A New Twist To A Dangerous Line Of Work

Philip Walter (left) extricates Mark May in a basic straight-line rescue at the Pacific Ropes Contracting training centre.

A new twist to a dangerous line of work: New regulations governing work in high places raises questions about safety of traditional procedures used in B.C. It’s a line of business not for the faint of heart: painters, window washers and maintenance workers who do their jobs suspended hundreds of feet in the air, dangling off bridges or highrise buildings.

Now some Vancouver companies are heralding new regulations being introduced by WorkSafeBC in February, which they say will improve worker safety. But they’re also calling for more action on a method of suspension – bosun’s chair, often used by window washers – they say is archaic and unsafe.

“Window cleaning sort of has a history of being a cowboy occupation,” said Vadim Pokotilo, owner of Pacific Sky Services, who recalled nearly falling out of his bosun’s chair as a newbie window washer. Like several other Lower Mainland window washing companies, Pokotilo has moved to a system called rope access. Already common in Europe and the United Kingdom, rope access is growing in popularity in North America, say its adherents.

The method, which incorporates a two-line system, a harness and special training, can be used not just for highrise maintenance but also for engineering, inspection and maintenance work on bridges, hydro dams and oil and gas facilities. Companies that use it say it’s safer  because training is standardized and rescue methods and planning are emphasized. “It’s a lot faster, it’s more efficient and there’s the safety aspect,” said Tim Zagiel, general manager of Pacific Ropes Contracting in Richmond. “We’ve seen big growth over the past eight years we’ve been in business.”

He added that rope access companies based in the United Kingdom or the United States are now looking at Western Canada as a growth opportunity. The system is safer than using scaffolding, a crane with a basket or other methods for working in high places, Zagiel said.

The new WorkSafeBC regulations require rope access workers to be certified in one of two internationally recognized certification standards. It’s a good first step, said Greg Korpela, general manager for Canadian Rope Access Specialists, but his company is actively lobbying WorkSafeBC to take a hard look at bosun’s chair.

“Anybody that is using a traditional classic bosun’s chair system, they can continue to do what they’re doing,” Korpela said, adding that current regulations do not specify whether a specific standard of training is required before workers can use a bosun’s chair.

“The bosun’s chair system is entirely unsafe and, in our opinion, unjustifiably so, and should not be allowed.”

Pacific Ropes and Canadian Rope Access Specialists consulted with WorkSafeBC before the new regulations were drafted. Both companies also offer rope access training. Andre Genesse, owner of Skywalker High-Rise Services, said several of his workers have been trained on rope access. But he plans to continue to use the bosun’s chair because rope access is very expensive for window washing.

While a bosun’s chair platform costs about $125, a rope access harness costs around $1,600 and the per-person training is around $2,000.

“In 12 years that I’ve used it I’ve never had one [accident], not even a close call,” Genesse said. “There’s nothing unsafe about the bosun’s chair.”

In an email, WorkSafeBC said the bosun’s chair method is legal and that workers must wear a “personal fall protection system.” Regulations also require new workers to be trained and for extra training to be provided if workers request it.

Pokotilo said for his company, rope access has been worth it. “If everyone started demanding rope access, it would mean that [anyone] working on ropes in any capacity would have to have that certification, which to me makes sense.”

 

Sitting On The Job

An Austrian window cleaner at work.

Sitting on the job: Spotted by a Dutch reader travelling through Zell am See, Austria, a window cleaner using a loader crane to lift himself to a height of around five metres. The man has fashioned himself a Bosuns chair out of steel and suspended it with some substantial looking slings from a loader crane, owned by Berge & Abschleppdienst. While not much safer than the wooden pallet on a forklift, the effort he has gone to avoid using what he has to hand, rather than purpose built access equipment is intriguing. Forgetting the safety aspect for a moment, this is hardly an economical piece of access equipment!

An Austrian window cleaner at work.

We cannot tell if he has a harness to keep him in, or if he has operated the crane with the remote controls or whether he has an accomplice – either way while we might admire his style, it definitely qualifies for our Death Wish series. 

Looks like yoga on the job.

Another Window Cleaning Fall To Death & Rescue

An Indonesian domestic helper plunged to her death on Thursday morning while wiping windows in a 27th-floor public housing flat in Wong Tai Sin.

