Working On The Ledge

Working on the ledge - from the "death wish" series.

Ledge worker: A man was spotted cleaning windows from the narrow window ledges, in central London, UK, recently.  We have few details, but he is clearly working at a height well in excess of eight metres. With seemingly little to stop him falling backwards.

All our correspondent said was: “Saw this whilst working next to a Mace site central London” – short and to the point. Perhaps someone else recognises the spot?  No doubt about it this is one of the worst we have seen in some time and clearly one for our Death Wish series.

While the close up looked bad, when you see the true perspective it is totally crazy.

Business Payments Are Broken Cogs

Example; a window cleaner. He used to take payments via cash and cheque, and his cash flow was terrible because he was constantly reminding clients to pay, popping back to collect a payment because clients are often out, costing him time and fuel.

UK businesses are frustrated by delayed business payments so where is the broken cog? Why oh why does it take so long for payments to reach our bank accounts, frustrated SMEs ask (Small & medium sized enterprises).

Almost half (48%) of SMEs in the UK are frustrated by payments taking too long to reach their bank account, a survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of ACI has found this week. The businesses surveyed also state that these delays are negatively affecting their ability to run their business.

A third of the SMEs surveyed say late payments affect their ability to meet financial obligations on time, 17 % feel that this had a negative impact on staff up-keep including salaries, expense reimbursement and recruitment, and most surprisingly to me, 10 % note access to finance is limited for business requirements such as equipment, product development and research.

What I am asking myself is, how can this be in this day and age? Where is the broken cog?

Let’s take a look at what’s happening here. SMEs are being paid via a variety of mediums, some much slower than others. From cash and cheques to Bacs-based direct debits, predicting when funds will clear in their account and be available to use is a tricky business. They also have to spend a lot of time chasing up missing payments, which means they have less billable time. All this means that their cash flow is unpredictable and their forecasting is often amiss.

Let me use an example. A friend of mine is a window cleaner. He used to take payments via cash and cheque, and his cash flow was terrible because he was constantly reminding clients to pay, popping back to collect a payment because clients are often out, costing him time and fuel. This meant his business was unpredictable and therefore he was declined additional financial services by the bank, as he was seen as too high risk to lend to. He then decided to stop accepting traditional payment types, and switch to bank transfer. As this was a more convenient way for his customers to pay, his cash flow problems improved, and the bank could see he was getting regular payments. This meant his loan for a new van and equipment was approved, and he could then service more customers, and make more money.

The example shows that the more promptly SMEs can receive payment funds in their account, the better their cash flow, the greater their chances are they will be approved for additional financial services and the more profitable their business will be – which is great for SMEs, the economy and actually for the banks who will increase revenue because of increased transaction volumes and loans.

It’s not just SMEs that would benefit from the prompt receipt of funds, this has even bigger implications for corporates. The ability to send and receive funds quickly will give the corporate treasurers the tools to better manage cash-flow forecasting, purchase orders, invoicing and ultimately supply chain risk, improving financial control and, ultimately, profitability.

Benefits to treasurers, in my view, include:

• Discounts – with improved cash flow and positive payment confirmation, corporates could obtain discounts for settling commitments early.

• Terms negotiation – one step further, if a corporate had a history of paying invoices on time or at pre-agreed events, such as shipping and delivery milestones, better contract terms could be negotiated with suppliers, totalling significant savings.

• Reduced reliance on cash, cards and cheques, which are expensive to process.

• Tighter integration between corporate ERP systems and banks’ trade finance and payment systems provides better control, reconciliation and forecasting

Customers, too, will see benefits. For instance:

• An insurance company can approve a claim and have the payment in their customer’s account within seconds.

• A retailer could refund a return in real-time, leaving their customer happy with the service and the money in their bank account.

• Loyalty cards could be linked to the customer’s bank account, so they actually pay with the loyalty card. Faster Payments is cheaper than cards for retailers, so they can reward their customers with more loyalty points as they will have the funds instantly. Only the card schemes lose out.

• Goods can be shipped or taken home as soon as payment is received.

Benefits exist for employees too, especially temporary or hourly paid employees. Firms will be able to calculate pay, then initiate payment on a Friday afternoon knowing staff will have the money in their account for the weekend. Similarly, firms will be able to pay employee’s expenses as soon as they are approved.

So where is the broken cog then? The more banks can do to enable fast, easy-to-use, convenient electronic payments for SMEs and corporates, the more profitable those businesses will be, which in turn will generate more revenue for the banks.

In my view, the UK payments industry is on the cusp of a revolutionary change. With the imminent increase in Faster Payments transaction value, the New Access Model and a forward-thinking mindset, the UK will be at the forefront of electronic payments.

Can You Skip This Window?

Pull the covers over you and pretend you're asleep.

10 things you can do if your window cleaner catches you in the middle of sex: 13% of window cleaners have interrupted British couples having sex- so we take a look at your options if this happens:

Move into another room- Find another room in the house and CLOSE THE CURTAINS, then resume position. They will know what you're doing but at least they don't have to see your blurry silouhettes in the background while they soap the glass.

Shut the blinds- They've probably seen it all now but to save your blushes when they ask you for their fee- make sure you have some time to finish up and throw on a robe in privacy.

