UK Window Cleaning News

On a ledge five metres up a window cleaner with a death wish, a closer look reveals the narrowness of the ledge.

Another mad window cleaner: Spotted in London, UK , a man cleaning windows from a narrow unprotected ledge around five metres in the air. The man was cleaning the windows above the Blanche Eatery in Kensington Church Street, West London. He had obviously climbed out onto the ledge from window and is trying to hang on to the stonework. The slightest wrong move and he would have fallen onto the pavement below. While he may well have killed himself, he could easily have landed on a pedestrian and killed or injured them instead! The ledge is so narrow he has to splay his feet sideways to fit them on it.

Health & Safety Stays At The NEC - The Health & Safety Event (11th - 13th March 2014 - NEC, Birmingham): Reducing downtime by keeping staff safe and healthy is fundamental to business success. However, 9.6 million work days are lost each year as a result of employees suffering from the 'winter blues' according to new research from Epson. The survey of over 1,000 UK office workers, carried out by Opinium, found that 20% of Brits admit to calling in sick because of Seasonal Affective Disorder. At the new Health & Safety Event, which launches at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre (NEC) on 11-13th March 2014, you can discover solutions to keep your workforce safe and healthy, and seek advice on how to boost motivation levels.

Innovative products and services from over 100 leading suppliers will be showcased at the Exhibition, and industry experts will deliver thought-provoking presentations on topical health and safety issues at the FREE Conference, which is supported by the British Safety Council. Optimising machine and building efficiency are also key to reducing business downtime, which is why The Health & Safety Event is co-locating with leading maintenance, plant and asset management event MAINTEC 2014 - now in its 39th year - and Facilities Management 2014, the main event for facilities managers. With one badge providing access to three FREE shows, you and your colleagues can visit over 350 of the most respected suppliers in these sectors all under one roof. Pre-register to attend The Health & Safety Event.

Man threw sausage roll at Plymouth shop worker in rage: A sausage roll was thrown at a shop worker when a disgruntled customer flew into a rage over 50p, a court heard. Plymouth magistrates’ court was told that Benjamin Davis, 31, shouted expletives and threw a sausage roll at staff after being told his coin was no longer legal. He admitted the charge of using abusive or insulting words to cause alarm or distress, but denied throwing the pastry. She said the defendant used loose change to pay for his goods but was told by the cashier that he had given her a 50-pence piece which was out of date.

Davis, of Mount Gould Road, began swearing abusively at her and other shop staff, heard the court. Ms Searle said he was asked to leave the premises but instead snatched back his change and then threw a sausage roll in the direction of one of the employees. She added: “He shouted, ‘You better watch yourself’, which the manager perceived as a threat towards her and the staff. "They were shocked and alarmed by the behaviour.”

Davis also pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of controlled drugs, including amphetamine, cannabis and diazepam. The drugs had been found in his house on October 8 last year after police secured a warrant to search his property. The court was told that Davis took drugs for pain relief after he fell off a ladder while working as a window cleaner more than two years ago.

Alex Travers, representing Davis, said: “These offences were health and pain related. At the shop, he says he was feeling short-tempered because of the pain.” District Judge Davison told the defendant that his actions had been unacceptable. He said: “Of all the things I have been told about you, the behaviour in the Spar shop is the most concerning. “You can tell yourself that behaviour like that is down to pain suffering but do not expect the court to accept that. “There is no need for people working in shops to be subject to such disgraceful behaviour.” He issued a 12-month community order with Davis to attend a drug engage programme. The benefits claimant was ordered to pay costs of £85 and a £60 victim surcharge. The drugs seized from his home were ordered to be destroyed.

Window cleaner Dave Bird, from Winsford, surprised even himself after coming through the Professional Darts Corporation’s qualifying school on Thursday to win a tour place. The 34-year-old, who has broken into the Cheshire A team in the past 12 months, began with a win over two-time major quarter finalist Mark Hylton. He saw off Andrew Johnson and Kevin Voornhout before enjoying a 5-1 win over Steve Hine, who has previously played in the UK Open’s last eight. On a roll, Bird went on to defeat Ian McFarlane without dropping a leg and bettered Brian Woods 5-3 in a decider to win a tour card at the end of only his second day of professional competition. “I’m astonished,” he said. “I always thought it was possible that I’d win a tour card as I know what I can do, but I’m speechless to have done it in two days at Q School.

