Window Cleaner Wins Robert Hicks Bate Award

Las Vegas rock climber David Allfrey was honored by the American Alpine Club last week, winning the prestigious Robert Hicks Bates Award for most promising young talent. 

Las Vegas rock climber wins award for promising young participant: Las Vegas rock climber David Allfrey got a big nod from the American Alpine Club last week, winning the prestigious Robert Hicks Bates Award. The annual award recognizes a young climber who has exhibited exceptional skill and character in the climbing or mountaineering arts, and who has outstanding promise for future accomplishment.

Having made significant ascents from the Baffin Islands to Yosemite, the ACC took note when in 2014 then 29-year-old Allfrey decided to challenge himself to climb seven big walls on El Capitan in Yosemite in seven days. He recruited professional climber Alex Honnold as his partner. The two set four speed records in the process. In the ACC's announcement, committee chair Rolando Garibotti said, "This is a step up as far as El Cap climbing goes." Allfrey, originally from San Jose, California, started climbing as a kid with his parents. He took a hiatus in his teens and then returned to the sport about 10 years ago with a laser focus on big wall climbing.

By having an award from probably the most exclusive organizations within the outside world, odds are that soon Allfrey will have the ability to hang up the phone his window-washing gear.

He moved to Las Vegas three years ago for the easy access to world class climbing and now juggles a training schedule that's anywhere from 25 to 60 hours a week for undertakings like the "Yosemite 7 in 7" with making a living washing windows and occasionally rigging for trade shows on the Strip. He will attend the ACC's award reception in Washington in February. "This is such a huge honor," said Allfrey. "I've put in a lot of time and effort to become a good big wall climber. It's really nice to have people like the leadership at the American Alpine Club recognize that effort."

In his backyard of Red Rock, Allfrey has ticked many hard routes. He is one of four people to make a free ascent of Desert Solitaire, a 12 pitch 5.13b on the Rainbow Wall in Red Rock. With an award from one of the most prestigious organizations in the outdoor world, chances are that soon Allfrey will be able to hang up his window washing gear. To follow his upcoming alpine expedition in Alberta, Canada, visit www.davidallfrey.com

The annual award recognizes a youthful climber that has showed exceptional skill and character within the climbing or alpinism arts, and that has outstanding promise for future accomplishment.

Anti-Shatter, Wraps, Corrugated & Interactive Windows

Every single window at Old Trafford is being covered in clear anti-shatter film to protect players, staff and fans in the event of an explosion in or around the ground. 

Manchester United cover every window at Old Trafford in clear anti-shatter film to protect against explosions in wake of Paris terror attacks: The move comes as Manchester United ramp up security in the wake of last year's Paris terror attacks, with the installation of the sheets at their stadium designed to prevent glass smashing. Workmen are this week making sure each and every window pane has the film attached - a huge job given the amount of glass utilised around the stadium.

Supporters are already being given full body searches as they embark on Old Trafford on match days. A procedure which came in after the alleged Paris atrocities in November in which alleged 130 innocent people lost their lives. The Stade de France was allegedly targeted by ISIS fanatics, who had planned to gain entry to the ground and detonate bombs, but, luckily, were thwarted from entering the stadium.

All fans watching Louis van Gaal's side are patted down on match day entry after being given a full scan and some staff and supporters are also being asked to remove their coats in specific sections of the ground. The new security measures were rolled out for the Champions League draw. They have continued since, with heightened security around the perimeters of Old Trafford to keep the thousands descending on the ground safe in any eventuality.  

United boss Louis van Gaal revealed the experience of that night in Paris had left a number of his players feeling traumatised. The match between France and Germany continued, despite explosions being clearly audible in the stadium during the friendly game between France and Germany. Thousands of fans flocked on to the playing field at full time, scared of heading home as the alleged horrific scenes unfolded in the French capital which left so many dead and wounded.

A building wrap, starting at the base of the Harmon, points pedestrians to CityCenter and the Crystals mall.

How to wrap a building: Think wrapping a present is hard? Try wrapping a building. That’s exactly what owners of the unfinished Fontainebleau have to do, after the Clark County Zoning Commission voted in November to require that an unfinished part of the building, marred by rusty building panels, be covered up by a paint-and-fabric building wrap.

Resort officials were given 90 days to submit designs, then will have six months to wrap the building 100 feet from ground level up on the west side, facing Las Vegas Boulevard. Though the resort recently was listed for sale, County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said owners will have to comply with the wrap regardless. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn bought the bankrupt project five years ago for about $150 million and has been sitting on it since.