Laugh and wave- If you didn't laugh you would cry with embarrassment so just have a good giggle and move on. Everyone has sex after all so it's nothing to be ashamed of. You've locked eyes now there's no going back.

Carry on- How long does it take to clean a window anyway? Probably about as long as your sex session usually lasts…. It will be over soon enough.

Pull the covers over your heads- And wait until an appropriate amount of time has passed.

Pretend you’re asleep- And you both just toss and turn a LOT during your afternoon naps. 

Pretend you were doing something else- If you act quickly enough you might be able to fool them into thinking you were just reading at a peculiar angle or you know, routinely checking your partner's prostate.

Ask them to skip that window- You could cover your dignity, open the window and ask them to leave that one for another week. On a day when you're partner's not dipping his squeegee in your bucket

Leave the money with a neighbour- If you have the same window cleaner, you could ask your neighbour to pass on your share if you trust them enough to do so. That way you still get the job done but you don't have to speak to them EVER again.

Get a new window cleaner- If all else fails- tell them this will be their last call at your house- they will understand and probably be grateful that they didn't have to instigate your break up.

Also see: 1 in 10 UK Customers Caught By Window Cleaners

1 in 10 UK Customers Caught By Window Cleaners

14 per cent of people have been caught on the toilet by their window cleaner. Unsurprisingly, a quarter of those who have been spotted by their window cleaner have been so ashamed they have never used them again.

What the window cleaner saw! Two thirds of the nation caught out not closing their blinds - When you are carried away in the heat of the moment, the last thing you think about is your window cleaner.

But 13 per cent of Brits probably wish they had been after being seen having sex by their window cleaner. The embarrassing discovery was made by DirectBlinds, who surveyed over 1000 people. The shame doesn’t end there as a surprising 14 per cent have been seen on the toilet.

When asked why they were caught out, the majority felt a false sense of security as the window cleaner visited unexpectedly, with others simply forgetting to close their blinds. And unsurprisingly, a quarter of those who have been spotted by their window cleaner have been so ashamed they have never used them again.

Window cleaners themselves are not too bothered by what they have seen and 40 per cent laugh it off. But a small percentage have been so shocked by the sights through the window that they almost fell off their ladders.

One brave man shared a story about being seen through the window in a compromising position. Dale Fisk, 27, from North Yorkshire said: “Around four years ago I was on holiday with my wife in Cape Verde, where I proceeded to get sunburnt and then a bit drunk on cherry brandy. “We retired to the room, where I thought it would be a good idea to strip off and dance around naked-until I realised that the windows of our ground floor apartment were in the middle of being cleaned.

“I was mortified, but the window cleaner held in his laughter, finishing the job and leaving without making eye contact!” The window cleaner revelations come as sloshed stags are revealed to drink a month's worth of alcohol during one stag weekend.

One in ten people in the UK have been caught having sex by the window cleaner.

UK Policemen Urged To Clean Windows

British policemen urged to clean windows as part of their fitness regime.

Met's advice for blobby bobbies: Try snowball fights and window cleaning! Health guru offers tips to unfit officers ahead of upcoming fitness tests Police officers have been told to lose weight by tobogganing, having snowball fights and even walking their children to school. Overweight officers are also being urged to move furniture around, build snowmen, wash windows or jump on a trampoline in the garden.

The advice comes from Scotland Yard’s new health guru Sean Burgess in an attempt to help police pass their upcoming fitness tests. A few years ago, a survey of Metropolitan officers and staff revealed that 64 per cent of those on the force’s payroll were overweight, obese or morbidly obese. As a result, mandatory fitness tests - known as ‘bleep tests’ - were introduced in September 2014.  A total of 807 were failed - 237 by men and 570 by women – before passing them became compulsory. Any staff who repeatedly fail them face the sack.

Mr Burgess, head of occupational health, gave his fitness advice to officers in the Met’s in-house magazine The Job. He began by writing, ‘Exercise? Who has time for it?’ before listing tips to help officers lose weight. ‘Have snowball fights, build a snowman or do some tobogganing,’ he writes. ‘Household jobs involve moving, stretching, lifting and carrying. Do some cleaning by moving furniture or washing the windows.’

Mr Burgess, a former nurse, says that getting into an exercise routine is hard and suggested finding sports that officers can do with their families like swimming, running for a charity, cycling or walking. He said: ‘Walk the kids to school, or walk the dog around the local park or countryside, if you can. Have a trampoline in the garden or a basketball net.’ Mr Burgess told officers that they should not ‘fear the bleeper’ if they followed his advice. ‘Turn your preparation into a regular habit,’ he added. ‘Training sessions will become easier to manage in terms of time and motivation.

‘If you can train with a partner it will assist in motivation and help develop an exercise habit.’

Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has previously told how important it was that his officers were fit. ‘I think you’ve got a duty to your colleagues,’ he said recently. ‘If they shout for help, they want fit people to come. They don’t want somebody waddling down the road who’s never going to arrive, and when they get there they’re out of breath.’ Sir Bernard added: ‘It’s taken too long to get the annual test, but it will start to have an increasing impact. For me, the standard is too low, I think it should be higher. It’s relatively easy.’

