San Francisco Window Washing Rig Secured

Eventually a window washer rappelled down and secured the platform, while firefighters helped pull it up.

Window-washing rig secured to San Francisco high-rise: Suspended on the face of a Financial District high rise, a window washer's rig dangled precariously from One Embarcadero high above San Francisco on Friday morning. The dangling window washing rig's dangerous dilemma developed right in the middle of the morning rush hour in downtown San Francisco, shutting down a major street. The rig was reported hanging unsafely at 7:02 a.m. from the 41st floor of a building at 301 Clay Street. Getting things straightened out had a whole new meaning Friday morning in the Financial District. The window washing platform was finally pulled over onto the top of the building at about 10 a.m., ending a strange morning on Friday the 13th.

It just didn't look right, whether you were down below on Clay and Battery streets or 41 stories up at One Embarcadero Center. A 2,000 pound window washing platform was dangling dangerously from above. "I talked to the guy, actually the engineer who was in charge of it and asked him, 'is this thing in danger of falling?'" Battalion Chief Marty Ross said. "And the look on his face, I could just tell, hey we better get up there."

But there were a lot of frazzled nerves on Friday the 13th.

Firefighters believe a latch was not engaged when workers put it over the side of the building. No one was inside the rig. Below, Battery Street between Clay and Sacramento was blocked off to traffic. Muni officials say buses on the 1-California and 41-Union routes are being rerouted around the scene.
Floors 28, 29, and 30 were in the landing zone if this thing dropped. So those workers were kept out of the building. "Just wait, and hopefully it comes to a good end," 29th floor worker Rita Whitten said.

Eventually a window washer rappelled down and secured the platform, while firefighters helped pull it up. No one hurt. But there were a lot of frazzled nerves on Friday the 13th. "That is a little creepy, a little scary," San Francisco resident Marcus Collazo said. "You've got to think about it, you know, let your mind run wild." The roads and One Embarcadero Center have reopened. Firefighters say they're just happy nothing bad happened. Social media reaction here.

Naked man, dangling scaffolding cause stir downtown (caution: nudity) - There was plenty to talk about near the Embarcadero on Friday. After a window-washing rig lost a cable and hung precariously from the 41st floor of the Embarcadero Center, a man in various states of undress climbed a light post, became an apparent safety threat and refused to come down — for nearly four hours. This post features nudity, so scroll down past this scaffolding picture if you’re OK with that. A police officer, who was likely helping reroute traffic after the scaffolding slipped Friday morning, noticed the shirtless fellow perched on a pole at Drumm and Sacramento streets about 10 a.m. The officer called for back-up, police closed off the street and a tactical team arrived to get the man down.

“That’s normal procedure,” said Officer Wilson Ng. “We didn’t want him to fall on anyone.” Despite hours of coaxing by a crisis negotiator, the man remained on the pole, continued to remove his clothes — until he was naked — and drew a crowd of onlookers. Many of the spectators had just watched the fire department lasso the loose window-washing rig on Embarcadero Center One, which was reported just before 7 a.m. and also prompted police to close streets in the area. The excitement ended at about 1:45 p.m. when an officer, according to police reports, grabbed the man on the pole, took him into custody and, presumably, covered his scaffolding.

Despite hours of coaxing by a crisis negotiator, the man remained on the pole, continued to remove his clothes — until he was naked — and drew a crowd of onlookers.

Window Cleaning Boss Walks Free

Horrific injury to John Dufton's tongue after it was bitten off by window cleaning boss in a scuffle.

Chester-le-Street man who had tongue bitten off criticises judge as his attacker walks free: A dad who had his tongue bitten off when he was attacked in a pub blasted the judge yesterday after she freed his attacker. John Dufton was stunned when brute David Greaves was let off despite a record of violence and the judge telling him the assault was "truly horrific".  And he was appalled when jubilant Greaves then celebrated outside court by sticking his tongue out and laughing: "I'm tongue-twisted." Furious John said: "That just shows what kind of man he is.

"I wish the judge could have seen that before she decided to let him go but I doubt it would have changed things. "She let off a paedophile last year and now she has done this - she should be sacked." Judge Gillian Matthews, QC, hit the headlines when she freed a pervert who claimed his seven-year-old girl victim came on to him. The 33-year-old was attacked by Greaves, 49, in May after a long-running feud between their families. He said: "I went to my local pub for a drink and was outside talking to some friends when he turned up and barged past me as he walked inside. "A bit later, all of my friends went inside the bar so I went with them. I sat in a position where I could clearly see him because he isn't the kind of man you would want to turn your back on.