Building wraps are common on the Strip; they hover over most corners. Most of the wraps are hung for advertising purposes. Elite Media, a local advertising company, has wrapped many of the valley’s buildings. In 2007, the company draped a Dwyane Wade T-mobile advertisement on the north face of Mandalay Bay. Wade’s ear alone was five stories tall.

It’s too early to know what the Fontainebleau’s covering will look like, but Elite Media President Chad McCowell — who has been wrapping buildings for 15 years — shared some insight about what it’s like wrapping a building on the Strip.

Step 1: Getting approval - Building wraps on the Strip are vetted by the Clark County Zoning Commission. There are no specific guidelines for what commission members approve or deny; approval is discretionary and depends on what the wrap will look like and where it will be placed. The commission can and does put restrictions on wraps, including whether they can contain advertising. In Las Vegas, commercial property owners can wrap their buildings as long as they undergo a sign review with the City Council every year and use the wrap to highlight a product or service offered in the building.

Step 2: Applying the wrap - Advertising agencies, design firms and building owners typically design wraps. The artwork is designed digitally on a computer, just as art for a smaller sign would be, then is divided on a grid, usually into 4-foot-by-25-foot strips, to be printed. A print shop prints each of the strips on a large format printer. The strips are printed either on mesh if they need to be seen through or on vinyl if they don’t. Vinyl gives a cleaner image.

Each strip essentially is a giant sticker with adhesive on the back, covered by paper. Depending on the season and how long the wrap will remain up, the artwork can be printed on a more or less heavy-duty material. In the summer, the surface of buildings can heat to about 250 degrees.

To attach the strips, workers typically use window washing scaffolding to traverse the face of the building. They usually start at the upper left, working top to bottom, then left to right. Each sticker is numbered and corresponds to a numbered grid to ensure it’s placed in the correct spot.

Workers remove a small portion of the adhesive backing at a time and roll the strips down the face of the building, smoothing out bubbles with a scraper or their hands. Wrapping the entire side of a resort-sized building takes about a week to 10 days.

Step 3: Maintenance - The typical lifespan of a wrap is one year to 18 months. Wraps generally can stay up about a year without needing maintenance. After that, the wrap might experience some flagging, when the corners of the pieces start to peel up. Workers easily can pin the pieces back down with adhesive. Wraps also may fade after about six months.

The view through the 11-meter high corrugated glass fa ̧cade in Antwerp.

Future applications for corrugated glass panels: Now it is possible to make facades out of corrugated glass, even in laminated glass and insulated glass units, we may think about another possible use in the construction of buildings.

Roofs. Why not? If the improved static behaviour (compared to flat glass panels) works for the windload; why not for the dead load or the snow load when it is placed horizontally, as a roof? The transparency combined with the natural waterthightness of glass makes it a very interesting roofing material. Of course sun shading is an important issue that has to be taken care of.

Walls. Flat glass panels have a very unfavourable structural behaviour concerning axial loads. Buckling or plying will occur very quickly at already low normal-stress levels. For corrugated glass this is far better. A simple test with a piece of folded paper to act like a wall demonstrates the enormous rise in bearing capacity compared to the same piece of paper as a flat panel. Also from a stability point of view: a flat panel tilts over easily while a corrugated panel stands firmly, so a choice for a corrugated panel is obvious. We did make a proposal for a load carrying, corrugated and insulated glass wall as a perimeter to a villa designed by the Dutch architects MVRDV. The German firm of Finiglas was able to make the corrugated insulated glass units in a safe and even cost-attractive way: 120% if compared to a standard brick wall with large glass windows.

Conclusions. Corrugated glass represents a more then 1000% increase in bearing capacity for loads applied out of plane of the glass. For loads in-plane of the glass, the buckling and plying resistances increase also dramatically. When we realise that the glass thickness does not change at all, it is clear that we have a very sustainable application of glass. Architects have pointed out to us that the water-like appearance of corrugated glass is positively better than the dull shimmering of flat glass, leading to a more lively and therefore beautiful facade.

Whatever is shown on the glass is not due to electronics on the glass’ surface itself, but rather, there is a projector-like device on top that beams the interface at an angle.

Corning Reveals Interactive Retail Glass: When we mention Corning, most of the time one would think of Gorilla Glass, as that seems to be their most popular export. However, it seems that Corning has long moved beyond churning out tough glasses for smartphone and tablet displays, in order to remain competitive with the rest of the market.

