Window Cleaners Rescued In Abu Dhabi

Two workers were rescued by Abu Dhabi Police on Monday from falling 15 stories down a building on Salam Street.

Window cleaners rescued from falling 15 floors: Workers taken down using automatic ladder. Abu Dhabi: Two workers were rescued by the Abu Dhabi Police on Monday evening from falling 15 stories down a building on Salam Street on Monday evening. The Asian workers were cleaning the glass windows when the rope supporting their scaffolding suddenly snapped. Rescue workers gave the two men directions to help them steady the scaffolding and prevent it from swinging, revealed Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Ibrahim Al Ameri, Deputy Director of Emergency and Public Safety Department.
Rescue ropes were then wrapped around the workers as they were taken back to the ground using an automatic ladder. Scaffoldings used for cleaning buildings should be regularly maintained to ensure their durability, urged First Lieutenant Abdullah Hamad Al Tamimi, head of the Customer Service Centre at the General Directorate of Civil Defence in Abu Dhabi. These checks will ensure the device’s durability which is essential to avoid any such crashes which are a hazard to the safety of their users as well as those surrounding them, Al Tamimi added.

Two workers were rescued from a window cleaning cradle in Abu Dhabi when one of the ropes snapped.

Workers rescued after cleaning cradle rope snaps: Two workers were rescued from a window cleaning cradle in Abu Dhabi when one of the ropes snapped. The Asian workers had been cleaning the glass of a tall building on Salam Street in the capital on Monday evening when the incident happened. The were rescued by civil defence and police from the 15th floor using a crane. Colonel Mohammed Ibrahim Al Ameri, director of emergency and public safety section at Abu Dhabi Police, said the men had feared they would fall. Emergency services communicated with the workers to instal new ropes and the men were brought down safely.

Abu Dhabi window cleaners rescued from 15-storey fall: The Abu Dhabi Police and the Civil Defence rescued two Asian window cleaners from falling from the 15th floor of a building on Al Salam Street, after one of the ropes of a glass-cleaning scaffold broke, on Monday evening. Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Ibrahim Al Amiri, Director of the Abu Dhabi Police Emergency and Public Safety Directorate, stated that the Operations Room received a call about the incident and that two terrified Asian workers were on board the scaffold. “The Rescue teams immediately started communicating with the workers,” he added. He added, “They assured them that all necessary precautions were being taken by fixing the crane to prevent it from swinging. They explained to the workers how to fix the crane with rescue ropes to prevent it from falling, and finally managed to get them down by mobile ladders.”

Official in dock over fatal plunge: A top official has gone on trial for manslaughter after an accident in which a window-cleaner plunged 17 floors to his death. The 34-year-old Bahraini appeared at the Lower Criminal Court yesterday in connection with the death of Pakistani Mohammed Shafique Siddique who was cleaning the windows of the Al Rossais Tower in the Diplomatic Area when one of the cables of a suspended platform he was working on snapped on May 27. The impact of the fall was so severe that the body of the 47-year-old was not in one piece. Mr Siddique was unable to hold on to anything as he was not wearing safety gear when he was 17 floors up in the air, according to court documents.
The building administrative director has also been accused of violating Labour Ministry rules by using the victim without a work permit, violating safety rules by not providing the safety equipment to the labourer and not maintaining the equipment. Witnesses took to the stand yesterday and said they heard the defendant call Mr Siddique and ask him to do some work in the building on the day of the incident. The judge adjourned the case until December 3 for the submission of defence papers and released the Bahraini from police custody after imposing a travel ban. Witnesses at the scene had earlier said they were shocked when they heard a hysterical scream and a loud thud caused by the impact of the fall. It is understood Mr Siddiqui took on odd jobs part time, but worked for Alia Buildings as a full-time employee. Previous blog on this fall here.