The Met Commissioner went on to say that those who fail to make the grade should be given time to lose weight and get fitter. But he added: ‘If they don’t, then we haven’t got a job for them.’ Scotland Yard guidelines say those who fail at the first attempt should be put on a physical training programme for up to ten weeks before being told to retake the test. Officers who fail three further tests are recommended for dismissal.

There are so many overweight policemen in Britain that belts large enough for 56-inch waists are becoming hard to find. Emergency Service Supplies, a uniform supplier, had recently sold out of the XXXL version of the belt that carries heavy equipment as well as holds up trousers. The next size down was in short supply. Utility belts are an essential item for all officers because they are used to carry their handcuffs, baton and other tools. The company also offers outsized clothing for bulkier community support officers, supplying an XXXL high visibility vest alongside other duty wear in sizes up to a 56-inch chest.

The End Of Window Cleaning

A scanning electron miscroscope photograph shows the pyramid-like nanostructures engraved onto glass: at 200nm they are 100 times smaller than a human hair. Controlling the surface morphology at the nanoscale allows scientists to tailor how the glass interacts with liquids and light with high precision.

Nature inspired nano-structures mean no more cleaning windows: A revolutionary new type of smart window could cut window-cleaning costs in tall buildings while reducing heating bills and boosting worker productivity. Developed by UCL (University College London) with support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), prototype samples confirm that the glass can deliver three key benefits:

Self-cleaning: The window is ultra-resistant to water, so rain hitting the outside forms spherical droplets that roll easily over the surface – picking up dirt, dust and other contaminants and carrying them away. This is due to the pencil-like, conical design of nanostructures engraved onto the glass, trapping air and ensuring only a tiny amount of water comes into contact with the surface. This is different from normal glass, where raindrops cling to the surface, slide down more slowly and leave marks behind.

Energy-saving: The glass is coated with a very thin (5-10 nanometre) film of vanadium dioxide which during cold periods stops thermal radiation escaping and so prevents heat loss; during hot periods it prevents infrared radiation from the sun entering the building. Vanadium dioxide is a cheap and abundant material, combining with the thinness of the coating to offer real cost and sustainability advantages over silver/gold-based and other coatings used by current energy-saving windows.

Anti-glare: The design of the nanostructures also gives the windows the same anti-reflective properties found in the eyes of moths and other creatures that have evolved to hide from predators. It cuts the amount of light reflected internally in a room to less than 5 per cent – compared with the 20-30 per cent achieved by other prototype vanadium dioxide coated, energy-saving windows – with this reduction in 'glare' providing a big boost to occupant comfort.

"This is the first time that a nanostructure has been combined with a thermochromic coating. The bio-inspired nanostructure amplifies the thermochromics properties of the coating and the net result is a self-cleaning, highly performing smart window," said Dr Ioannis Papakonstantinou of UCL.

A smart glass prototype developed by the UCL team. The dark areas are decorated with the nanostructures, which significantly suppress reflections. They also repel water forcing it to form nearly spherical droplets and preventing it from wetting the surface of the glass. The UCL logo is made of untreated glass and appears significantly more reflective compared with its surrounding region.

The UCL team calculate that the windows could result in a reduction in heating bills of up to 40 per cent, with the precise amount in any particular case depending on the exact latitude of the building where they are incorporated. Windows made of the ground-breaking glass could be especially well-suited to use in high-rise office buildings.

Dr Ioannis Papakonstantinou of UCL, project leader, explains: "It's currently estimated that, because of the obvious difficulties involved, the cost of cleaning a skyscraper's windows in its first 5 years is the same as the original cost of installing them. Our glass could drastically cut this expenditure, quite apart from the appeal of lower energy bills and improved occupant productivity thanks to less glare. As the trend in architecture continues towards the inclusion of more glass, it's vital that windows are as low-maintenance as possible."

In only five years, the cost of cleaning skyscraper windows reaches the amount it cost to install them.

Discussions are now under way with UK glass manufacturers with a view to driving this new window concept towards commercialisation. The key is to develop ways of scaling up the nano manufacturing methods that the UCL team have specially developed to produce the glass, as well as scaling up the vanadium dioxide coating process. Smart windows could begin to reach the market within around 3-5 years, depending on the team's success in securing industrial interest.

Dr Papakonstantinou says: "We also hope to develop a 'smart' film that incorporates our nanostructures and can easily be added to conventional domestic, office, factory and other windows on a DIY basis to deliver the triple benefit of lower energy use, less light reflection and self-cleaning, without significantly affecting aesthetics." Professor Philip Nelson, Chief Executive of EPSRC said: "This project is an example of how investing in excellent research drives innovation to produce tangible benefits. In this case the new technique could deliver both energy savings and cost reductions."

UK Window Cleaners Down League In Tipping

UK window cleaners, bottom of the league when it comes to tips.