Dr. Jeffrey Evenson, Corning’s SVP and CSO, shared, “As we extend the technical and design capabilities of precision glass, Corning continues to deliver innovative technologies that enable more connected, interactive, and customizable lifestyles. We’re excited to engage consumers and industry partners in a set of new application opportunities inspired by our vision for the future – all made possible by Corning.” This would include an interactive retail glass that might just spring up like mushrooms in the future if the idea catches on.

Whatever is shown on the glass is not due to electronics on the glass’ surface itself, but rather, there is a projector-like device on top that beams the interface at an angle, and much work could be done to increase the resolution count for the future. What is projected ends up on some sort of matte-like layer that, when you manipulate the icons on the beamed user interface, they will react accordingly.

It remains to be seen whether this will cause folks to enter the store after going through your catalogue of items or not, but one thing’s for sure – you would have to put in additional effort in cleaning the glass window at the end of the day or before your shift starts due to the additional number of fingers, greasy ones even, touching the display all over the place. It looks like what is projected will not look too legible under bright or direct sunlight, as it was demonstrated in a rather dim setting, so we will just have to wait and see how Corning is going to develop this idea further.

Window Washer Rescue In Downtown Vegas Underway

A window washer was reportedly in distress when calls to LVFR were made on Monday. Click to enlarge.

Window washer rescue in downtown Vegas underway: LAS VEGAS (FOX5) - Emergency crews were sent to a high-rise in downtown Las Vegas Monday on reports of a window washer in distress. According to Las Vegas Fire and Rescue, the worker was working aloft on the side of a high-rise building at 330 Lewis Ave., across from the Clark County Courthouse, when his equipment failed. First calls of the situation to LVFR were reported just after 10:30 a.m. LVFR said they were attempting to help the worker down from the building's eighth floor with the use of a ladder. Authorities don't believe the person in distress was injured during his ordeal.

The window washer became stuck while working on the windows of a building at 330 Lewis Ave., across from the Clark County Courthouse. Click to enlarge.

Firefighters attempting to rescue stranded window washer: Fire officials are attempting to rescue a stranded window washer trapped on the side of a building in downtown Las Vegas. The man got trapped when the window washing platform mechanism broke, leaving him stranded between the eighth and ninth floors around 11 a.m. Monday in the 300 block of Lewis Avenue, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski said. Firefighters are attempting to pull the man up from the roof of the building after an attempt to use a ladder fell short, he said. The man is uninjured and is on the shaded side of the building, Szymanski said.

Window washer knocks on window to ask for rescue. The window washer’s machine that lifts him became stuck and he knocked on a window, asking the person indoors to call the fire department, said Timothy Szymanski, a spokesman for the fire department. The window washer, a man working at 330 S. Third St., was brought to safety by a female firefighter, fire officials said.

Firefighters rescue downtown Vegas window washer: A 48-year-old window washer was rescued safely after his tether malfunctioned outside a downtown Las Vegas office building. Alex Ramos said he was suspended for more than two hours before rescuers lowered him by ropes to the sidewalk about noon Monday. He told reporters he never panicked when his gear malfunctioned at the eighth floor. He just knocked on a window. An office worker dialed 911 about 10:35 a.m.

Ramos says he was surprised by the number of firefighters who arrived with a 100-foot ladder truck and several other engines at the building near the Regional Justice Center. The bucket only reached the seventh floor. Ramos works for N&R Cleaning. He's been doing the job for eight years. He calmly snapped cellphone photos as firefighters reached him for the rescue.

Alex Ramos said he was suspended for more than two hours before rescuers lowered him by ropes to the sidewalk about noon Monday.

Details surrounding downtown window washer rescue: Action News cameras captured a dramatic rescue as a window washer finds himself stuck, dangling several stories from a downtown Las Vegas high-rise. Window washer Alex Ramos was near the top of the building just across from the Regional Justice Center when his equipment malfunctioned. Rescuers stood on a platform at the end of a ladder as it extended up the building and toward Ramos, coming within just few feet, but still more than an arm’s length away. Plans quickly shifted, and firefighter Mari Bussio had to be lowered down from the top of the building to get to him. Dozens of onlookers watched as Ramos maneuvered the ropes, successfully attaching him to Bussio.

Ramos, who's been washing windows for 8 years, remained calm as they rappelled down the side of building. The two were greeted by paramedics the moment their feet touched the ground, and just moments later Ramos was off again, seemingly unphased by the entire ordeal, and on to his next window washing job. The entire rescue took about an hour from start to finish. Ramos said he's planning on going back to the store where he bought his equipment to ask for a refund.

Spidermen Everywhere & Las Vegas Company Fined

Merrill Hunt as Spider-man in action. Click to enlarge.