An Indonesian domestic helper plunged to her death on Thursday morning while wiping windows in a 27th-floor public housing flat in Wong Tai Sin. The woman, 28, accidentally fell out of a kitchen window at Cheung Yuen House, Chuk Yuen North estate, at about 9.30am and landed on the first-floor podium of the building, police said. The maid was declared dead at the scene, a police spokesman said. “Her 87-year-old female employer told police that the maid fell down by accident while cleaning windows in the kitchen,” a police officer said. An initial investigation found nothing suspicious, he said. It is believed that the woman arrived in Hong Kong for work earlier this month. The city has seen similar domestic accidents involving foreign helpers. 

Policemen set up a perimeter at the residence of the woman who allegedly tortured Indonesian maid Erwiana Sulistyaningsih in Hong Kong January 21, 2014. A foreign maid died today after she fell from a high-rise while cleaning windows.

In August, an Indonesian domestic helper, 32, and an 18-month-old boy fell from a 19th-floor flat in Yau Tong. Police believed the maid was carrying the toddler as she collected laundry from a clothing rack outside the window, but lost her balance. In February 2011, an Indonesian helper, 35, fell out of a 22nd-floor flat while cleaning a window in a Sha Tin flat. She landed on a podium and was declared dead at Prince of Wales Hospital. The city is home to 300,000 domestic helpers, mostly from Indonesia or the Philippines.

Law Wan-tung, 2nd left, who has been charged with two counts of wounding, one count of common assault and three counts of criminal intimidation, walks next to her husband, 2nd right, as they leave a court in Hong Kong on January 22, 2014.

Maid falls to death in Hong Kong: A foreign domestic helper aged 28 died on Thursday after falling from a residential building in Hong Kong, police said. They said the helper, whose name and nationality were not given, fell from a building in the Wong Tai Sin district onto a concrete canopy and was certified dead when officers arrived. “It is understood that she fell off while cleaning windows in a flat,” a police statement said, adding the death was not being treated as suspicious.

There have been a series of such deaths over the years in Hong Kong, where most people live in high-rise apartment blocks. Last August an 18-month-old boy and an Indonesian domestic helper fell to their deaths from the 19th-floor flat where they lived. Police said the helper was collecting clothes from a drying rack outside the window. Conditions for the city's 300 000 domestic helpers - mostly from Indonesia or the Philippines - have come under the spotlight recently following cases of abuse. A Hong Kong mother-of-two was charged on Wednesday with a serious assault on her Indonesian domestic helper. Last September a couple were jailed for savagely beating another Indonesian helper.

An undated photograph provided by her family and released by Indonesia's Migrant Care on January 22, 2014 shows Indonesian maid Erwiana Sulistyaningsih (L) and the same girl sitting in a wheelchair (R) at a hospital in the Sragen.

'Tortured' Indonesian maid welcomes arrest:  A woman accused of torturing her former maid was arrested at Hong Kong airport while attempting to board a flight to Thailand. An Indonesian maid has welcomed the arrest of her former Hong Kong employer, who is accused of torturing her, saying she is willing to return to the city to testify in a case that sparked angry protests.

The ex-employer, a Hong Kong mother-of-two, was arrested on Monday and charged two days later with assaulting Erwiana Sulistyaningsih and two other Indonesian maids, after thousands of domestic workers marched in the city to call for justice. "I'm happy. I had hoped the employer would be arrested," 23-year-old Sulistyaningsih told Hong Kong-based Cable Television in an interview broadcast on Thursday. Law Wan-tung, 44, is accused of causing grievous bodily harm to Sulistyaningsih, who is now undergoing hospital treatment in her home country.

Law, who was arrested at Hong Kong airport while attempting to board a flight to Thailand, was also charged with common assault and four counts of criminal intimidation - charges related either to Sulistyaningsih or to her two previous Indonesian domestic helpers. Prosecutors allege that Law turned household items such as a mop, a ruler and a clothes hanger into "weapons" against Sulistyaningsih. "If I get better, I will go back to Hong Kong," Sulistyaningsih told Cable TV from her hospital bed, adding she was unaware her former employer had allegedly abused two other maids.

The Hong Kong broadcaster said she would return to the city to testify in the case but her father has previously said he would not let his daughter return to work overseas. "Looking at how bad the conditions are working abroad, who would?" Rohmat Saputro said. While Sulistyaningsih's situation has improved and is now able to sit up, she remains bedridden and still suffers from headaches and dizziness, according to media reports.

One of her doctors in Indonesia said she was unable to walk following the mistreatment, which included having her head smashed repeatedly against a wall. Amnesty International in November condemned the "slavery-like" conditions faced by thousands of Indonesian domestic helpers in Hong Kong and accused authorities of "inexcusable" inaction.