Britons fall out of love with tipping - do you always leave a tip? Millions of Britons do not leave tips and those who do give just 7 per cent on average, according to new research. A survey by uniform provider Simon Jersey found one in 10 people in Britain do not leave tips, with plumbers, window cleaners and beauticians the least likely to be left extra money. Respondents said they are most likely to tip waiters and waitresses, with the most popular reason being polite service (61 per cent). Only 20 per cent of the 2,000 people surveyed said they always leave a tip and 31 per cent said they only do so if they receive 'exceptional' service. Top 10 professions tipped;

1. Waiters/Waitresses

2. Taxi drivers

3. Hairdressers/barbers

4. Takeaway delivery drivers

5. Hotel staff

6. Café/coffee shop workers

7. Bar staff

8. Beauticians

9. Window cleaners

10. Plumbers

A spokesman for Simon Jersey said: "Tipping is something which is customary and not compulsory, but this can make it quite confusing as there are no hard and fast rules. "Some people always leave 10 per cent of the bill, regardless of how much this is, whereas others put down a random amount based on their experience or what they have in their purse or pockets.

"And it seems it's not just the level of service you receive which is the deciding factor in how much money you leave as a tip, or even if one is left at all. "Being polite and friendly is a big factor in whether any extra is left on top of the bill, but even the appearance of the server contributes to the tip left." Top 10 reasons we tip;

1. If they were polite

2. If they had put more effort into their work than they really needed to

3. If they were friendly and chatty

4. If they smiled

5. If they appeared to be extremely busy but still completed my work to a high standard

6. If they had completed the work earlier or quicker than expected

7. If they looked smart and tidy

8. I asked something out of the ordinary of them

9. If they were wearing a nice uniform

10. If they were attractive or I fancied them

Unger UK Take Sticky Initiative

Are you proud to clean with Unger? You too, can add this logo to your brand.

Unger UK: "Recently at the industry events we have been asked by many professional window cleaners for permission to place the Unger logo on their websites to demonstrate use of professional tools and high level of cleaning expertise." "Having manufactured professional cleaning tools since 1964, we felt honoured and moved by these requests – it was the best feedback we could ever wish for." 

"So, we have designed a new logo for everyone who has invested in Unger tools and equipment and would like to assure their Customer of only the best equipment being used to maintain their property."

"If you would like to incorporate this logo in your websites, leaflets, business cards or uniforms, we’ll be happy to share it with you – all we ask for is that you send us a copy of the receipt, invoice or order confirmation dated within last 3 months showing that you have made a purchase of any Unger product." "Please email in any format available to ungeruk@ungerglobal.com, along with your contact details."

Window Cleaning In The Courts

Canada, Hong Kong & UK in the law courts.

R v. Skyreach Window Cleaning Inc. (unreported, October 28, 2014, Ontario Ct. Jus Triantafilopoulos J.P.) - This case was a prosecution under the “general duty clause” alleging that the employer failed to take the reasonable precaution of showing workers a user manual for a custom built swing stage system on a building.  A piece of the swing-stage had fallen off the device to the ground below.  The Crown alleged that the swing stage had been improperly parked.

The Court granted a non-suit motion brought by the defence on the basis that the user manual did not specifically specify that the machine should be parked in any particular place for safety purposes. The Court also found that nobody had provided a user manual to the employer in any event.

This case is one example of a prosecution based on an alleged failure of an employer to show a worker the user manual.  In such cases careful attention should be paid to what the manual actually requires the worker to do from a safety perspective and whether other types of training addressed the issues set out in the manual.

What employers should know

The best way to avoid a prosecution, not to mention potentially devastating workplace accidents, is to ensure your due diligence program is fully implemented and continually refreshed and improved.  At the 2015 Ontario employment law conference, employment lawyer Ryan Conlin will provide guidance on scope of employer OH&S duties. This session will review:

Changes to the definition of a "worker" under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its implications,

Recent cases involving criminal prosecutions and jail terms for employers and corporate officers, and

Trends in enforcement of the Act by the Ministry of Labour and how to manage Ministry investigations.

Attending the 16th annual Ontario Employment Law Conference, presented by Stringer LLP and First Reference Inc., is more essential than ever.

The Ontario Employment Law Conference will take place at the Centre for Health & Safety Innovation in Mississauga on June 4, 2015. We look forward to seeing you and helping you apply the latest employment and labour law changes.

Measures to prevent accidents arising from window cleaning: Hong Kong (HKSAR) - Following is a question by the Hon Chan Kin-por and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Mr Paul Chan, in the Legislative Council today: Question:

It has been reported that in recent years, accidents have happened from time to time in which people sustained injuries or even died as a result of falling from heights when cleaning windows. The causes for such accidents include that people fell from heights because they had lost balance due to overstretching of their bodies from windows, or people fell from heights together with dilapidated windows whichhad been dislodged as the latter could not support their body weights. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the number and resultant casualties of accidents in which people fell from heights when cleaning windows; if it has, of the statistics in the past five years; if not, whether it will collect such statistics in future;

(2) given that a number of private buildings are not included in the Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme at present, of the measures that the authorities have put in place to ensure window safety of such buildings;

(3) of the procedures adopted by the authorities at present for inspecting and repairing windows of public rental housing blocks; and the monitoring measures in place to ensure that the inspection procedures comply with the relevant safety requirements; and