Nation in focus: Sao Doan, 5, right, watches as her mom, Tiffany Ringer, both of Kenneth City, snaps a photo of Merrill Hunt dressed as Spiderman as he washes her window at All Children's Hospital Thursday morning Jan. 10, 2013. Three window cleaners dressed as Spider-Man from High Rise Window Cleaning Company started cleaning windows on the outside of All ChildrenÍs Hospital Thursday morning.

Sick children's surprise: A window washer dressed as Spider-Man gives sick kids a treat at All-Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. This Spider-Man may not be able to everything a spider can, but he has a couple of big things going for him. He does windows, and he offers some much needed cheer to sick children. Jon Powers, with High Rise Window Cleaning in Tampa, surprised kids at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg Thursday morning when he went into full Spider-Man mode while cleaning exterior windows.The window washer says he likes to dress up as the comic book superhero to help cheer up the young patients.

Dozens of children got a big surprise when window washers dressed as Spider-Man descended on the outside of All Children's Hospital on Thursday. The workers from Clearwater's High Rise Window Cleaners made several trips from the top of the building to the ground, washing windows and waving at patients. Child life clinical coordinator Holly Ott relished the chance to bring in the super hero. "Today at All Children's we had a really exciting opportunity to meet any child's hero, Spider-Man, climbing up the sides of the building, surprising chidren and making their day," Ott said. The event offered kids a chance to experience something they aren't likely to encounter again. And for Ott, the best part of the appearance was the surprise. 

 

Vdara, window washing company face fines for accident: Two companies, including the Vdara Hotel, face fines from OSHA after four people were trapped on a window washing rig 35 floors up in July. Both the Vdara Hotel and the window washing company, Sentinel Maintenance, were fined thousands by Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which recommended citations for both companies. This report shows that emergency measures saved the men from falling. According to a safety narrative News 3 received from OSHA, the problem stemmed from lack of training.
Two window washers were operating this lift for two maintenance workers, who needed to fix a window. The maximum load for the scaffold is 750 pounds. The report says that's typically safe for two workers and their tools. According to OSHA, the weight limit was exceeded by the extra two people and the lift started slipping. The men were saved from falling further when the emergency brake kicked in. It took fire crews five hours to get them down safely.
OSHA found the employers didn't provide written work procedures for the safe use of the lift as part of worker training. According to the paperwork, the Vdara didn't ensure their employees went through the proper training until after the incident. Because of the lack of training and guides, OSHA fined the Vdara nearly $3,000 for a serious violation. It also fined Sentinel Maintenance nearly $4,500 for four violations.

Window Cleaning Robot Has It's Limits

The Winbot robotic window cleaner clings to the glass by suction, wets it and wipes it dry.

Ecovacs Winbot sucks glass to clean your panes: This window-washing robot showing at CES 2013 has easy stick-on and clean operation. But don't chuck your Windex yet. In Las Vegas robots that wash your windows are another dream of domestic automation, but most early models involve a cumbersome two-part unit that goes on both sides of a pane. At  CES 2013, China-based Ecovacs is showing off a new version of its Winbot window washer, one that doesn't require a magnetic support on the other side of the glass. Just stick the Winbot 7 series on the window, press start, and it starts moving up and down. That's a lot easier than handling two machines.

It can work wirelessly on a battery charge, but when used above ground level it's best to attach a safety cable, which doubles as a power supply, to the unit and the window itself. Winbot was exhibited at IFA 2012, and it's billed as the only bot of its kind that cleans glass of any thickness, even Thermopanes. But it won't work on frosted glass or panes with writing or signage on them.

Winbot has a vacuum pump that seals it to the glass, while letting it move around automatically. It travels in a zig-zag pattern before doing the edges. It cleans by wiping with a solution-moistened cleaning pad, then squeegee-ing remaining dirt, and then drying with a rear pad. That sounds good enough to toss out your Windex, but unless you have floor-to-ceiling views, repositioning Winbot to clean smaller windows will still be a pain in the pane.

Following earlier versions, the latest Winbot was launched in China last year and is expected to go on sale in the U.S. in the spring of this year. A $299 version will clean windows that have frames, in other words well-defined borders, while a $349 version will be able to clean glass walls or windows that have no frames. Now all they need are legs, and they'll be cleaning skyscrapers.

Winbot won’t complain about cleaning windows: So when a robot-like device comes along that can perform a cleaning task on its own so that we don’t have to, it naturally gets people talking. Ecovacs Robotics’ Winbot 7 certainly had people talking (and gawking) at CES 2013. This little robot cleans windows and can get to hard-to-reach areas better than humans can. Winbot 7 sticks to any window with two powerful vacuum suctions, and moves around the window using a set of rotating suction cups that power the robot along. A cleaning cloth wipes away dust, grime, and moisture as the Winbot zig-zags across the glass.

