach boundaries, energized work practices appropriate to non-electrical workers who may be exposed, and task-specific controls).

  • PPE training (US OSHA). Selection, use, care, and limitations aligned with OSHA requirements, tailored to wet operations near energized parts.

  • Work at Height (UK). Competence, planning, equipment selection (ladders/MEWPs), and rescue considerations per the Work at Height Regulations and HSE guidance.

  • Information, training & instruction (Australia). Information, training and instruction obligations (e.g., WHS Reg. 39) and application of the Model Code of Practice for managing electrical risks in wet and outdoor environments.  Content aligned to the Model WHS Regulations’ requirement to provide suitable information, training and instruction, with penalties noted for non-compliance.

  • EU Framework Directive 89/391/EEC. ISCA course design supports employers in delivering adequate, job-specific training required by Article 12 across EU Member States.

ISCA helps you comply with the global rule of thumb: It provides (1) suitable and sufficient training matched to your hazards, (2) evidence of competence, and (3) your certification is a physical record to prove your individual competence to inspectors, auditors, clients, and insurers.

Important: ISCA does not claim regulator “endorsement.” Instead, we provide a clear legal cross-walk, assessment, and documentation so employers can evidence due diligence to clients, insurers, and auditors—exactly what regulators expect.

Generic procurement checklist (works in any country)

  1. Hazard mapping: Does the syllabus cover your hazards (DC electrics, wet-work, height, climate, site type)?

  2. Trainer competence: Documented expertise in PV, O&M, and safety.

  3. Assessment & recertification: Knowledge checks + practical evaluation; defined refresh cycles.

  4. Records & traceability: Attendance, results, versioned syllabi, and credentials for audits.

  5. On-the-job transfer: Procedures, toolbox talks, and supervision guidance to make training “live.”

  6. Legal cross-reference: A matrix showing how topics map to OSHA/HSE/WHS/EU-OSH duties (or your national laws).

What ISCA Certified Solar Panel Cleaning (CSPC) training includes:

  • PV-specific electrical hazards (DC shock paths, string voltages, connector failure modes, arc risk).

  • Controls: Verification where applicable, live-work avoidance, safe equipment setup to prevent water ingress, water-management.

  • PPE: The full suite of PPE is discussed in detail on every ISCA training course.

  • Work at height: access/egress, edge protection, ladder/MEWP selection, rescue planning, and weather thresholds.

  • Competence & verification: role-based training matrices and refresher pathways; audit-ready documentation.

About ISCA
The International Solar Cleaning Academy (ISCA) is the leading specialist in solar-panel-cleaning safety and best practice. Our courses are built by O&M practitioners and safety specialists and delivered globally, helping employers meet OSHA, HSE, WHS, and EU Framework Directive training expectations for solar-cleaning work—without claiming regulator endorsement.