(4) of the current publicity work through which people are reminded of the need to pay attention to safety when cleaning windows; whether the publicity channels include television announcements in the public interest, or posters posted in the lift lobbies of buildings; the amount of resources deployed by the Government for conducting the relevant publicity work in each of the past five years; whether it has plans to allocate more resources this year to conduct large-scale territory-wide publicity activities with a view to enhancing the coverage of the publicity work, or to create a cartoon character similar to the "Big Waster" in the Food Wise Hong Kong Campaign in order to enhance public awareness about safety in window cleaning in a lively manner; if it does, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

Hon Chan's question touches on matters under the purview of different bureaux and departments. My reply to the four-part question, in consultation with the relevant bureaux and departments, is as follows:

(1) Relevant departments have not maintained statistics on accidents in which members of the public fell from heights when cleaning windows. According to the records of the Labour Department, between 2010 and 2014, there were four accidents in which employees fell from heights when cleaning windows, involving four deceased employees.

(2) The Buildings Department (BD) fully implemented the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme and the Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme (MWIS) on June 30, 2012 to tackle the problem of building neglect at source. According to the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap.

123), MWIS applies to private buildings aged 10 years or above (except domestic buildings not exceeding three storeys). BD may issue a statutory notice to the owners of these buildings, requiring them to appoint a qualified person within a specified timeframe to carry out a prescribed inspection and supervise the prescribed repair works found necessary of the windows of the building.

Building owners are responsible for properly maintaining and managing their properties. We encourage owners to carry out regular inspections and repairs of their windows as necessary on their own initiative to ensure safety.

Even if a building is not included in MWIS, where BD has identified dangerous or defective windows, it will take enforcement action under BO, including issuing a repair order to the owner requiring him to carry out repair works, and instigating prosecution against owners who have not complied with the repair orders. BD, the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) and the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) have also launched various schemes to provide financial and technical support to building owners in need to assist them in maintaining and repairing their properties including windows.

(3) The Hong Kong Housing Authority attaches great importance to building safety, including window safety, of its public rental housing (PRH) flats. While MWIS does not cover PRH flats, the Total Maintenance Scheme of the Housing Department (HD) includes window inspection which is conducted by trained inspectors.

If there is a need to repair the windows, the case will be referred to contractors registered under BO. HD will also supervise the repair works to ensure its quality.

(4) BD has launched television and radio Announcements of Public Interest (APIs) in respect of window safety, published a booklet "Important Notes about Window Safety", etc. to provide practical information about proper maintenance and repair of aluminium windows, minor works relating to windows and MWIS to the public for reference.

The "Important Notes about Window Safety" booklet has been uploaded to BD's website. BD will regularly arrange the APIs to be broadcast on television, radio and public transport vehicles. It will also launch newspaper supplements and issue letters to owners' corporations (OCs) and mutual aid committees to remind building owners and occupiers to pay attention to safety when cleaning windows.

Moreover, BD will organise large-scale publicity events for members of the public such as "Building Safety Carnival" and "Building Safety Week" to enhance their understanding of the importance of building and window safety through diversified activities. To complement the launch of MWIS, BD, in collaboration with HKHS and URA, will organise district briefing sessions for owners of target buildings throughout the territory to explain the details of the scheme. BD will also attend residents' meetings and seminars arranged or organised by district organisations or OCs to publicise MWIS in the community and answer residents' enquiries.

BD will continue to promote window safety through different channels. The relevant work is part of the overall duties of BD in promoting building safety and there is no breakdown of the expenditure for the related work. As regards whether publicity would be carried out by means of a cartoon character, BD will adopt an open mind in considering the suggestion.

Concerning PRH, through various channels, HD from time to time reminds tenants of the proper use of windows and draws their attention to the safety issues when cleaning windows, including posting up notices, holding estate activities, distributing newsletters, etc.

In order to prevent accidents, HD also reminds tenants to immediately report any damages to windows in their units to the estate offices for repair.

Separately, the Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC) has issued publications relating to the work of domestic helpers, which covers safety measures for household window cleaning. OSHC will also continue to organise regularly courses on working-at-height safety for household workers and domestic helpers and publicity activities to enhance their safety awareness of window cleaning.

Man died after Royal London doctors ignored his symptoms: Doctors missed out on many chances to save the life of a stained glass window craftsman who died of a rare complication after he fell off a ladder.  

Edward Perry, 57, fractured his spine on February 28 2013 whilst trying to get a suitcase out of the loft at his home in Victoria Park Road for a holiday to Portugal. His daughter was told by doctors at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel that his injury was very common and he would be out of hospital within a week, but by March 8 he was dead.

An inquest at Poplar Coroner’s Court heard how doctors failed to act on the fact that his stomach had swollen up by March 2 through paralysis of the bowel, a rare complication of spinal injury caused by surrounding nerve damage. Eventually he suffered “catastrophic vomiting” and cardiac arrest.

Dr Bunker, ICU consultant and anaesthetist, who was drafted in after a year to lead the delayed investigation into his death, said it had been repeatedly noticed in the medical records he had a distended abdomen. He said: “We could have intervened more aggressively to prevent what happened on the night of March 7, the trouble is we continued a conservative approach on the 4, 5 and 6 despite him not getting better.”