When first set on the window, Winbot crawls to the very bottom, and then to the very top, to measure the window size. It then movies across the window in a zig-zag pattern, making sure to cover every inch of surface. When finished, Winbot crawls back to the spot where it started. The time needed per window of course will vary with the window size, but the robot moves pretty fast overall. While the Winbot is great for a quick dust or clean, it doesn’t provide much elbow grease—tougher water spots or stains might need extra cleaning. Another drawback to Winbot is its movement limitations. It isn’t cordless, so it’s stuck with cleaning windows within reach of its 10-foot power cord. You’ll have to manually pick Winbot up and move it to another spot if the window is bigger.

Still, having a personal window cleaning assistant is pretty helpful. And you can see where this might go in the future. Home vacuuming robots have overcome similar limitations, dramatically reducing the human help they need to get their work done. Someday soon we may see a machine like the Winbot that is wireless, jumps from window to window, and can be set to automatically do the windows every seven days. Winbot 7 is set to go on sale in the spring, and will be priced between $299 and $399.

Super Suction Lets This Window Cleaning Bot Stick To Glass: Designed to complement the Roomba, the Scuba, and the myriad of other cleaning robots that keep your floors spic and span, the new Winbot 7 uses its suction powers to stick to and clean your windows instead. So when it's available come April for somewhere around $400 to $500, you may never have to buy Windex or paper towels again. The Winbot 7 is actually an upgrade to an older model that required a magnetic backing on the other side of the window to hold it in place. Instead, the Winbot 7 uses a pair of suction rings powered by a strong motor to cling to the side of a smooth window, while a set of soft silicone treads drive it around. Once a strong seal is made, indicated by a color-changing LED, the Winbot 7 will quickly explore the entire window, calculating its size so it can plan out an effective cleaning routine. After that it zig-zags its away across a pane using a pad soaked in cleaning solution to wipe off dirt and grime. Power is provided by a tethered cable that also serves as a last resort lifeline should the bot lose power and suction, but a three hour backup battery is included that will keep the suction motor running until it can be rescued.

Ecovacs claims that the Winbot 7 is the only window-cleaning robot that can clean windows of any thickness. There are two models—the W710 is for framed windows and the W730 can be used on both framed and frameless. Unlike window bots of the past, the Winbot 7 doesn't require a magnetic support on the other side of the glass. Instead, it has a vacuum pump that seals it to the glass then cleans with a moist pad on one side, a built-in squeegee and a drying pad on the other side. When first placed on the window, the Winbot 7 is programmed to "measure' the window and determine the best path. It does so by crawling from the bottom of the window to the top and then cleaning in a zig-zag motion. For a normal-sized window, it can complete its task in 10 minutes or less. That's plenty of time for you to grab a cup of coffee. The Winbot 7 reportedly will be available in the spring, just in time for spring cleaning, at a cost of $299 to $399.

Most visitors miss the surprises that can be found in a plain corner called the “International Gateway,” where manufacturers from Asia display unglamorous components and offbeat items. Man Hyun Ryu (right) demonstrated two Windoros for a visitor to the booth of South Korea’s Ilshim Global. Much as iRobot’s Roomba will vacuum your floor, Ilshim’s Windoro will clean your window as it moves across the glass. Each unit has two pieces held together by magnets—one for the inside of a window and one for the outside. The devices, which are about $450, are available in Japan, Korea, and Europe. They clean one side of a window at a time; Ilshim is developing a version that does both sides.

Another Window Cleaning Robot - Windoro - here & here.

Las Vegas Rescue Workers Talk

Members of the Las Vegas Fire and Rescue Technical Rescue Team watch as Public Information Officer Tim Szymanski speaks during a press conference following the team’s rescue of four window washers that got stranded outside the 35th floor of the Vdara Hotel.

High-risk rescue at Vdara makes for an ‘excellent day on the job’ - Paramedic Ray Spigner dangled over the side of the Vdara Hotel some 550 feet in the air early Wednesday afternoon. News helicopters circled around him and the 100-degree summer heat emanated from the windows. His life rested in the hands of an 800-foot rope and his fellow firefighters on the Las Vegas Fire and Rescue Technical Rescue Team working the equipment to lower him. Below him, four window washers waited, stranded outside the 35th floor in a window washer’s basket. Their fate and safety rested in his hands.