"He started shouting abuse at me so I shouted back at him. This went on for a couple of minutes and then he came across and attacked me. "He head-butted me and punched me. I punched him back in self-defence and we fell to the floor. "I told him to get out of the bar so we went out together and he was shouting abuse at me again. "We grabbed hold of each other again and were wrestling. As we fell to the floor he was underneath and I was on top of him. "He grabbed hold of my face and shoved his thumbs into my eyes, trying to gouge them out. I couldn't feel any pain because of the adrenalin. "He then must have pulled my head towards his because I felt his tongue in my mouth. "I couldn't see a thing because he still had his thumbs in my eyes but I felt him suck my tongue into his mouth and then he bit down on it.

"I didn't realise what had happened at first but then he let go and I was able to see again and realised I had blood all around my mouth. "As I stood up I still didn't feel any pain but my mouth felt really weird. I couldn't work out what it was at first but then realised something was missing from inside my mouth. "I was spitting blood and then it dawned on me that a big chunk of my tongue was missing. "I just went into shock. I didn't know what to do. It was disgusting what he did. All of a sudden I just wanted to hurt him for it. "He ran away and I chased him and caught up with him. We fought again until someone shouted at us to stop. "I went to hospital and by then the pain was unbearable, I was in agony, the worst pain I have ever known in my life. "My brother brought the chunk of tongue in a jar full of ice but they were unable to reattach it. "I couldn't eat solids for four weeks and just survived on liquids. It really affected my speech and the way I eat. "I had to have an operation to help improve the movement of my tongue and I can speak better now but this will affect me for the rest of my life."

Greaves (pictured), who runs a window-cleaning firm, was charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent which carries a maximum sentence of life. But after legal discussions at Teesside Crown Court he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of causing grievous bodily harm. John, a technician in the water industry, still expected him to be jailed - and was stunned when he got a two-year jail term suspended for two years after the judge said she was "trusting" him not to be violent again. Judge Matthews also ordered him to pay £2,000 in compensation and imposed a two-year restraining order to keep him away from the victim.

She told him: "This is a truly horrific offence. In defending yourself, you went far too far and caused him permanent injury. "The circumstances are unusual if not unique. The complainant exacted some degree of revenge and subjected you to a comprehensive beating. "No matter how he behaved to you in advance did not justify your disgraceful conduct, which must have been a truly horrendous thing."

The court heard how Greaves, of Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was convicted of grievous bodily harm in 1997, violent disorder in 2000 and common assault in 2008. John, who lives with partner Emma Kirkby, 33, and their kids Connor, six, and Chloe, four, in Chester-le-Street, said: "I was convinced he would be going to prison - how can you not be sent to jail for biting someone's tongue off, especially with his record?"

Savage Greaves and his friends made light of his suspended sentence as he left court, after hearing how his victim now has a speech impediment.

Viral Window Cleaning News

The Most Positive Man I Know: His name is Darron Mothersby and he is, by a long way, the most positive person I have met for some time. On August 31st 2012 he fell from his ladder while window cleaning and is now paralysed from his neck down. Despite this any visitor to his bedside goes away feeling much better than when they arrived. Yes he has issues with his health, he's desperate to get rid of his respirator for example, but Darron is full of encouragement and positivity. He hopes to go home at some point in the future. He has an indoor chair that he can operate with his chin, it's not great because as he moves and bumps into something it clouts him in the chin. What he really needs is a head operated outdoor chair. Sadly this is not in the budget for the local authority. At a cost of £15k it's also not in the range of Darron's pocket either. What is remarkable is that his many friends have started a collection doing Marathon runs and garden parties among other things and have so far raised £8.5k toward his much needed chair. So here's the thing, can I ask that if you have read this blog you do some if not all of the following things..

1. Go to Darron's facebook page and 'Like' that page.
2. Re-tweet/message/facebook this blog so that your friends can also share this message.
3. Send Darron a message, say hi or tell him Hull City will be relegated. He's a good sense of humour!
4. Finally, and only if you are able, see if you can donate a few £'s to his fund here. 

Darron is a wonderful man and is supported tirelessly by his family and friends, he's had a setback in life and yet is the most giving of individuals. I love the guy and don't see him nearly as often as I would like to. Can we as individuals, businesses and fellow window cleaners make his life just that little bit easier. If you can, please do. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please share. By Stuart (The short one with no hair in the picture).

Window Cleaners - Lets take this viral!  Like we did last time!

A window cleaner on zip line is seen as he cleans the glass of a glass pedestrian passage in Dubai's business district. 

This stunning building proposed for Sydney’s Darling Harbour precinct is being flagged as a possible future home for Google Australia. Meet The Ribbon.