However the barrister acting for the family said: “When you say the conservative approach was adopted regarding the abdomen, that’s not the case is it? There was no plan in place regarding the abdomen.” 
Dr Bunker agreed and went on to detail how junior members of staff now receive training on how to manage deteriorating patients, and how neurosurgeons are responsible “not only at the brain and nerves but the whole patient”.

There was also a recognition the major trauma centre was understaffed, as there was only one registrar working that night. Coroner William Dolman recorded a narrative verdict, ruling Mr Perry died of an extremely rare complication of a spinal injury caused by a fall, which wasn’t recognised in time.

He said: “From the facts we are getting very close to neglect but we don’t reach the standard required by law. The real problem arose because the gravity of the clinical picture was not appreciated, the doctors saw the signs but didn’t recognise their significance.”

Biggest UK Window Cleaning Show Saturday

A long tent for some long waterfed poles! Only kidding, there will be a WFP tower outside as well.

The biggest Window Cleaning Show in the UK kicks off Saturday morning, hence this will be my last blog for the week as I set off from Spain to be there. It's shaping up to be a huge event for suppliers & window cleaners, in fact - the biggest window cleaning show England has ever seen. The first window cleaning show organised by Mark Munro was such a huge success, it has attracted many more suppliers. More information can be found here on a previous blog.

There are special events & a competition timetable. When you've finished playing with all of those great window cleaning tools and maybe bought a few of them, enjoyed all of the demonstrations and introduced yourself to everyone you've been chatting to online why not stay on as there is a licensed bar which will be serving alcoholic drinks from 6pm until the early hours of Sunday morning along with a Dj playing lots of great music.

There will also be competitions in the evening with some fantastic prizes so don't rush off home, the show isn't all business we're here to have fun too and get to know each other.

Wagtail reveal it's newest creation, this will change the way we window clean!

The separate Wagtail tent, under construction.

You can find Willie Erken, Terry Burrows & myself in the V.I.P. Wagtail tent if you have any questions & for the unveiling of the newest Wagtail product. See here for Wagtail at the last WCP show.

Window Cleaning Magazine UK - March 2015 Edition

March 2015 Window Cleaning Magazine, now online to read.

The March 2015 edition of the UK Window Cleaning Magazine is out now & available to download now from here. Window Cleaning magazine is the UK's digital magazine that brings you information and news articles aimed at the professional window cleaner. Each issue takes a look at various topics that affect window cleaners and their business. WCM also takes a look at new window cleaning products, and review some of the latest equipment being made available. This edition:

• The Liquidator - Getting up close and personal
• Want to use a canvassing company? - Top 10 tips if you want to do it yourself
• Pure2o launches new systems - Interview with Craig Mawlam
• Wagtail Swayless - What is it? Willie Erken of Wagtail explains all
• The Cleaning Show 2015, London
• Hating your competition is self defeating - Tony Evans explains why
• & much, much more

If you've been following the window cleaning series.... check out the latest release from Window Cleaning T.V. The crew yet again, follow Peter Artusa in "After Window Wars - Episode 4." This episode follows systems & practices in the workplace. Watch the episode in high definition here.

Blood Rain From Sahara To Hit UK by Weekend

Red sand from the Sahara will be mixed with rain which falls on Britain at the beginning of the weekend. Spain saw ‘blood rain’ on Wednesday as the Saharan dust moved north. Window cleaners will see a surge of calls for demand.

‘Blood rain’ to fall on Britain as red Saharan dust blows in from Africa - Storms in the Sahara desert have whipped up sand into a fine dust which is being carried to Britain on northerly winds. ‘Blood rain’ will fall on Britain this weekend staining cars and pavements a rusty brown as red dust blows in from the Sahara desert. Parts of the UK are facing soaring levels of air pollution as African dust mingles with city pollution, prompting health officials to issue warnings to vulnerable people.

Much of the South East and eastern England will see high levels of pollution, although the problem is expected to be short-lived, with Atlantic winds dispersing the murky air by Saturday, the Environment Department (Defra) said. "Blood rain" is the term used when rain mixes with sand from deserts. Storms in the Sahara desert whip up sand into a fine dust which is carried for more than 2,000 miles to Britain. Window cleaners will see a surge of calls for demand for the week following.

Cars were covered in Saharan dust in London in 2012.

When the rain falls it looks a reddish colour and when it dries it leaves a thin layer of dust capable of coating houses, cars and garden furniture. Although it is more common in Spain (known as brown rain) and the South of France, it has been known to travel longer distances and fall in areas like Scandinavia. In some parts of India the colour has been vibrant enough to stain clothing. Met Office forecaster Dan Williams said: “People could find yellow or brown dust from the Sahara on their cars on Saturday morning.”

In ancient times ‘blood rain’ was believed to be actual blood and considered a bad omen, heralding death and destruction. It is mentioned in Homer’s Iliad and in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s tales of King Arthur. The Anglo Saxon Chronicle records that in 685, "there was a bloody rain in Britain. And milk and butter were turned to blood. And Lothere, king of Kent, died." The historian William of Newburgh also claimed that Richard the Lionheart was caught in a shower of 'blood rain'.