The first of three members that would help lower the stranded to safety, Spigner was tasked with assessing their health and safety before taking the first man to safety. He couldn’t have had more fun. “It’s fun. It’s what we train for,” Spigner said. “We train every day for stuff like this, so there’s no worries. You trust your equipment, people and training.” The Technical Rescue Team specializes in rescuing people in high-risk emergencies like flash floods, car crashes and structural collapses, among others. On Wednesday, the 12 firefighters on shift were charged with a rare and exciting task — lowering four stranded window washers on the side of Vdara to safety.

The team received a call for help from the Clark County Fire Department at 11:53 a.m. When they arrived on scene, they devised their plan. They decided to lower the stranded washers onto a third-floor rooftop because it was closer than the hotel’s roof. Fire Captain John Hurley said it was a standard rope rescue. Hurley said they may not receive many calls like this, but they are trained for it. Two months a year, they practice rescues off the side of a training building and other local hotels and casinos. “These are low-volume, high-risk calls,” Hurley said. “They don’t come in often; that’s why we train frequently for them.”

Spigner went first. When he reached the men, he said they were calm, a little thirsty, but not in any immediate danger. After delivering some water, he attached a harness to the first person and together they were lowered down. Paramedic Scott Freel followed next. He said the window washers' calmness made the rescue easier. “That’s what made it less stressful,” Freel said. “These guys were all in good health, they weren’t scared, used to heights. My guy literally jumped off the thing on the way down.” Freel said the height, heat and people gawking at the rescuers with their cellphones through the hotel windows barely registered on his radar. He was too focused on his task at hand, and searching for something to grab onto in case things go crazy, to notice.

After nearly three hours, paramedic Andrew Osborn was tasked with taking the last man. That’s when they ran into their first and only snag — the man had to use the bathroom. “I asked him if he needed water,” Osborn said. “He said no, he needed the bathroom.” Still, Osborn and the rescue squad could not have hoped for a better day. “Excellent day on the job,” Osborn said. “It’s the day you live for.”

Investigation continues into window washers crane jam: Nevada safety regulators are investigating why a crane holding four window washers malfunctioned Wednesday, leaving the men stranded 35 stories high outside of the Vdara Hotel at CityCenter, a state official said Thursday. Steve Coffield, chief administrative officer with the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said his organization is investigating why a mechanism that raises and lowers the washer box malfunctioned. Coffield had no additional comment, citing an ongoing investigation.
The window washers called 911 shortly before noon. The last worker was rescued by 3 p.m. Rescuers with the Las Vegas and Clark County fire departments stationed themselves on the Vdara's roof, more than 50 floors high. From there, one firefighter at a time rappelled from the roof to the workers and brought them down to safety. The first firefighter to reach the workers gave them water. The window washers and firefighters communicated through cellphones. None of the window washers were injured.

Las Vegas Window Washer Rescue Details

Hanging in there: Four window washers were stranded outside the 35th floor of the Vdara Hotel at CityCenter in Las Vegas for several hours on Wednesday after their work platform appeared to be slipping. Click to enlarge.

Window Workers Rescued Outside Vdara Hotel: Las Vegas and Clark County firefighters rescued four workers trapped on the outside of the Vdara Hotel at CityCenter Wednesday afternoon. Two of the workers were washing windows and the other two were replacing broken and damaged windows. The workers were trapped on the west side of Vdara on the 35th floor. The workers called 9-1-1 after becoming concerned when their platform equipment didn't operate as planned. The fire department received a call about noon and developed a plan to rescue the workers by sending one member of the high-angle rescue team at a time from the roof of the hotel to the basket where the workers were, county spokeswoman Stacey Welling said. The workers were placed in a harness and lowered one at a time to the roof of a third floor landing area. The rescue took two hours with the final worker being brought down at 3 p.m. There were no reports of injuries. MGM Resorts owns Vdara. Company spokeswoman Yvette Monet said the situation will be reviewed by hotel safety officials as part of the company's standard policy.

Firefighters rescue four trapped Vdara window washers: Four men who became trapped while washing windows outside of the 35th floor of the Vdara Hotel at CityCenter on Wednesday afternoon were safely rescued by firefighters who rappelled from the roof to the workers and brought them down one by one. The unidentified window washers, three in their 40s and one in his 20s, called 911 shortly before noon after the mechanism that raises and lowers the washer box they were in malfunctioned. The last window washer was safely strapped into a harness and, while connected to a firefighter by a rope, was brought down to the third level of the Vdara shortly before 3 p.m. Medical personnel awaited the workers, who were all reportedly in good health.