This Beautiful, Twisting Glass Building Could Be Google Australia's Next HQ - This stunning building proposed for Sydney’s Darling Harbour precinct is being flagged as a possible future home for Google Australia. The concept for “The Ribbon” takes advantage of cutting-edge building technologies that allow for twisting glass facades — as seen in London’s The Shard — and is being marketed as a prestige home for a major company. It’s at the current location of Sydney’s IMAX theatre and is right next to Commonwealth Bank’s new complex at Darling Quarter, which houses over 6000 personnel. Australia’s largest private developer Grocon and property management company Markham announced they had submitted a development application for the project this week. They say they are aiming to create a landmark similar to The Shard or the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

Grocon’s NSW general manager Chris Carolan told Business Insider the design drew on an emerging trend for “these innovative curved structures, all around the world, including in the Middle East and China. We want to bring it to this country.” Sydney’s corporate architecture is generally conservative, and statements tend to be matters of height or signage rather than creative design. The Ribbon sweeps upwards and outwards from the ground along its east-west axis, with an undulating facade made entirely from glass wrapping around the building.

Inside, the furthest you can get from a window is 12m. The windows have a particularly slick feature that will excite any desk jockey: they are triple glazed and contain a venetian shade sitting in a cavity between the glass panels to keep the sun out when needed. Oh, they’re computer-controlled, too. No cord-wrestling. This gets around one of the drawbacks of many modern offices which have large window areas but rely heavily on the use of overhanging ledges, fixed slats and other shading devices which, while keeping out the harsh summer sun, also block the view. “Our research has shown that some of what people see as internal comfort is the ability to see outside,” Carolan said. If the development is approved by authorities it would take around three years to build. Assuming it was ready to occupy around 2017, its first openings would line up closely with the expiry of Google’s current property commitments which expire the following year, in 2018.

Window-washers described a zone of cool air around the building on the hottest days, and curtains moved in the breezes even with the windows closed.

Two Icons Go Green: Long overdue upgrades make the Empire State Building and the U.N. Secretariat building relevant in the 21st Century. Two iconic Manhattan skyscrapers have emerged from major renovations with sharply reduced carbon footprints, making them beacons of New York's evolving "green skyline."

The 102-story Empire State Building, designed by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon and completed in 1931, was already scheduled for renovation in 2008 when the nonprofit Clinton Climate Initiative approached Anthony Malkin about ways to reduce its carbon footprint. (Malkin and his father lead the investors who own the building.) One of the goals of the renovation was "to prove the economic viability of a deep energy retrofit," says Schneider. She and her team began examining dozens of strategies; they eventually came up with a plan they projected would reduce energy use by 38 percent, paying for itself within three years.

"For most owners, an energy project has to pay for itself within three or four years through reduced energy costs to be considered a good investment," says Schneider. The strategies included reconstructing each of the building's 6,514 double-hung windows, reusing the existing glass, sash and trim, and adding a low-emissivity (low-E) film suspended between the two panes of glass to more than double the original R-2.0 center-of-glass thermal value. The remanufacturing was carried out on-site, to avoid the costs, monetary and environmental, of shipping. In fact, Schneider says, the energy savings have exceeded the projected 38 percent in the first two years of post-renovation operation.

Rather than having to satisfy investors, the U.N. answers to 193 member states. But the Secretariat building was so dilapidated that virtually everyone could see the need for drastic measures. The building's original, 1/8-inch-thick glass provided practically no insulation. Window-washers described a zone of cool air around the building on the hottest days, and curtains moved in the breezes even with the windows closed. Over the years, the U.N. had added reflective film to the glass, to reduce heat absorption and glare, but the film just made the glass look dirty.

What is new in the Tirol for next season? Oh and if you are a window cleaner you may want to apply for a job at the restaurant below. Someone will have their work cut out at this futuristic new restaurant high above Solden. With many resorts and ski areas across the Alps seeing less visitors the Tirol has seen an increase. Last winter UK skiers and snowboarders were up 5% and the UK market is third behind Germany and the Netherlands. The resorts which saw the highest overall increase in arrivals were  Seefeld (+25.7%), Alpbach (+23.3%) and Wildschönau (17%), as a result of the new Ski Juwel combined area.

(Real) Technologies That Exist Today - Transparent Aluminum Armor: What starts as powder and suddenly becomes so powerful it can withstand bullets? Well, with a little bit (OK a lot) of heat and pressure: the latest in transparent armor. Lighter and even stronger than bulletproof glass, the Air Force has been testing aluminum oxynitride (ALON) in hopes of replacing windows in its aircraft. And judging by the fact that the clear ceramic material can stop a .50-caliber rifle’s bullet travelling 2,700 feet per second —normally powerful enough to slice through a lightly armored vehicle like butter — we’d say that’s a more-than-justified investment. Is this the next thing for window cleaners to clean?

