Company & Hospital Fined For Window Washer Death

Company, Hospital Fined For Window Washer Death: A window washing company and Park Nicollet have both been fined in connection with the death of a window washer who died after a three-story fall outside Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park last September. Bryan Prairie, 24, of Plymouth died after the fall on Sept. 2, 2009. Prairie and another co-worker were working near the entrance to the emergency room when they fell. Both Consider It Done Services and Park Nicollet were fined by Minnesota OSHA. Consider It Done was fined $28,750 and Park Nicollet was fined $7,000. Both parties have contested the citation and both cases are open. The next step is Minnesota OSHA will have an informal conference with both parties in hopes of trying to settle the case.

Chris Bemis, owner of CID Services, LLC, the company that was cleaning the windows at the hospital issued the following statement from the company after the incident:
"The young man who passed came to our company this year as a friend of many of the guys on our team. He was working with us while he looked for a job as a nurse. We were afforded a great opportunity to have him be a part of our little family, and we are heartbroken that he is gone. He has a wife and a young son, and our deepest sympathies are with his family now and in the future.
My business partner and friend is lying in a hospital bed, being treated for his injuries. He has always maintained a wonderful sense of kindness and love to all those who have had the opportunity to cross his path, especially his friends. And the young man who has passed was his friend. We know that even during his own recovery, our partner is grieving this tragic loss.
I would finally like to personally thank the staff at Park Nicollet for the part they played In bringing so much compassion and understanding to such a dark day in the lives of so many. It was a touching display of humanity that will stay with us forever. I am particularly grateful for the genuine caring they have shown for the families of those impacted by these tragic events. It is a credit to them as a group and as individuals."

Bryan Prairie (pictured) took the window-washing job to support his family, his father said. The window washer who fell three stories to his death at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park had taken the job this summer while looking for work as a nurse, his father said Friday. Bryan Prairie, 24, of Plymouth, was dead by the time rescue personnel arrived after he and a co-worker fell from scaffolding along the 40-foot-tall building about 3 p.m. Thursday. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office has not released the man's name, but Bill Prairie confirmed Friday that the dead man was his son.
Prairie was working for Consider It Done Cleaning to support his wife and 5-month-old son, his father said. The young man, who graduated from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., had just passed his nursing boards in July after earning degrees in biology and nursing. The other man who fell was alert and talking soon after the accident, and was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

R.I.P. Bryan Prairie + Window Cleaning News

R.I.P. Bryan Prairie: Man confirms window washer who died was his son: Bryan Prairie took the window-washing job to support his family, his father said. The window washer who fell three stories to his death at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park had taken the job this summer while looking for work as a nurse, his father said Friday. Bryan Prairie, 24, of Plymouth, was dead by the time rescue personnel arrived after he and a co-worker fell from scaffolding along the 40-foot-tall building about 3 p.m. Thursday. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office has not released the man's name, but Bill Prairie confirmed Friday that the dead man was his son.
Prairie was working for Consider It Done Cleaning to support his wife and 5-month-old son, his father said. The young man, who graduated from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., had just passed his nursing boards in July after earning degrees in biology and nursing. The other man who fell was alert and talking soon after the accident, and was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
In a statement issued Friday, a co-owner of the New Hope-based window washing company expressed sympathy over Prairie's death. "We were afforded a great opportunity to have him be a part of our little family, and we are heartbroken that he is gone," wrote Chris Bemis, who started the company about 10 years ago when he was in high school. Bemis did not identify the other worker, but said that he was in his 20s and described him as a "dear friend of mine" who has been in the business with him since the start.
The company has a spotless safety record, Bemis said in an interview Friday. "We've never had an incident," he said. "Never had a claim on our general liability. We've never had a broken bone. We've never even had a broken window." Consider It Done has cleaned windows at Park Nicollet for about three years, Bemis said, and "nothing has ever, ever, ever happened." Sign the condolences book here or here.