Although the high-rise drama might have seemed like heroics to onlookers, Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said the group of firefighters from his agency train every day for such a mission. The firefighters compose the Technical Rescue Team that specializes in swift-water rescues, high-angle rescues, such as the one performed Wednesday, and cave-in rescues, Szymanski said. "We've got the best team," Szymanski said, noting the unit is the only one in Southern Nevada. "They already know what to do because they've been practicing constantly." In all, 24 firefighters, including Clark County personnel, were on the roof of the Vdara, which is more than 50 stories high, Clark County Battalion Chief Eric Poleski said. The four men stuck outside the Vdara were on the west side of the building, unseen by the legion of tourists on the Strip. Yvette Monet, a spokeswoman for MGM Resorts International, said in a statement that officials are investigating why the crane that held the window washers malfunctioned. "We appreciate the excellent efforts of the Fire Department personnel," she said. "The matter will be reviewed by hotel safety officials as part of the company's standard policy." Poleski said rescuers had cellphone contact with the window washers from the beginning.

The first firefighter who rappelled down to the workers at 1:15 p.m. brought them water. So, although the summer heat was intense, the workers stayed hydrated throughout the three-hour ordeal, Poleski said. Poleski said the rescue was methodical because all of the window washers were in good health, and rescuers knew that. While standing on Frank Sinatra Drive between the Bellagio and Aria as the last window washer was rescued, Poleski said no step was skipped in the rescue process. "This equipment is set up, double-checked and triple-checked before anybody goes over the edge," he said. "It might seem like this is taking a long time. ... Right now, because everyone is doing well, we're being very methodical and very careful and doing things on a very step-by-step basis." Poleski said the rescue mission, although unorthodox, went off without a hitch. "Its not in human nature to lower yourself off the side of a building," he said, adding, "I feel really good about it."

Dramatic rescue shows dangers of window washing job: Las Vegas is known for putting on some spectacular shows. Today, the show was high above on the 35th floor of the V Dara hotel on the strip. Window washers were stuck, and there was no way to get down, forcing a dramatic high rise rescue. 35 stories up in the air, stuck for several hours in 106 degree weather, but they had no choice but to wait after their platform stalled. And they thought it was slipping. Firefighters had to be called in to perform the rescue. There really was no other choice because the window washers could not get the platform to work. They spent 3 hours rigging ropes and descending from the roof of the 46 story hotel to get the men in a harness, and lowered them to a landing below. One by one they were brought down. In the end the firefighters were able to get everyone down safely. They were all checked out for dehydration because of the heat, but they were all okay. This situation has to be what every window washer in the world wants to avoid in their career. FOX 10's Troy Hayden talked with Kenneth Piposar of Abseilon USA, who trains firefighters to do vertical rescues.

Fire Department completes rescue of workers at Vdara: A heroic rescue took place today at the Vdara and News 3 has obtained video shot by a viewer who said he was praying the rescue would end successfully. News 3's Denise Rosch is among the many who watched the whole thing play out. MGM Resorts issued this state regarding Tuesday's rescue: "Clark County rescue teams completed a successful rescue of four workers who were in a crane lift basket at Vdara's 35th floor. No one was injured. We appreciate the excellent efforts of the fire department personnel. The matter will be reviewed by hotel safety officials as part of the company's standard policy."

Four window washers were rescued by firefighters Wednesday after they were stranded for several hours outside the 35th floor of a Las Vegas Strip high-rise hotel. Clark County and Las Vegas firefighters spent three hours rigging ropes and descending from the roof of the 46-story Vdara Hotel to harness and lower the workers one at a time to a landing area below. Clark County spokeswoman Stacey Welling said firefighters were summoned about noon after the men reported that their work platform appeared to be slipping. No injuries were reported.

The Vdara is one of several glassy CityCenter complex hotels built by MGM Resorts International and Dubai World. The surrounding 67-acre development opened in December 2009, with the Aria, Veer and Mandarin Oriental hotels, a casino and the upscale Crystals shopping and restaurant complex. The flawed Harmon hotel and condominium tower never opened. Hotel spokeswoman Yvette Monet said the workers' platform apparently stalled due to a mechanical malfunction. The first firefighter to reach the men brought bottled water, officials said. The National Weather Service reported temperatures at 104 degrees and winds a moderate 10 mph at nearby McCarran International Airport at the time.

