Picture of the Day & Other Window Cleaning News

Picture of the day: Window cleaners labor between the service apartments at the Central Business District in Beijing, China. The Chinese economy is showing signs of a nascent recovery, but even officials who want to boost public confidence warn a rebound faces risks from the global crisis and is not yet certain.

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HOLIDAYMAKERS are keeping a close watch on the developing unrest in Thailand after the government there declared a state of emergency. Soldiers and armoured vehicles were ordered on to the streets of the Thai capital, Bangkok, and surrounding areas a day after protesters forced the cancellation of a 16-nation Asian summit. The Foreign Office in London has urged anyone considering a trip to the region to “urgently review their plans”. Tony McCarthy (pictured), 45, a window cleaner from the Tower Bridge area of London, had been in Thailand for a month. He said: “I think it will get worse from now on. I think we left just in time.”

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Three CTE truck mounts across the size range: CTE showed three new truck mounts at SAIE: the Z26J which will be available next year, the Z21J with jib for 3.5 t chassis and the KJ-A 510 a compact truck mount for its 51 m working height.
CTE chose to unveil the Z26J (pictured) at SAIE, it is a 26 m working height, articulated boom with a jib, it is mounted on a 6 t chassis and it is expected to be available Europe-wide in the first quarter of 2009. The Z21J, 21 m working height, truck mounted, articulated boom for 3.5 t chassis, "Is unique," said Gabrielle Valli, sales manager of CTE, "it is the only machine of its size and type on the market to feature a jib which for additional up-and-over flexibility." The Z21J has an outreach of 10 m and an up-and-over capability of 9 m. The boom rotation is a continuous 3600 and the 1400 by 700 by 1100 mm composite basket has a rotation of ±65º. The basket levels hydraulically, and all cables and hoses to it are routed internally through the boom.
The Bizzocchi 50.7 m working height KJ-A 510 is designed for 26 t GVW carriers. The outreach of the new model is 34.5 m with 120 kg in the basket and 28 m with its maximum load of 450 kg. According to Jonathon Wiseman of CTE UK the footprint of the KJ-A range is compact for its size; they are used in applications such as maintenance and window cleaning as well as fire fighting, and emergency services applications.
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Hard-pressed firms miss out on vital deals: Work worth £750m is available to firms in Lincolnshire – but bosses don't know how to win the contracts. Thousands of deals to carry out jobs for the county's private sector are up for grabs every year. Firms of all sizes can bid for the work, which ranges from window cleaning and grass cutting to major construction projects.
But industry leaders say too few bosses know how to tender for the contracts, which can be worth between a few hundred and a few million pounds. Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive Simon Beardsley said half of the £750m contracts currently go to firms outside the county. "The public sector is another market for firms to tap into," he said.
"It is a large sector and includes the local councils, hospitals and the University of Lincoln. "We produce a lot of great products and services in Lincolnshire and it seems crazy to be bringing in companies from elsewhere. "But bosses may not know where to find the contracts and can be baffled by the amount of paperwork involved in applying." Procurement Lincolnshire, which is part of the county council, exists to buy in services for all eight of Lincolnshire's local authorities.
One of its priorities is to support the local economy and to help Lincolnshire businesses be in the best position to bid successfully. A series of workshops, organised by the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, are taking place throughout this month explaining the process of selling to the public sector.
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Highrise Window Technologies Inc., a Concord, Ontario-based company that makes windows for high-rise buildings, was fined $160,000 on April 3, 2009, for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, after a worker was killed. According to a court bulletin, on September 19, 2007, a worker was cutting, loading onto a cart and moving cut glass from a cutting machine to a washing machine. One cart was overloaded, a rear castor on it broke off while in motion, and glass fell off the cart, pinning the worker between the fallen glass and the cutting machine. A Ministry of Labour investigation found that by lifting the front castors off the ground and dragging the cart, excess stress was placed on the rear castors, causing one to sheer off the cart and its load to tip, noted the bulletin.
Highrise Window Technologies Inc. pleaded guilty to failing, as an employer, to ensure the glass was moved in a way that would not endanger the worker. The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Michael Frederiksen. In addition to the fine, the court also imposed a 25-percent victim fine surcharge on the total, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
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Business Expo quieter than usual: Fewer vendors than last year were on hand to tout their goods and services at the annual Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, held April 9 at the Marco Island Marriott Resort and Spa . Just 40 vendors manned tables, as opposed to 60 in 2008, but Chamber Executive Director Sandi Riedemann said the crowd turnout, about 400 — during the evening was satisfactory. “It’s a sign of the times,” Riedemann said of the lower vendor turnout. First-time exhibitor Sherri Madeiros of See Thru Window Cleaning was nevertheless happy about parting with her booth fee of around $340. “It’s my first time marketing, because I’m interested in a little more exposure even though I’m quite busy at the moment,” she said. Medeiros said she’d done a fair amount of networking during the evening, including bumping into repeat customers and giving out 250 pens with logos. Pictured: See-Thru Window Cleaning: Sherri Madeiros, Dennis Gildea and Lori Skirmont. Previously featured on the blog here.
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Titan notices spots on the window of Primark, so he cleans them, what a good robot.