GANA to Provide Resources to WIndow Cleaners: Window washers should be prepared for a number of new glass resources that may be coming their way. Greg Carney, technical director of the Glass Association of North America (GANA), noted during the GANA Tempering Division Construction Subcommittee that GANA continues to communicate with the International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA). Carney added, “I’d say our discussions today are in a positive light.” This topic was once again under discussion during GANA’s Fall Conference, taking place this week at the Embassy Suites in Kansas City, Mo.
Carney noted that the IWCA has formed a task group for the sole purpose of meeting with GANA to talk about the issues at hand. This spring, Carney met with IWCA representatives and discussed several potential joint activities. Among those activities were: potentially developing a glass information bulletin (GIB) on best practices for fabricating heat strengthened and fully tempered glass; developing requirements for recommended window cleaning program; evaluating alternative cleaning methods jointly; updating the GANA glass cleaning documents to differentiate between using scrapers and using a small razor blade upon glass. I’d like to see us have the first conference call to talk about these issues,” Carney commented to the division members, who seemed to agree on this point. The GANA Fall Conference continues through this afternoon.

Window cleaning uses less water than taking a shower: While the Comox Valley is in Stage 2 water restrictions few residents are aware of how this affects businesses. As stated on the Regional District Website residents cannot wash sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, exterior windows, or exterior building surfaces; however, businesses in the valley are exempt from this bylaw.
Dwayne Robertson, owner of Shine-Eze Window Care, continues to work during this period, but has adjusted his business to restrict his water usage. On average Dwayne's crew of six uses 8 to 10 gallons of water a day - about the same or less than an average shower and far less than what a business such as a restaurant would use in a day. Dwayne also offers siding cleaning as part of his business but suggests customers not to have it cleaned during the summer months when water usage is a concern. In light of the Stage 2 restrictions Dwayne urges you to stick with the professionals when cleaning windows.

Different Angle: Ads are here to stay, like it or not: Sometimes I wonder if the way they advertise on TV bothers anyone else. For example, you’re engrossed in a really good movie and it comes to the most touching part and suddenly a stupid ad comes on. There are a string of ads that seem to last forever, then about five minutes of the movie and then another bunch of ads. What makes it even worse, some channels keep showing the same ones over and over until you want to scream. I’ve started muting the ads and reading the paper or working a crossword puzzle. The worst thing I do is switch over and watch another channel, get interested in that program and miss a crucial part of the movie, or maybe even the end. Even I have to admit they really have variety when it comes to commercials. They have singing ones, dancing ones, talking dogs and cats. There are talking birds for a window cleaning ad and a dog skateboarding for another.

City of Miracles: New Yorkers make comebacks after terrible tragedies -Heavenly recovery: Watching Alcides Moreno's three children gently chase him around his backyard, it's hard to imagine he plunged 47 stories from a Manhattan building less than two years ago.His recovery has been long and painful and might never be complete. But his doctors and family agree: The fact that he has come this far is astonishing. "It can be a lot sometimes, but looking at him, alive with his children, he's still our miracle," said Moreno's wife, Rosario. Moreno and his brother were washing windows along E. 66th St. when their 3-foot platform inexplicably went hurtling 500 feet to the ground.
Edgar Moreno was killed in the accident. But Alcides Moreno, 38, was sitting up and semi-conscious when rescue workers arrived. He suffered injuries to his brain, abdomen and chest, broke both his legs and an arm and fractured his ribs. Doctors at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell performed 16 operations on Moreno during his six weeks there, and many more followed. While he has come so far since the accident, Moreno still struggles.
"He's just trying to live a normal life," said Rosario Moreno, who supports the family with her job as a team leader at Union County Superior Criminal Court. "He has a hard time concentrating. Sometimes, you need to repeat stuff to him and at times he can't say some words."
Moreno takes medication for depression, his wife said, and has temporarily stopped going to physical therapy even though he has more surgeries ahead on his ankle and legs. Still, his wife and kids feel blessed to have him home. "He's not the same person," Rosario Moreno said, "but he has the same determination to keep going."