Television viewers watched the rescue live on local television. Las Vegas fire spokesman Tim Szymanski said the city's high-angle rescue team trains regularly for similar situations. In March 2009, firefighters rescued two window washers who suffered minor injuries when a cable holding their platform snapped during gusty winds outside the Wynn Resorts-owned Encore Las Vegas. Both men were wearing safety harnesses, and were pulled to safety through a 15th- floor window, while the platform slammed against windows facing the Vegas Strip and rained broken glass onto a swimming pool area below.

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue speaks to Action News about Vdara rescue (Las Vegas, NV) - Those aren't the only men who are speaking to Action News. We're also hearing from the heroes of the day. Those who risked their lives to save the stranded workers. Dropping down off the side of a 57 floor building is not what most would call a regular day on the job. "When you go over the edge, I mean, you look down, and it's high, but it's fun. That's what we're there for. It's what we train for," says City of Las Vegas firefighter/paramedic Scott Freel. These are all men on the heavy rescue team for the City of Las Vegas. Wednesday they were lowered to a window washing basket to save 4 men stuck on the 35th floor. "The problem wasn't with the actual out rigger it was more with the mechanical situation on the lift itself," says Captain John Hurley.

Quickly the team set up and started the rescue. "On this particular roof we had to bring anchors out of the stairwell and bring two of those out one for the main, and one for the belay," says Captain Aaron Downing. "They all seemed like they were in fine shape. They were just hot and thirsty. So we gave them some water. We attached a pick off harness to them and then lowered it down," says another fire fighter/paramedic Ray Spigner. All four men were treated and released without injuries. A successful operation thanks to the "Heavy;" their truck that has pretty much everything the team needs to save anyone in Southern Nevada from any disaster or emergency. At this height the rescuers say they barely notice the people inside Vdara taking phone video. Happy for a job well done, these guys look back at the day with satisfaction. This heavy rescue team is one of three platoons ready to assist throughout Southern Nevada. They worked with Clark County Fire and Rescue on this operation.

This accident today turned out to be serious injuries for painters.

OSHA Targets Small Business Owners In Nevada

Brian Retke of Window Masters; "Had I capitulated to OSHA's demands, they would have put me out of business."

OSHA safety police do fine work (John L. Smith): I'm not sure this is what the federal experts had in mind. After being blasted in 2009 by its federal counterpart for doing too little to scrutinize workplace safety even after multiple on-the-job fatalities, the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration has gotten tough. Really tough. On a zookeeper. On a window washer. On a manufacturer of ice cream, and a maker of dentures.

Those small Nevada operators have found themselves fighting state OSHA after being whacked with thousands of dollars in fines over alleged safety violations that were either easily correctable or arguably inappropriate. It appears to be part of a policy that is bent at least as much on generating income as promoting safety. In recent weeks I've interviewed several longtime small-business owners who have dealt with OSHA over the years. Each stressed a willingness to maintain a safe work environment. But they also say they have noticed a change in OSHA's mission from workplace safety to fine generation, often for such egregious violations as cracked wall plug covers and improperly displayed safety manuals.

Is it a way to make budget, or perhaps an overreaction to its own under performance in addressing far larger safety issues involving, for instance, the "clearly supportable repeat violations" related to the worker deaths at local hotel-casinos? The federal analysis found state OSHA inspectors had an exceedingly light touch when it came to large offenses involving workplace fatalities at big businesses. The safety police couldn't find it in their hearts to pull the trigger and level hefty fines and penalties even in cases in which fatalities had occurred at Strip casino resorts. The lack of fines of more than $45,000 was noted by federal OSHA investigators, who had to narrow their field of inquiry to fines of $15,000 because the state had been so conservative in its charges.

Then there's Brian Retke, who owns the Window Masters commercial window cleaning service. His citations totaled $2,800 over how his high-rise rigs were securing their lines. He thought his troubles were over when he won his appeal in front of an OSHA review board, but then the safety police appealed to District Court. Retke still is fighting more than a year later. "I'm a small-business owner, so I have to do all this myself," Retke says. "I had to put in a huge expense just to fight at the review board. ... I believe that, somewhere along the line, the correct mark was missed by OSHA. Had I capitulated to their demands, they would have put me out of business. What is my recourse? I have to dig deeper into my pockets. I have to wash a lot of windows to pay for this. This is my livelihood. This is how I support my family."

Back in 2009, the federal review called state OSHA's inspectors an overworked bunch, but officials also noted the inspectors were too easy on egregious repeat offenders. And nowhere in that report did federal authorities say state OSHA needed to start terrorizing mom-and-pop operations. Nevada's small-business owners are having enough trouble surviving in this economy. It's time for Nevada's safety police to pick on someone their own size. Full story here.