They got their MBAs, but prefer paint clothes over suits - Eugenio and Jordan Fortino are painting nearly every square inch of the Witton Lofts condos. Baseboard, doors, ceilings, walls … they could draw the layout of the condos in their sleep. It is the second big, prestigious painting contract for Eugenio 31, and Jordan 27, who started Fortino Bros. Painting & Decorating in 2010. To say they climbed their way to the top with College Pro Painters and Action Window Cleaners (now College Pro) is an understatement. 

They started cleaning windows first, then customers would ask if they did painting. Next they jumped in with College Pro Painters, and quickly moved from workers to managers when they started to run their own franchise. The hustle needed to keep the franchise earning money was a fantastic learning experience according to Eugenio. "We were always looking for more work and setting jobs up. I remember one January skipping classes to go clean a customer's eaves."
Painting and cleaning paid off. Eugenio banked $70,000 to pay for school, and Jordan $55,000. Then they graduated with shiny MBAs and joined the suit and tie treadmill. Eugenio went to work for an insurance company, and Jordan for a bank. They both could have made a good living, but something was missing. "I had a mentor at the insurance company," Eugenio says. "He asked me if I was up till 3 a.m. reading insurance policies. That's what he did. He told me when I talked about the painting business my eyes lit up. He was telling me to do what I was passionate about." So Eugenio called Jordan, a meeting was set up - it was in a garage - over a few beers.

Ideas that Henry Ford taught a century ago about the advantages of continuous mass production are finding their way into the manufacture of one of the few remaining products still made batch-wise: the billions of tablets, capsules and other forms of medicine that people take each year. Continuous processing is used in most other large-scale manufacturing such as food production, petroleum refinement and water treatment. Some industries use an extreme version. Blast furnaces that produce iron from iron ore, for instance, may operate non-stop or with only brief pauses for 8-10 years. The machines that produce window glass run continuously for up to 18 years.

The Most Awesomely Eighties 1980s Music Videos - There was one easy way to make a video look artsy in the Eighties: strip the color. Try it: imagine adding color to "Every Breath You Take" by the Police and it's just a guy playing stand-up bass and another guy washing a window. Remove the hues, it's an intense, slightly creepy Video Music Award winner. Video here.

Drummer, Wurster, the window cleaner (second left).

Superchunk - the band with the window cleaner - McCaughan saw Wurster washing windows around Chapel Hill — including at 'Schoolkids', the record shop where he was working at the time — and asked the drummer to join the band after they'd parted ways with founding member Chuck "Chunk" Garrison. And so, to learn McCaughan's latest batch of songs, Wurster would listen to a cassette of Superchunk's sophomore full-length, 1991's No Pocky For Kitty, on headphones as he worked. His first album with the band, 1993's On the Mouth, was their last for Matador before releasing their records on Merge.

A window washer with dreams and, it seems, a direct link not only to the World Wide Web, but to the tech future. But not a squeegee in sight!

At the Signature Theatre, Regina Taylor’s ‘stop. reset.’ moves the techno theme a few decades closer to the present. Set in the Chicago headquarters of a black publishing company that’s been taken over by a conglomerate with the bottom line paramount, it’s a timely meditation on the gloomy outlook for books -- real ones, with pages and spines and ink -- in the digital age. Carl Lumbly is stirring as Alexander Ames, the aging, up-from-poverty patriarch. Even better is Ismael Cruz Cordova as “J,” a window washer with dreams and, it seems, a direct link not only to the World Wide Web, but to the tech future.

A man has been jailed for attacking two Jehovah’s Witnesses on a street in Kirkby. A jury convicted Michael Nimmo (35), of Diamond Avenue, Kirkby, of religiously aggravated assault causing actual bodily harm and common assault. He admitted the assaults but denied any of it was fuelled by religious hostility. Victim Gerald Thorburn, a self-employed window cleaner, was off work for several weeks after suffering a broken wrist in the daytime assault on Clumber Street on 15th September last year. Judge Andrew Hamilton, jailing Nimmo for 18 months, told him: “This was a completely unprovoked assault on innocent members of the public who happened to be Jehovah’s Witnesses calling at people’s homes. “Jehovah’s Witnesses are entitled to walk the street and knock on people’s doors. “You decided you didn’t like them. You called them ‘Johvos’, were abusive to them and spat at them.” The jury was told Nimmo ‘got into the faces’ of the two men, asking, ‘what are your views on weed?’ When Mr Thorburn took a photo of Nimmo on his mobile phone, Nimmo grabbed him round the neck and tried to take the phone from him. Nimmo, in his defence, claimed that when Mr Thorburn spoke to him some spittle accidentally came out, so he spat back. The court was told that Nimmo spat and hit the second man David Wass. The judge said Nimmo had committed numerous offences in the past and was on prison licence at the time. The sentence would have been longer but Nimmo had found work and had the support of his partner.