“Reaching the last 32 on the first day really helped me, and even though I was playing some pretty big names today I kept focused on my darts. “I just shut up shop and didn’t let who I was playing bother me. Luckily it came good!” He added: “I’ve only been playing for eight years and in the past 12 months or so I’ve made it into the Cheshire team and played alongside a few guys who play on the PDC circuit like Stuart Kellett and Dave Pallett. “I’ll join them in the PDC now and see how the year goes. “I’m fortunate enough that my boss is one of my biggest fans; since I started working for him he’s helped out giving me time off to play darts. I hope that continues now!”

Concerns have been raised over the safety of windows in Southend tower blocks after it was revealed panes of glass could fall out. South Essex Homes, which manages the flats for Southend Council, has put screws in to stop the windows opening more than a few inches, even though the double glazing was only fitted about five years ago. The housing association says residents will face eviction if they defy the move, which is also designed to prevent tenants throwing bulky items from the windows. Many tenants in the notorious Quantock flats, one of those affected, are fuming that they can’t get enough air in or clean their windows and have demanded they are replaced so they can use them properly.

Rachel Ringer, 85, on the fourth floor of the building, which has 105 flats, has avoided the order because she owns her own flat. She said: “I was told it was to stop people throwing things out the window. “There have been TVs, videos and even stews thrown out while I have been here, but there was one man on the 13th floor cleaning his window when the whole pane fell out and luckily he went backwards or would have gone with it.” She said the council said she would have to comply but, as a leaseholder, she felt she could resist it.

Rose Chapman, 81, who lives on the third floor, complained to South EssexHomes, after her windows were restricted. She said: “You can only open it two notches now. “There is no way I can properly clean the outside of the windows now and in the summer it will get too hot. “They have warned us if we remove the screws we could be thrown out. “All they have said is they will now clean the windows twice a year, instead of once, so we don’t have to bother, but who only cleans their window twice a year? “I have said if the windows are not safe, they should replace them so we can use them properly.”

In response to Mrs Chapman’s complaint, Bradley Staff, of South Essex Homes, replied: “The restrictors were required to be fitted due to health and safety reasons. “It has been found that should the windows be reversed unevenly or left in a reversed position, there is a small risk the pivot pin holding the window may be damaged, resulting in the window becoming unsafe.”

He added, following feedback from residents concerned about being unable to clean their windows, the annual clean at Quantock had been increased to twice yearly. A South Essex Homes spokeswoman said: “The restrictors prevent the windows being pivoted beyond the designed normal ventilation position, but still allow for normal ventilation. “There are no actual faults with the windows, but this has been introduced as a precautionary measure for the safety of residents, which is paramount. “All residents were advised of the need to have these restrictors fitted.”

South Essex Homes has only just brought in the restriction, despite a man nearly plummeting from the 13th floor when a pane fell out nearly four years ago. The man was washing the window of his flat, in Quantock when it fell 13 floors and smashed on the ground. Luckily the stool the man was standing on fell backwards and he avoided injury. It was at least the second time a window fell from the 13th floor. In a previous incident, it happened above the main walkway into the building. Luckily, the woman managed to catch the pane of glass as it slipped out of its frame.

Windows make the difference for apartment blocks: Metal Technology has supplied £500,000 of the System 1-35 Hi+(high insulation) Top Swing Fully Reversible windows for the refurbishment of three apartment blocks for Aberdeen City Council. The overall project was to refurbish three multi storey tower blocks in Balnagask , Aberdeen. The work was undertaken by housing refurbishment specialist Lovell, with installation of the windows carried out by Cumbernauld based CMS Enviro Window Systems.

Approximately 1200 triple-glazed opening vents were installed on three apartment blocks in a programme designed to upgrade the flats' energy efficiency and external appearance. Extra investment in aesthetic values was made with rainscreen cladding adding the final touches. It is a high performance, thermally enhanced top swing window that offers many advantages over other types of window. Easily and safely cleaned from within the building by reversing the window through 180°, the window has safety restrictors built in to ensure that it can be restrained securely in the ventilation or reverse position.

A risk assessment associated with cleaning windows from within a building, BS 8213: Pt.1:1991 (Table 1) rates this type of window as among the safest. Other advantages include the facility to reverse the window through 180° without the window projecting inwards into the room - avoiding possible damage to blinds and curtains. On the Balnagask scheme, the system 1-35Hi+ in conjunction with the correct glass specification achieved a window U value of 1.3W/m2K. Glazing thicknesses of up to 47mm can be accommodated within the system.