My journey deep into the heart of Glenn Beck country began when I caught a glimpse of the sobbing commentator on TV while waiting for a plane. I thought he was a televangelist at first, but it seems that he is instead a true patriot who can't suffer the reckless destruction of his beloved country by a racist African American president, among others, without tears.
"Join a Glenn Beck Meetup Group near Los Angeles," said one site, which listed fan clubs and details about tea parties and other gatherings in the name of liberty and freedom. "I'm a hard-working American guy that wants to be able to worship Jesus Christ, go shooting, say what I want and enjoy life," wrote the Santa Clarita group organizer, Jason Hole. "By the way," he added, "our government is preparing for civil unrest right now. I've seen documentation that states people will be considered terrorists if they wear blue jeans and talk excessively about the constitution. You're thinking I'm a kook, right? Look it up and you'll find it to be true."
When I called Hole, who works as a window washer, I could hear his squeegee in the background. "Glenn Beck is expressing what everybody is feeling," he told me. And what is that, exactly? That the country has moved away from the core values of the Founding Fathers. Hole said that he had "studied under" a guy he met at a gym and that this teacher opened his eyes to the abuse of federal authority, which President Obama will only make worse. Hole said Obama has a "socialist, communist, fascist agenda" that must be stopped, because we're headed for tyranny and "fleeing from everything in the Constitution." He also said that when taxes are taken out of his paycheck, "that is stealing."
I pointed out that he had driven to work on roads paid for by those taxes, but he wasn't about to be diverted. He said he opposed a public option as part of healthcare reform, but said he was planning to switch to another private healthcare plan because of disappointment with his current provider, which isn't covering the care he needs. And what about the tears? Does Hole believe Beck is weeping or pandering? "I think you're right about the crying," Hole said. "The guy is an actor." There's another thing Hole doesn't like about Beck, he admitted. "Beck has said that anyone who has questions about 9/11 should be in prison." Beck, he explained, doesn't believe it was an "inside job" involving U.S. agents. And Hole does? "I know it was an inside job," he said.

Arizona: ID theft capital of America - Shawn Dugan, 50, a window washer, ex-convict and methamphetamine addict, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in January for a five-month crime spree, during which he made fake checks using his customers' account information, which he then cashed using false IDs, or simply inflated the amounts of legitimate checks he received.
Dugan, whose plea agreement for fraud included dropping an aggravated ID theft charge, was turned over to police by his employees — whom he paid with fraudulent checks. In Dugan's case, police found false IDs, check stock, checking-making computer software, and other people's bank account information in his home. In the end, Dugan was ordered to pay more than $17,000 in restitution to four individuals, six banks and five businesses. In at least one case, the victim was not only reimbursed for the amount of the fraudulent check, but the $363 in insufficient funds fees the bank charged her.

Window cleaner in insurance claim con: A SCARBOROUGH man made a fraudulent insurance claim for a non-existent burglary at his East Ayton home in a bid to fight the recession, a court heard. Philip Milner, 39, now of Shelton Road, was paid out £3,000 on his insurance policy but police investigations eventually revealed the truth. The self-employed window cleaner, appeared at York Crown Court for sentencing, after he previously admitted a charge of fraud.

9/11: The Twin Towers Friday, BBC Knowledge, 20:30: A powerful two-part documentary about the bombing of the Twin Towers on September 11 2001. The programme, which coincides with the eighth anniversary of this attack, comprises news footage and the stories of the survivors, some of which we have never heard, like the window cleaner who saved people by loading them on his lift. It is compelling stuff, exploring an event that forever altered the way we live.

Minneapolis Window Cleaner Fatal Fall - Washington D.C. Scaffold Collapse

Window washer dies in fall in St. Louis Park: A window washer was killed Friday afternoon after falling from the roof at the Knollwood Park Apartments in St. Louis Park. The St. Louis Park fire and police departments arrived at the complex, in the 3600 block of Phillips Parkway, at 2:15 p.m. after 911 calls from the scene. A man working as part of a window washing crew fell at least 80 feet from the roof of the eight-story building. No one else was injured. The victim, who worked for an independent contractor, was part of a crew of at least two people, said Jamie Zwilling, a spokesman for the city of St. Louis Park. His name has not been released.