MeteoGroup forecaster Mario Cuellar added: “Spain saw ‘blood rain’ on Wednesday as the Saharan dust moved north.” “Some of this dust currently in the UK’s polluted air could be found on cars after rain on Friday night.” Health officials have issued a warning about the high level of pollution in Britain in the coming days. Adults and children with lung or heart problems, and older people have been advised to avoid strenuous activity.

Saharan dust warning: a similar smog in 2014 triggered a sharp rise in 999 calls.

People are also advised to reduce physical exertion, particularly outside, and asthma sufferers were warned that they may need to use their inhaler more frequently. A Defra spokeswoman said: "Locally generated air pollution, combined with pollution from the continent and Saharan dust, could cause high or very high levels on Friday. "This is expected to clear on Saturday and pollution levels will return to low throughout the morning."

Temperatures on Friday are expected to 72F (22C) which is due to be the hottest day since last year’s Halloween heatwave saw conditions peak at 73F (23.6C) on October 31. In fact, conditions on Friday could nudge the record for the hottest ever April 10, 73F (23.3C) which was set in Devon in 1909.

The high temperatures have already sparked dozens of blazes including a two square mile grass fire in Darwen, Lancashire and a 20-acre grass fire in Cheddar, Somerset.

Temperatures will plummet on Saturday to usual conditions for mid-April. The Met Office forecast 46F (8C) highs in Scotland, 50F (10C) in the Midlands and 59F (15C) in the South-East. Forecaster Brian Gaze of The Weather Outlook said: “Decent summer weather will be followed by weekend rain - typical.” Two inches of snow is expected at Scottish ski resorts on Saturday and wind gusts will nudge a gale-force 40mph in the West, 45mph in the North and 50mph in Scotland. Dan Williams from the Met Office added: “Saturday will see temperatures drop and breezes increase, feeling noticeably added with windchill and more cloud. “Sunday’s showers will turn wintry on higher ground in Scotland, where weekend gales are expected in exposed parts.”

 Yangze River in China runs red (2012).

Window Cleaning Magazine - Better Late Than Never

Window Cleaning Magazine - Better Late Than Never. 

Window Cleaning Magazine October 2014: It's late in the day, but this issue has just been released! It's now available from the website plus all back issues. FREE to download. No log in required. 

Content this issue:    

• Rubber Test - Testing the latest squeegee rubber on the market 
• Moerman from Belgium: Not so new kid on the block? 
• The Vision of Clearview Plus: Speaking to Carl Phillips 
• Getting the best from water fed poles: WCM undercover at a BWCA course 

Plus much, much more....  

Can be viewed on portable devices that support .pdf format e.g. ipad (with app) Kindle etc. To view this issue online go to Window Cleaning Magazine. Sign up for FREE membership today inside the members area. Includes - Window cleaning articles, Special discount offers, Industry news/reports plus much more. Download back issues with all links to all magazines.

UK Media Argue Over Window Cleaners Receipts

Tax dodge: Leonardo DiCaprio's character Jordan Belfort prepares to go to extreme measures in a scene from film The Wolf of Wall Street, which is based on Belfort's life story. Governmental tax was always initiated as a temporary measure. Just how many cherries should you give before they chop the tree down?

How did Labour spend a week about HSBC arguing over window cleaners? (By James Hutchinson). Whenever a politician declares that we 'should' do something, they'll be held to that standard; the slightest deviation will be met with cries of hypocrite. So moralising MPs need to watch out - or it's the political equivalent of the traffic warden parked on double-yellow lines.

When Ed Balls said that everyone "should" ask for receipts, it wasn't just the nonsense of what he was saying which was frustrating, although that was a problem. It's obviously not my responsibility to make sure someone else is paying tax. It was also inevitable he'd fail by his own standards. Unless he has a storage locker of receipts, obsessively alphabetised, Balls was going to have erred at least once. And The Daily Mail duly dug up his window cleaner - who Balls hadn't asked a receipt from in years, apparently.

Labour inevitably cry foul at this sort of journalism, suggesting it's one-sided campaigning from a right wing press which distorts what was originally said. They may be right - Balls was talking about cash and he pays his window cleaner by cheque, thereby creating a paper trail, making tax avoidance harder and riskier. But the fact that I've had to write those words - an actual sentence typed by my own fingers for a respected political website about a senior politician's £12 a month window cleaning bill - shows just how much Labour have been sucked into the long grass.

There are many people who think Labour's election strategy is off-piste: if anything puts the case for the prosecution it’s that Labour has made front page headlines about double glazing and some bloke in West Yorkshire who cleans them. It was self-generated - it was Balls who started the narrative.

Have you ever asked your window cleaner for a receipt? Me neither. Nor, it appears, has the shadow chancellor Ed Balls, at least not in the past 17 years, according to the man who has cleaned his windows for almost two decades. Reporters tracked down Balls’s window cleaner after the shadow chancellor urged people at the weekend to keep a record of cash payments handed to tradespeople.

Aiming to make political capital over the furore surrounding HSBC’s Swiss banking activities, and pledging that Labour would crack down on systemic abuse of the tax system, Balls claimed that, as shadow chancellor, he was “extremely careful” about these things himself. The ploy backfired, although, as Balls pays for his window cleaner’s services by cheque, he does not appear to be guilty of aiding and abetting tax evasion.