Windows cleaned during tram work: People living near tram works in part of Nottingham are getting their windows cleaned for free. Residents close to the former Great Central Railway embankment, which runs through Wilford and Compton Acres, started receiving a monthly window cleaning service in November. It followed concerns about dust and dirt on windows and ledges from the works. The monthly service will be provided until April. Cleaning takes place in the week of January 27 in the Compton Acres and Ruddington Lane areas and in the weeks of February 24, March 24 and April 21.

Olympic Aquatics centre gets ready to open to public in the spring: The new look for the Olympic legacy Aquatics centre with its 2,800 square metres of glass can now be seen at the Olympic Park ready to be opened to the public in the spring.The temporary outdoor seating stands have been removed which were used during the 2012 Games to hold 17,500 spectators. The £251 million world-class venue is staging the 2014 World Diving series and 2016 European Swimming championships. The three pools hold 10 million litres of water and are lined with 180,000 tiles. There are 600,000 tiles in the whole building and 628 panes of glass covering 2,800 square metres.

The glass has a screen printed dot matrix pattern which varies in size to help control daylight and restrict potential glare. Window cleaners will use cherry pickers to reach the high bits. The steel framework of the 145ft high building has hot water running through it like a giant radiator to prevent condensation forming on the glass. The wave-like roof is 430ft long and up to 240ft wide, resting on just three concrete supports, making it a longer single span than Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

Removing temporary Olympic venues has been going on since the autumn as well as creating more open parkland areas. The Copper Box Arena and parts of the North Park opened to the public in July, including the new Timber Lodge community centre, Unity Kitchen café and Tumbling Bay playground. The rest of the park opens to the public this spring.

Bogus window cleaners on the loose in Islington, warn police: Crooks who pose as window cleaners to scope out homes and steal expensive Christmas presents are being targeted by police. Officers have sent out a warning about the bogus workmen, who appear at homes unannounced looking into vacant windows as they clean, or go into homes to clean the inside, then steal valuables. The public is urged to check to ensure that window cleaners have proper identification. Neighbourhood teams will also be patrolling, on the lookout for anything suspicious. Det Con Jason Mayes, from Islington’s burglary and robbery team, said: “At a time just after Christmas and the New Year when the home is likely to be full of new and expensive presents, we have been made aware of an increasing number of bogus callers and distraction burglars. “Burglars posing as window cleaners are entering the homes of elderly and vulnerable members of the public and stealing their possessions. “We are appealing for residents and members of the public to be vigilant and report to us any unusual behaviour.” Call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Man was stabbed in chest following earlier row about cigarettes, Norwich Crown Court hears - A man who was stabbed in the chest by a woman in her flat said the moment was “like something out of a horror movie” a court has heard.Norwich Crown Court heard the 64-year-old complainant had only met Jacquie Duffy a week or so before he was allegedly stabbed in the chest by the defendant in a flat on July 31 last year.

Giving evidence, the complainant, a part-time window cleaner, said both he and Duffy had been drinking at her flat and had gone out to buy tobacco and alcohol. He later returned to her flat where an argument developed as he had got her the wrong cigarettes. The complainant said he was “fed up of her moaning” and went for a lie down on her bed after taking off all his clothes, apart from his socks.

Duffy later joined him on the bed, wearing her pyjamas and a dressing gown, but was later touched by the complainant for what he described as “comfort” rather than for sexual gratification. He said she then got out of bed and went to the living room. The complainant followed Duffy and told Hugh Vass, prosecuting, that it was in the living room where “the knife came out”.

Found on Amazon: Just for laughs..

Gerry Follis private and sexual life of master window cleaner: Gerry Follis was brought up through the Northern Ireland troubles. This is one true remarkable story of A man held wrongly in A mental institution by A disturbed doctor for making A remark to the doctor. Only for good luck the doctor was found out and Gerry was released, came out did two successful television Guinness records for window cleaning speed. After filling his life time ambition turned away millions of pounds including fame to honour his jealous wife. Gerry experienced his own outer-body death experience after he died three minutes from A motorcycle accident at the age of 17, from that day Gerry experienced strange true paranormal behaviour through his life. The second part of this book is in sexual nature. Gerry Follis brings his life experience on women sexual behaviour, Loyalty. Betrayal. Lust. Advance signals. Attraction. Jealousy. And true sexual stories. Read here. More badly written ebooks by the same author here.