Zwilling said the cause of the accident wasn't clear and would be investigated. Knollwood Place is a 151-unit independent-living senior building. In September 2009, a window washer fell three stories to his death at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park. Bryan Prairie of Plymouth had taken that job for the summer while looking for work as a nurse. Six months earlier, in March, Jacob J. Jennings, 20, of Coon Rapids, fell about 30 feet to his death while working as a window washer at an office tower near Interstate 494 and Normandale Boulevard in Bloomington.

St. Louis Park Window Washer Dies in 8-Story Fall: St. Louis Park officials say a window washer was killed on Friday after falling from the roof of an 8-story building. Both the fire and police departments responded to the Knollwood Place Apartments -- a 151-unit independent senior living building located in the 3600 block of Phillips Parkway -- at about 2:15 p.m. Officials sad a man working as part of a window washing crew fell, and an investigation into the accident is under way. City spokesman Jamie Zwilling said the man died on impact. No other injuries were reported.

Window washers rescued in D.C. after platform collapses: Rescue harnesses potentially saved the lives of two window washers in Northwest D.C. on Saturday after their platform collapsed, officials say. Fire authorities say that the platform collapse occurred at about 11 a.m. outside the 4th floor of an 11-story building at the IMF building at 1924 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. A Washington D.C. Fire spokesperson says that the workers fell but were saved by their harnesses. An EMS technical rescue team brought them to safety and they were taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

R.I.P. Ryan Shannon

A window washer by day, but a musician at heart: Ryan Shannon's family hopes he's remembered for so much more than the window-washing accident that took his life at 25. Bob Shannon wants his son remembered as much more than a window washer killed in a tragic accident.

Ryan J. Shannon, 25, of Roseville, was identified Sunday as the man who died Friday when he fell from the roof of a St. Louis Park apartment building, where he was working with a window-washing crew. Shannon's energy and passion for music were his defining traits, his father said Sunday. He recalled what happened when the family bought Ryan an electric guitar when he was 12. "A big light went on," he said. Ryan learned to play it, along with drums, banjo and piano.

Ryan Shannon grew up in Roseville and graduated from Roseville Area High School in 2004. He'd recently earned a two-year degree/certification from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. In addition to working as a window washer, he was an admissions counselor for Record Now, a recording arts school in Falcon Heights. Shannon's latest project was a band formed with friends last year called the Wize Bison.

"To all Wize Bison friends, thank you so much for supporting us and rocking out at our shows. It made Ryan so happy to look down at the crowd and see people enjoying our music. He was the energy behind Wize Bison and this band wouldn't have existed without him. He will never be forgotten, please keep his family in your prayers and Ryan in your memories."

His older brother, Bobby Shannon (2nd from left), lead singer for Wize Bison, said the band mostly did rock covers, but Ryan (2nd from right) had started to write original songs. "He was a big rocker -- he had so much energy, so much spirit," his brother said. Both as a child and an adult, Ryan Shannon also loved to play soccer, his family said. To earn extra money, he'd been cleaning windows with the Squeegee Squad for about a year, his father said, adding, "Window washing was just something that he did to make a few bucks in between his music."

At 2 p.m. Friday, Ryan fell from the roof of the eight-story Knollwood Place Apartments in St. Louis Park. The Hennepin County medical examiner ruled his death an accident. An investigation continues. Joe Antonello (pictured), owner of Twin Cities Squeegee Squad franchises, said in an e-mail Sunday, "We are deeply saddened by Friday's tragic accident," calling Shannon a "highly esteemed" employee.

Services are tentatively set for 10 a.m. Thursday at St. John's Church of Little Canada, with visitation to be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Roseville Memorial Chapel. Shannon is not the only Twin Cities area resident to die in such an accident in recent times. In September 2009, Bryan Prairie of Plymouth fell to his death at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park. Six months earlier, Jacob Jennings, 20, of Coon Rapids, fell to his death while working as a window washer in Bloomington.