An Angus man who tricked elderly residents into paying him money for window cleaning work he had not carried out has been warned he could face jail. Kenneth Tough, 25, of Burnett Drive in Arbroath appeared at the town’s sheriff court on Tuesday, where he admitted defrauding four pensioners at Andy Stewart Court on Cliffburn Road on August 4. Tough had his sentenced deferred for the preparation of reports. The accused pleaded guilty to convincing the residents, aged 85, 84, 76 and 60, to pay him money for cleaning their windows when he attended at their addresses on the day in question.

Tough also admitted he stole £20 from a coin counter at another address at Andy Stewart Court on the same day. He claimed he was a window cleaner and told residents he was collecting money. Sheriff Peter Paterson confirmed none of the money taken by Tough was returned by the accused. The sheriff told the accused: “Given the nature of the charge a custodial sentence must be in my mind.”

Conman swindled Buttershaw widow, 83, of cash: A bogus odd job man who “shamelessly and despicably” ripped off an 83-year-old widow has been jailed for four years. Gavin Windle fleeced his vulnerable victim numerous times, turning up at her Buttershaw home drunk and threatening to pull the wires out of her TV set if she did not give him £45, Bradford Crown Court heard. He demanded £20 after pretending he was washing windows for charity and another £20 to cancel the arrangement. Windle, 34, of Orleans Street, Buttershaw, had spent eight of the past ten years behind bars, including serving a three-year stretch for house breaking and five and a half years for robbery. He was arrested on May 16 after being challenged by the widow’s worried neighbours who saw him staggering about with screwdrivers and kept an eye on him until the police arrived.

Windle was held in custody until yesterday’s hearing. He pleaded guilty to three offences of fraud, reflecting numerous occasions when he swindled the elderly woman over almost a year. Prosecutor Andrew Stranex said Windle’s victim, who lived alone, had a very poor memory and it was impossible to work out exactly how much he had taken. Although the sums were not very large, they meant a lot to her. He had been to her home many times, posing as a window cleaner and a Sky box repair man. Windle had a string of convictions for dishonesty and two for possession of heroin.

A dad of two had part of his tongue bitten off by a burly businessman in a drunken pub brawl. David Greaves was told by a judge that his attack on 33-year-old Kevin Dufton in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was “truly horrific”. The 49-year-old grandad, the boss of a window cleaning firm dodged jail for what Judge Gillian Matthews, QC, said was “probably a unique” case.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Greaves started the trouble inside The Falcon in Chester-le-Street by head-butting and punching Mr Dufton on May 25. The shaven-headed attacker was invited outside for a fight and when the “younger and fitter” man got the better of him, he tried to gouge out his eyes. Prosecutor Peter Sabiston told the court that Greaves somehow latched onto Mr Dufton’s tongue as they grappled on the ground and bit off a 3cm chunk. Unaware of the scale of his injuries after his attacker fled, Mr Dufton chased him and gave him a “comprehensive beating” before going to hospital.

Greaves was repeatedly punched and kicked as he was wedged against a car, and suffered two black eyes and a detached retina, the court heard. Christopher Knox, mitigating, told Judge Matthews: “There was a certain poetic justice meted out by this complainant to this defendant afterwards. “He may be smaller than Mr Greaves, but he is younger and much fitter. He was on top. In the tussle, I’m afraid quite a bit of his tongue was bitten off.” In an impact statement, Mr Dufton said his children were “scared and confused” by his injury, and he is now conscious of his speech defect.

Greaves, of Brackenbends Close, Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, admitted causing grievous bodily harm and was given a two-year suspended jail term. Judge Matthews also ordered him to pay £2,000 in compensation and imposed a two-year restraining order to keep him away from the victim. She told Greaves: “This is a truly horrific offence. In defending yourself, you went far too far and caused him permanent injury. “The circumstances are unusual if not unique. The complainant exacted some degree of revenge and subjected you to a comprehensive beating. “No matter how he behaved to you in advance did not justify your disgraceful conduct, which must have been a truly horrendous thing.”