His opposite number in the government, George Osborne, has also found himself exposed in the growing row over tax dodging in the wake of the explosive HSBC revelations. Embarrassing footage from 2003 has been unearthed, showing Osborne, then a lowly MP, recommending the use of what he called “pretty clever financial products” to help reduce care costs, although he did admit that he “probably shouldn’t be advocating this on television”.

HSBC and those who used the services of its Swiss private banking arm will no doubt welcome the diversion of political point-scoring involving window cleaners and the like but the fallout from the scandal shows little sign of abating.

What was Ed Balls thinking? Was he thinking at all? Between Chancellor and Shadow Chancellor, we have two men who have made a complete mess of handling the tax-avoidance issue. At some political debacles you want to weep, and at others you have to laugh, but with Ed Balls And His Odd Job Receipts the emotional reaction is different. At this fiasco, you cannot bear to look. You want to leave the room, because this is like one of those Ali G interviews which delicate souls like myself find too excruciating to endure. It is the comedy of gross embarrassment without the comedy. With any self-inflicted disaster on this scale, the temptation is to recycle a shtick of yore. In this case, it must be resisted. Equally futile is asking what Balls can possibly have been thinking. He cannot have been thinking at all. His diktat about the duty, for tax purposes, to demand and keep receipts and personal details from window cleaners.

It took the Daily Mail a day to unearth one John Durning of Pontefract, who has cleaned the windows of the Balls-Cooper West Yorkshire home each month since the year Osborne told “Bill” how to avoid tax. The Mail learned that not once in those dozen years has a receipt been requested from John the Window Cleaner, who may become this election’s Joe the Plumber. Meanwhile the Daily Telegraph raided its MPs’ expenses database to discover that the Balls-Coopers have reclaimed £2,640 for unreceipted odd jobs. It would overegg the double standards pudding to mention that Balls seems as lax in giving documentary evidence as in demanding it. When he drove into another car last year, he famously departed the scene without leaving a note on the windscreen. Careless prangers are under a strict legal obligation to leave their name and address. The hirers of odd job people are under none at all.

How much for cash? - Blogger of the Year Peter Rhodes on tax-dodging: So Labour is going to get a grip on tax dodging. Good luck with that. The snag is that, while there will always be a small percentage of millionaire families (take the Milibands of Primrose Hill, for example) who use clever, and entirely legal, strategies to keep their tax liabilities to a minimum the biggest form of tax dodging is the sort used a million times a day by small businesses. “Knock a few quid off for cash?” asks the customer, and the plumber / window cleaner / electrician gladly agrees. Now, the tradesman may be using cash payments to dodge VAT and income tax. On the other hand, he may simply prefer cash because it saves him the bother of taking yet another cheque to the bank. So over to you, Messrs Miliband and Balls. How do you sort the wheat from the chaff, the bona-fide from the fiddlers? The Balls answer, revealed this week, is for customers to demand a receipt for all work done. So that's higher prices for the customers, more paperwork for the traders, battalions of tax inspectors to monitor every bank account and crawl over every scribbled receipt, and, presumably, some penalty on customers who don't keep their receipts. Is that what the two Eds want? If so, do let us know so we can all get the house rewired or painted before May 7, General Election day.

Most British workers and savers 'avoid tax', not just the super-rich: The tax dodges you can feel good about - and the ones you can't. What is the difference between tax planning, avoidance and evasion? It’s not just a financial issue - it’s a moral one, too. Tax planning is a sensible part of looking after your finances, and some schemes are set up because the Government wants consumers to reduce their tax bills.

But when you start making deliberate or contrived attempts to lower your tax bill, that’s when you start getting onto dodgy ground. As shown by last week’s fracas around the deed of variation taken out on the will of Ed Miliband’s father, it’s all about interpreting what the law intended from a tax break. Put simply, evasion is stone-cold illegal — and could land you in prison. This is deliberately hiding income, earnings or investments from the Revenue in order to reduce your tax bill.

Avoidance is not illegal, but means bending the rules of the system to gain an advantage that Parliament never intended. It is within the letter — but not the spirit — of the law. It often involves artificial transactions that serve little or no purpose, other than to cut your tax. However, that doesn’t mean that it won’t land you in trouble. HM Revenue and Customs takes an interest in schemes it thinks are suspect and can pursue them in court. If it’s ruled they could be classed as avoidance, you will have to pay this money back. The problem is making the distinction for yourself. And it largely depends on your own code of ethics.

Here, we try to get to grips with the rights and wrongs of tax planning. Cash in hand to cut odd-job bills, from window cleaning to a bit of gardening or trimming a hedge once a month, paying cash in hand is good for you as it saves on the bill because your odd-job man is not charging VAT. And it’s good for your odd-job man because it can allow some of their earnings to slip by under the counter. For low-income workers struggling to make a living, avoiding VAT and some income tax can mean the difference between paying fuel bills and being broke. It has been suggested by the Conservatives and Labour that these under-the-counter payments should be clamped down on, but it’s no concern of yours. Your odd-job man’s tax affairs are his own — it’s their job to pay due tax and not your responsibility.