New Minnesota OSHA Standard For Window Washers

New Minnesota OSHA Standard for Window Washers: The state of Minnesota is handing down new standards to help make the job of window washing safer. In November, the FOX 9 Investigators exposed frequent safety shortcuts by crews working in the metro. Three men washing windows have died in the past three years. OSHA reports say their deaths could have been prevented with more training and proper use of safety equipment and procedures.

The new Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MNOSHA) standard is designed to increase worker protection and provide clarity for contractors that perform interior or exterior window-washing or building-maintenance operations. It applies to workers that are suspended more than 14 feet above grade.

The standard requires employers to have a comprehensive written safety plan and provide employee training for window-washing and building-maintenance activities. It also addresses and outlines worker safety requirements in the areas of:

• Anchors and anchor points;
• Appropriate recordkeeping regarding employee training and retraining;
• Fall protection;
• Proper care, use and inspection of equipment;
• Rope descent systems; and
• Visual inspections of building exteriors before work begins.

"This new standard ensures a plan is in place to reduce risks to workers and that systems are in place to identify and control workplace hazards," said Commissioner Ken Peterson, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI). "The goal is to prevent accidents." MNOSHA began a local emphasis inspection program for the window-washing and building-maintenance industry in October 2010. Since then, MNOSHA has conducted 34 window-washing inspections: one was a complaint, one was a fatality and 32 were part of the emphasis program, where investigators may stop and conduct an inspection when they observe window-washing activity.

During these inspections, MNOSHA investigators found some worksites lacked proper safety equipment for employees cleaning windows. Also, not all employers were complying with existing MNOSHA safety standards or following the manufacturer's guidelines about how to safely use suspension scaffolds and lifelines. Employers can get information about the new standard via the DLI website (click on the "Standards" tab) or by calling MNOSHA Compliance at (651) 284-5050. The new safety standard for window-washers takes effect March 1, 2012. Click here for pdf file download.

Minnesota tightens rules to reduce risks for window washers: State safety officials are acting to make it safer for window washers to do their jobs. It's a profession that has suffered three on-the-job deaths in Minnesota since 2009.

Tony DeMaio, Matt Carlson and Jose Munoz of Columbia Building Services washed windows at the Thrivent Financial Building in June.

Minnesota tightens rules to reduce risks for window washers: The Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MnOSHA) said Monday that it is tightening requirements for employers in the areas of equipment inspections and training for window washers who work 14 feet or higher above ground but not on a ladder.

The new standards take effect March 1 and are designed to "reduce risks to workers and [ensure] that systems are in place to identify and control workplace hazards," said Ken Peterson, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. MnOSHA has intensified window-washing worksite inspections since October 2010. In the 34 inspections since then, the agency found a lack of proper safety equipment and improper use of suspension scaffolds and lifelines at some sites.

The most recent death occurred in June, when window washer Ryan J. Shannon, 25, of Roseville, fell from the roof of an eight-story St. Louis Park apartment building, where he was working with a crew. In September 2009, Bryan Prairie, of Plymouth, fell to his death at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park. Six months earlier, Jacob Jennings, 20, of Coon Rapids, fell and died washing windows in Bloomington.

Ryan Wagner, operations manager for StarBrite Cleaning Services in St. Louis Park, defended his industry as "very safe ... if you do everything right. You can train for as long as you want, but it still comes down to that person. ... They have a checklist they have to go through." Wagner said he suspects that OSHA is "feeling pressure to do something" because of the recent deaths.

"From a company point of view, let alone personal, ... you don't want to lose somebody," said Wagner, who added that his company hasn't had an accident in its 27 years of existence. "I've been doing this for nine years, and I've never felt unsafe." Minnesota Labor and Industry spokesman James Honerman said that Minnesota's new regulation came as a result of the three window washer deaths and a maintenance worker who fell and died in 2007 while clearing snow from the IDS building.

The new rules should help prevent further falls. "Things we found during the initial inspections is that not all employees were being afforded the right to work safely," Honerman said. "This new standard requires comprehensive written safety plans and the need to provide workers training for window washing and safety. It talks specifically about the equipment they use and how to properly use that equipment and inspect that equipment."