A fracking protester from Birmingham has told how she was kept in jail for 26 hours after supergluing herself to a window – allegedly causing just £4 of damage. Kara Moses, 29, was arrested at the London offices of Bell Pottinger, the PR company who represent fracking firm Cuadrilla. She has been charged with causing £4 of criminal damage and banned from carrying glue as part of her bail conditions. Kara was one of six women arrested after spending five hours glued to the entrance of the PR office. Their protest took place at the same time as demonstrations at Cuadrilla’s Lichfield HQ and in the village of Balcombe in West Sussex.

Paraíso: Immigrant Window Cleaners at Work in Chicago

Paraíso: The Op-Doc "Paraíso" (Paradise) reveals the beauty and danger of three immigrant window cleaners' work on Chicago's skyscrapers.

Paraíso: Immigrant Window Cleaners at Work in Chicago: I first got the idea for this film (whose title, “Paraíso,” is the Spanish word for “Paradise”) when I was living in Chicago working as a film editor. One morning, as I sat at my desk in a high-rise downtown, a man dropped down inches from my window, cleaned it, and disappeared to the next floor. This momentary interaction seemed a perfect metaphor for life in many multiethnic American cities where the work of immigrants often goes unnoticed. I hoped to find out more about what motivated these men to spend their working days dangling hundreds of feet in the air. 

Soon after I began filming, I met two brothers, Sergio Polanco and Jaime Polanco, and their cousin, Cruz Guzman. The Polanco brothers came to the United States from García de la Cadena, a small town in Zacatecas, Mexico, and the birthplace of a surprisingly large number of Chicago’s window washers and their families. The brothers and Mr. Guzman are employed by Corporate Cleaning Services, a well-established Chicago window cleaning company that, according to its president, Neal Zucker, requires all of its employees to be in compliance with federal and state guidelines governing employment eligibility. 

Window washers at this company receive health and life insurance benefits through membership in a union, SEIU Local 1, and can typically earn anywhere between $45,000 and $65,000 a year, depending on their skill level and speed. My subjects work as many days a week as they can, assessing weather conditions on a daily if not hourly basis to determine the risk of injury from high winds. Fortunately, because of these precautions and other safety standards, window-washing-related fatalities are few. (According to the International Window Cleaning Association, in the United States, there were a total of 39 deaths between 2002 and 2012.) 

Work continues throughout the year, and even at temperatures just above freezing. In my filming, what came through most was the men’s commitment to creating a better life for their immediate and extended families in the United States and Mexico through hard work and a dedication to an unusual occupation. These values continue to motivate window washers to climb over the ledges of high-rise buildings on many mornings all over the Chicago skyline. 

This video is part of a series produced by independent filmmakers who have received support from the nonprofit Sundance Institute. Nadav Kurtz is a filmmaker based in New York. “Paraíso” screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and has won awards at festivals including the Tribeca Film Festival, A.F.I.-Docs and the Chicago International Film Festival. 

Windows Clean As A Whistle

Jared Geisick of Blu Sky Window Cleaning cleans the windows of the Nevada County Courthouse.

Windows clean as a whistle: In 2006, when single mom Alissa Cimino went looking for a business to buy, a small ad in the newspaper caught her eye: “Window cleaning business for sale.” Cimino, a Nevada County native, was intrigued. She wanted a job that would allow her some flexibility and give her time with her kids. “I thought to myself, ‘I grew up on a ranch — I’m not afraid of hard work — how hard could it be?’” she said. “But after purchasing the business, I realized there was one thing I hadn’t taken into account — I’m afraid of heights.”

As it turns out, the business of window cleaning routinely involves tall ladders and scaffolding — two things Cimino still does her best to avoid. Yet her fear of heights ending up serving as the motivator to hire a staff that was licensed, bonded, insured and highly trained, which meant she could streamline the job training process. She took the plunge and bought top-notch equipment and a $1 million insurance policy and required her team to have criminal background checks and undergo drug testing — something rarely done in the business. She offered senior discounts, free estimates and included cleaning tracks, sills, screens and frames at no extra charge. It paid off.

Cimino’s business, Blu Sky Window Cleaning, now has more than 220 commercial accounts all over Nevada County. They also service residential and industrial properties in addition to many government buildings, such as the Nevada County Courthouse, the Nevada Irrigation District’s offices and the Public Defender’s Office.

There are now three trucks and five employees, who generally work in teams of two — one cleans inside while the other cleans outside simultaneously, which cuts the cleaning time in half, Cimino said. When needed — such as in homes — the staff uses drop cloths and wears booties so dirt is not left behind.
 

