Tallest In Texas Rescue

Two workers have been pulled through an open window to safety after the scaffolding they were working on fell on one side, dangling precariously outside Houston's tallest skyscraper.

Window washers rescued from dangling scaffold outside Houston's tallest skyscraper: Two workers were pulled through an open window to safety after the scaffold they were working on fell on one side, dangling precariously outside Houston's tallest skyscraper. According to the Houston Fire Department, the workers were at the 71st floor when they experienced a motor malfunction and radioed for help.

HFD High Angle Rescue Teams arrived. There were also windows glaziers on scene and a mechanic from the window washing company. HFD was able to establish contact with the two men on the scaffold and they were brought in through a 71st floor window after the glass was removed by the two glaziers. There were no injuries and this incident was declared under control at 11:10 a.m. JPMorgan Chase Tower downtown is Houston's tallest building, at 75 stories (1,049 feet) tall. That's just shy of three and a half football fields.

Firefighters rescued two window washers trapped on a broken scaffold on the JP Morgan Chase Tower in downtown Houston on Monday morning.

HFD rescues window washers 71 floors up:  HOUSTON - Houston firefighters responded to the JPMorgan Chasetower in downtown where a window washer's scaffolding partially collapsed. Fire fighters were seen helping carry out the rescue operation before 11 a.m. above Texas Street near Travis. It appeared one half of the scaffolding's support lines gave way due to a motor failure. The incident happened near the 71st floor of the 75-floor building. There were no reports of injuries. The rescue operation came to an end before 11:30 a.m. after firefighters managed to remove a window and bring the workers to safety. The cause of the incident is under investigation. The tower is widely known as the tallest building in Texas.

By 11:30 a.m. the men had been allowed to escape the platform through a window in the building.  Work continued to stabilize the window washing platform. 

Houston window washers rescued from dangling skyscraper platform: Two workers have been rescued from a dangling window-washing scaffold 71 stories above downtown Houston. According to the Houston Fire Department, the two workers were pulled to safety through a 71st story window of the 75-story Chase Bank Building at about 11:10 a.m. Monday.

The men had become trapped on the dangling scaffolding at about 10:37 a.m. when the platform experienced a motor malfunction. For approximately 25 minutes, the scaffold remained dangling over downtown while the men awaited rescue. No injuries were reported. Fire officials still have Travis blocked near the scene while crews worked to secure the platform.

Terrifying ordeal ... the men were left hanging from the side of JPMorgan Chase tower in Houston, Texas for an hour. 

Window cleaners rescued after dangling 300m above the ground for an hour: Two window washers were at the top of a 75-storey tower when their cleaning rig malfunctioned, leaving them dangling at a 45-degree angle. The men were 300 metres off the ground on a platform suspended from the roof of the 75-storey JPMorgan Chase Tower in Houston, Texas’ tallest building, when one of two elevation motors broke down.
KHOU 11 News reports the platform was left listing for about an hour before firefighters could rescue the workers on Monday morning. Fortunately, the workers were secured with additional safety harnesses separate from the window washing platform. Rescuers removed a window on the 71st floor and pulled the men to safety. “That looks like just about my worst nightmare. It’s pretty terrifying. I’m sure those guys are really cold up there too,” witness Tyler Ferguson told KPRC.
Witness Amy Lafargue said: “They were hanging on for dear life, for sure. They were facing the building looking in. So I’m sure that everybody inside the Chase Tower was freaking out hoping that they were going to be OK. They were just holding on.”
Houston Fire Department spokesperson Kenyatta Parker said the rescue was challenging but the men were safe. “When you’re dealing with something so high, that’s when you have to bring in the rescue team for a high-angle rescue,” Parker told KPRC Houston. “Certain things that they know that an ordinary person wouldn’t. It’s tedious, I’m certain, on their end. Just sit back and let them do what they do.” The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident. The window washers worked for Jobs Building Services.

Shard Polishing In London

Tall order: The intrepid crew of window cleaners are mere dots on the 95-storey face of the Shard.

Abseiling cleaners give the Shard a polish, however it's not a good place to drop your bucket and squeegee. Think of it as extreme cleaning — it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. A specialist crew abseils down the Shard to wash some of its thousands of windows. The 309-metre, 95-storey building, the tallest in Europe, has 11,000 glass panels, creating a huge workload for the companies handling the job. The cleaning crews may be able to give Prince Andrew some tips on what it’s like to be on the outside of the Shard. The Duke of York is due to abseil from the 87th to the 20th floor next month to raise funds for the Outward Bound Trust and the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. Last month fire crews had to rescue a window cleaner who became stuck at the 72nd floor in strong winds days before its official opening.

Walking on glass: Cleaners abseiling the windows of Europe's tallest building.

Harnessed: The rope mechanism that keeps the cleaners safe at high heights.

Brave window cleaners descend 309m Shard to clean 11,000 windows: If you dislike cleaning your windows, spare a thought for the guys that abseiled down the 309m (1,013ft) Shard to wash some of the London landmark's 11,000 windows. The job is probably not a good one for those who suffer from vertigo as it involves trekking down the side of Europe's tallest building. The 95-storey Shard structure has thousands of glass panels, which creates a huge task for the specialist crews that have to clean them. Last month fire crews had to rescue one of these brave souls who became trapped on the 72nd floor due to severe winds. The Duke of York may want to ask the window cleaners for advice on how to cope with the dizzying heights as he is set to take part in a charity abseil on the Shard next month. The royal will raise money for the Outward Bound Trust and the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund by abseiling between the 87th and 20th floors.

Don’t look down: Window cleaners descend the Shard.

Europes Tallest Building Gets A Window Clean

Vertigo...Window cleaners tackle the biggest job in Britain.

Careful you don’t drop your sponge: If you suffer from vertigo then you need not apply. Six plucky window cleaners take on the monster task of cleaning the windows of Britain’s tallest building. And as luck would have it, no sooner had they started than the rain began falling in London. The huge building is due to open in June and will be the tallest building in the European Union. It stands a towering 310 metres (1,020 ft) tall and is fully clad in glass — meaning there are an awful lot of windows to clean.

The Shard Tower; Floor count: 95 (Including plant floors), 72 (habitable) - £450 million to construct. Click to enlarge.

Shard London Bridge is a pyramid-shaped skyscraper under construction in Southwark, London. Upon its completion in May 2012 it will stand almost 310 metres (1,020 ft) tall, and it has been the tallest building in the European Union since December 2011. It is also the second-tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, after the 330-metre (1,083 ft) Emley Moor transmitting station. Shard London Bridge replaces Southwark Towers, a 24-storey office building constructed on the site in 1976. Renzo Piano, the building's architect, worked with the architectural firm Broadway Malyan during the planning stage. The tower will have 72 habitable floors, with a viewing gallery and open-air observation deck – the UK's highest – on the 72nd floor. It has been designed with an irregular triangular shape from the base to the top, and will be clad entirely in glass. Shard London Bridge is expected to open to the public in June 2012. Check out the interactive views here.