Honerman added that window washers are not certified or licensed in the state of Minnesota. Some labor unions and advocacy groups have pushed for a national certified training program. For now, under the new MnOSHA standards, it's the individual building owner and window cleaning contractors who must provide a written safety plan and offer window washers training. Licensing requirements for workers do not fall under OSHA's jurisdictions, Honerman said.

High Rise Window Cleaning - Twin Cities Investigation

Green Window Cleaning Services owner Jeff Scott and reporter Trish Van Pilsum descend a 15-story condo building in Madison, Wisconsin.

Investigators: A Window Washer's World: The center of the city shines only because there are a few workers who will brave any height to keep it that way. There are only about 100 high rise window washers in the Twin Cities area, but four have died since 2007. Julie Jennings' son, Jake, is one of those who died in March of 2009. He was working at the Normandale Lakes Office Park in Bloomington and fell after the line tying him to the building he was cleaning slipped from its anchor. Julie feels that her son should have been better trained. She fears for other window washers who are just starting their careers and doesn't want any other famliy to go through what she has in the last two years. " It is the worst thing in the world. I will never get over it," said Julie.

The other 3 fatal accidents:

• Dec. 2007: Fidel Sanchez-Flores fell to his death while cleaning ice from the top of the IDS Crystal Court in Minneapolis.
• Sept. 2009: Bryan Prairie, 24, fell from a roof at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park.
• June 2011: Ryan Shannon, 25, died after falling from Knollwood Place Apartments in St. Louis Park.

"A hundred people and four deaths in four years -- it is an insane number," said Javier Morillo-Alicea, President of SEIU Local 26. "If you applied that to any other industry it would be a scandal." Minnesota OSHA increased the number of inspections on Oct. 1, 2010 due to the deaths. The checks have turned up potentially deadly hazards including:

• Tie backs not being securely fastened to outrigger beams
• Inadequate anchorage systems
• Counterweights not of sufficeient weight
• Washer not protected by a safety belt.

Window Washer Safety Culture in Twin Cities: According to the International Window Cleaning Association, Minnesota has had the highest rate of window washing accidents in the United States since 2007. This fall, the IWCA came to the Twin Cities, hoping to educate fellow washers on safety issues -- but the safety conference was poorly attended. The FOX 9 Investigators called several of the companies that didn't show up. They said they either didn't know about it or were too busy to attend. When asked about training, several window washers told the FOX 9 Investigators they were either trained for only a short amount of time or just had on-the-job training when they began their careers.

Going Over the Wall: FOX 9 Investigator, Trish Van Pilsum wanted to draw attention to the issue of safety, so she found out what it is like to go over the wall -- the parapet wall that is. Jeff Scott, owner of Green Window Cleaning in Madison, Wis., agreed to help Trish experience what window washers go through on a daily basis. He did not train her as he would the cleaners that work for him because that would have taken months of lessons and testing. Instead, he prepared her to repel down the side of a 15-story building in Madison with no cleaning duties. No safety measure was spared. She used a bosun's chair, work line and safety line.

Window washers say the set up for equipment on top of the 31-story Ameriprise Financial Center in downtown Minneapolis is one of the best in Twin Cities.

There are several I-bolt anchors atop the 31-story Ameriprise Financial Center in Minneapolis for window washers to attach their lifelines and work lines.

Two window washers descend down the Federal Bank Reserve in Minneapolis.

Jake Jennings died two years ago in Bloomington after falling from a building where he was washing windows. His mother (pictured with him here) wants to see changes that make window washing jobs safer for all workers. There are been a total of four window washer fatalities since 2007 in the Twin Cities.

There are an estimated 100 high-rise window cleaners in the Twin Cities. They make between $14/hour to $21/hour on average.

Washers in Minneapolis use a suspended scaffold --also known as a swing stage -- to clean windows.

Tony Gesino has been washing windows for the last 8 years.

Window cleaning professional Jeff Scott explains the lifeline and work lines reporter Trish Van Pilsum will be using to scale down a 15-story condo building in Madison, Wis.