Blu Sky cleans exterior glass with deionized water, which does not cause spotting or a mineral residue. Each truck is equipped with water tanks with sand beds that leach out the minerals. One of the company’s key jobs is removing hard water stains from windows and shower doors.

They buy “huck” towels — which are 100 percent cotton — in 100-pound boxes. “Over the years, glass has become more and more scientifically advanced,” said Cimino. “We have to be sure we’re using the right solution on the right glass. We clean it down to the pore.” Blu Sky is a “green company” and uses no chemicals, Cimino said. If a window is not performing well, Blu Sky will research the warranty, and help clients get a replacement or repair.

The company has also recently teamed up with California Solar Electric Company to clean solar panels, including a free cleaning with installation. If it rains the day after your windows are cleaned and there is new spotting, Blu Sky will fix it at no cost.

Cimino said the rest of her staff are all males because “there just aren’t that many women who are into dirt, webs, lizards and spiders.” When she’s out on a job with her staff, Cimino says it’s not uncommon for clients to assume one of the men is in charge. “My staff always has to gesture toward me,” she said. “They’ll say, ‘Talk to her — she’s the boss.”

Western Australian Height Workers Let Down By Anchors

Don't look down: report suggests safety of almost half workers at height in WA could be at risk.

Half of Western Australias height workers could be at risk: Almost half of WA's maintenance workers are risking their lives on top of Perth's tall buildings due to unfit safety devices, according to a peak safety industry body.

In a study 268 out of 608 roof anchors, used to connect a worker's safety harness to a building, were found to be incorrectly installed and useless in the event of a fall, a recent audit of Perth buildings revealed. The Working At Heights Association audit included a cross-section of both single and multi-storey commercial premises throughout Perth, including universities, warehouses, retail stores and offices.

The audit found that buildings with unfit safety devices varied in age and there was no difference between equipment installed recently or over time. Those at risk included maintenance workers who are required to work from height such as painters, window cleaners and repairman.

WAHA secretary Gordon Cadzow said said it showed that height safety is often overlooked outside the construction industry and "desperately hoped" the findings would bring change to the regulation of safety device installation. "20 Australians are killed at work by falls from height each year - a figure that has remained constant over the last eight years," he said.

While falls from height remains of the biggest causes of workplace death, no data is collected on whether unfit safety devices are to blame, Mr Cadzow said. "The problem is that it's not being policed," he said. "The statistics aren't able to tell you whether inadequate fall prevention systems contributed to the final outcome." Mr Cadzow said there was no penalty for the incorrect installation of safety devices.

One in three safety devices unfit to save lives (by Kevin Jones): On September 3 2013 I will be on a panel in Sydney discussing issues associated with working at heights. Below is a media release (not yet available online) about the panel and some recent data on working at heights risks. The quotes are mine. Inaction by policy makers is putting lives at risk and now, says a peak safety industry body, there are the numbers to prove it.

On September 3 2013 I will be on a panel in Sydney discussing issues associated with working at heights. Below is a media release (not yet available online) about the panel and some recent data on working at heights risks. The quotes are mine. Inaction by policy makers is putting lives at risk and now, says a peak safety industry body, there are the numbers to prove it.

The Working At Heights Association (WAHA) will host a crisis summit on Tuesday at The Safety Show Sydney, where it will reveal that one in three roof anchors are unfit for use. Of the 3245 anchors audited by association members over the last three months, 2260 were deemed unusable.

Part of the problem, says WAHA secretary Gordon Cadzow, has been the lack of awareness of the number of inadequate safety systems on Australia’s rooftops.

“Falls from height are one of Australia’s biggest causes of workplace deaths but the statistics aren’t able to tell you whether inadequate fall prevention systems contributed to the final outcome,” Mr Cadzow explains.

Twenty Australians are killed at work by falls from height each year – a figure that has remained almost constant over the last eight years.

OHS commentator and author of the SafetyAtWorkBlog, Kevin Jones, says height safety is often overlooked.

“The ‘fails’ identified by members of WAHA are of great concern and shine a light on an area of construction and maintenance services that few of us ‘ground dwellers’ really consider or understand,” Mr Jones says.

Regulators, too, seem to have a blind spot when it comes to safe work at heights outside the construction industry, says Mr Cadzow.

“The regulators will tell you that the law mandates the job has to be done properly by a competent person,” Cadzow says. “The problem is that it’s not being policed.”

The alarming survey results offer a serious challenge for Safe Work Australia, regulators and OHS decision makers, says Kevin Jones.

“WAHA’s survey is trying to get us to look up and not only to look but to see,” Mr Jones says. “Working at heights is an acknowledged hazard in the construction industry but remains a ‘hazard in progress’ in others. WAHA’s data should start a safety conversation but the test of the survey’s value will be what solutions are offered. Discussion must always lead to action, particularly on safety matters.”

Gordon Cadzow desperately hopes Tuesday’s summit will bring change. Prominent OHS lawyer and author, Michael Tooma will facilitate public discussion and a panel of experts including representatives from WorkCover NSW, construction, international height safety bodies, the occupational health and safety sector and WAHA itself.

“Our association was established years ago after a fatality and we continue to dedicate our efforts to stop it happening again,” Mr Cadzow says. “There’s nothing like a death to make you think in a different way.”

The fall prevention industry crisis summit will include an open discussion and, at its conclusion, WAHA will ask for a show of support from the public. Attendance is free but organisers say seating is limited.

Q & A With South Africas "Window Lady"

The Window lady is a bloke.

Thabang’s unconventional business venture: Having spotted a gap in the market, Thabang Mazibuko took advantage and launched his own window washing company. Mazibuko set out to provide an innovative service to households and businesses after quitting a senior level sales position with a reputable company. His company, The Window Lady, is now 12-years-old and Mazibuko has no regrets by taking the plunge and venturing into entrepreneurship has paid off well for him. With a mission statement that reads, “To transform an industry known for high staff turnover, low standards and low self-esteem, into an effective and efficient industry through training and fair remuneration,” it’s no wonder Mazibuko has two SAB KickStart National Awards to his name.

How did the idea of starting a window washing company come to you?
I saw a lot of window cleaning company specialising in commercial buildings. So I did my research and found out that there are no household window cleaning services in the market.  In 2000, I started the Window Lady, then in June 2001, launched the company.

What research did you do?
I looked at who my clientele would be, what equipment I would need, best pricing and the service levels that customers would expect.

What challenges did you come across?
We encountered several issues. The first was trust. We clean windows both in and outside homes, so our customers would tend to be sceptical about crime. The second was payment, some of our customers would make payment on a 60/90 days payment agreement while some would not pay at all. Lastly we’ve had to work on our brand, who we are, where we come from and define who we do the windows for.

What should an entrepreneur looking to go into a similar business consider?
They must look at their reputation, because the majority of customers will look for a window cleaning background and service history. And you have to be able to show you know what you are doing.

What is your company’s vision?
The Window Lady’s motto is to exceed the customers’ expectations!

How is the business doing?
Despite the difficulties we have come across – from most household and business premises downsizing due to financial and economic pressure – we are still doing exceptionally well.

How receptive has the market been to your business?
I have received excellent responses from both commercial and domestic businesses. It’s a dynamic business, that revolves from time to time, and we get new customers through referrals all the time.

When you started out, did you have a business plan?
I had a business plan, and also raised the capital. I also arranged all the necessary equipment, trained the staff and really did my ground work exploring specific customers to target and advertising opportunities.

Who helped you draft the plan?
I was previously working at a senior level in a sales environment, and before I left my full-time position, I gathered as much relevant information as possible.

What are your future plans?
I’m planning to establish myself in both Pretoria and the Vaal by 2015. I also want to revisit my branches in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, possibly through joint ventures and gradually to stand alone. I was forced to close down these operations in 2010 because of the market.

How do you market your business?
We use various social media platforms, Estate magazine, billboards but most importantly, word of mouth.

Is your business making a profit?
I made profit in this business in my first year, and reinvested the money back to the business. In the five years he’s been running, Mazibuko has won the SAB Kickstart National Awards for two years in a row. Even during the economic meltdown, we managed to make a sustainable profit.

How many people do you employ?
Between 2005 and 2010, we had 48 employees in both Gauteng, Western Cape and KZN. However we have currently downsized to just eight employees after closing our Cape Town and KwaZulu-Natal operations.

The Window Lady cc is a reputable organisation known for excellent service, responsive, happy, innovative staff and satisfied customers. Our mission is to transform an industry known for high staff turnover, low standards and low self-esteem, into an effective and efficient industry through training and fair remuneration. We also aim to empower people to fulfill their aspirations and capabilities through exchange of their honest labour to build a reputation of managing contracts successfully, by continually improving our service levels, and constantly meeting our customer requirements, to upgrade services to meet customer requirements in an ever changing market.To upgrade the technology and knowledge of all personnel through continuous improvement training. To constantly provide cutting edge knowledge and information as per acceptable national and international standards. Achieving customer satisfaction through the combined efforts of planning the infrastructure and executing the projects through our dedicated workforce