Elsewhere in Hong Kong, a domestic helper died on Thursday after falling from a residential building. Police said the 28-year-old helper, whose name and nationality were not given, fell from a building in the Wong Tai Sin district onto a concrete canopy and was certified dead when officers arrived. "It is understood that she fell off while cleaning windows in a flat," a police statement said, adding the death was not being treated as suspicious. Last August, an 18-month-old boy and an Indonesian domestic helper fell to their deaths from the 19th-floor flat where they lived. Police said the helper was collecting clothes from a drying rack outside the window.

Stranded window washer rescued on United Plaza Blvd. (Baton Rouge) - The first two fire trucks arrived at 10:41 a.m. and found that the rig, called a bosun’s chair, had jammed, spokesman Eldon Ledoux said. After a ladder truck arrived with a ladder capable of extending up to 107 feet, a firefighter climbed up to the stranded worker, attached the worker’s safety harness to the ladder and helped him down, Ledoux said. “Although, no special or technical rescue techniques were utilized, the equipment and personnel on scene were capable of such a rescue, if needed,” Ledoux said. 

I Was A Highrise Window Cleaner In Chicago

I was a Highrise window cleaner in Chicago (by "Up_High"): Questions asked by the general public to a high rise window cleaner in Chicago. Grammatically modified & sorted for easier reading.

What is the craziest stuff you have seen going on in offices?

I've seen a man receiving oral pleasures from a female co-worker. I've seen a man jerking off in a vacant suite, nightmares for a week. And for some reason on this one building they decided to not black out the bathroom windows, so I've seen some screwed up shit there as well, lol.

Nightmares for a week? You must not be from the internet!

Well, seeing a guy jerk of online is different. in a sense You are prepared to see him fappin' away, but in real life outside of reddit, its unexpected and forced upon you, lol.

Awesome! What about your coworkers? Did they have any good stories?

So many... lol. When my boss was in his 20's about 30 years ago, he worked for a highrise company too. His boss would constantly follow them and spy to make sure they were working. So him and his co-workers came up with the idea to steal a manikin and clothe it then hang it off the buildings. According to his story, this worked for months, lol.

Oh, I traveled to Indiana for some work for a week. The first day on the very first drop I climb over and I hit in my head very hard. I figured a piece of concrete fell of the building due to it being an old building. When I looked up everything looked very normal, so I was just really confused. About 10 seconds later a falcon comes flying at me, claws first. I don't think I have ever been so terrified in my life. This falcon was about the size of a full grown water melon and was pissed. He kept flying inches from me for at least 5 minutes and the whole time I am screaming bloody murder. The guy at the hot-dog stand is staring at me like I'm retarded. Eventually the people inside opened the window and I had to crawl inside, lol. That week trip ended very abruptly & I went home, lol.

I've always wondered, how do you tell the difference between a falcon and a hawk?

Falcons are endangered and this building actually made a wooden home for it, but a couple years prior to this a different window cleaner was attacked and actually was cut and had about 20 stitches. So with what ever logic they decided to move the home across the street to a different building rooftop. However they forgot falcons can fly.

Any other "holy shit" moments while on the job?

Sure :) Some buildings are very hard to set up straight rope drops. So you have to improvise and create different sling lines and things to straighten your ropes out. I made a mistake one day and didn't pull out the slack out of my line. So when I went to climb over, I had about an extra 10 feet of slack left. That slack rope fell across my middle finger on top of the parapet wall. All of my weight was on the rope, pulling down on my finger. This building had no ledges or any thing to place my feet on to lift my weight up, so I was stuck there for about 5 minutes helplessly while my finger lost all blood flow. Finally, my co-worker came and helped pull me back up the wall onto the roof. My finger was flat as paper. I for sure thought I was going to lose it. But it regained blood flow and was fine after a few hours. I wished I took a picture of it.

Did anyone in the buildings ever jump out from behind a curtain and scare you?

Ehh, maybe once or twice, but usually it was the opposite. I have literally scared people so bad that they have fallen out of their chairs.

Have you dropped anything? Is it possible to get fired for sweating (or vomiting) so badly that you are literally raining onto people on the ground below you? If so, there is really no point in my applying for a job like this.

I have dropped 2 things in my 5 years of doing this. The first day I dropped my squeegee, thankfully I was on a small building facing an alley, so no harm done. The second thing I dropped was my cylinder. I was preparing to climb over and I accidentally kicked it off the roof about 15 stories down and it came within 2 feet of hitting my co-worker. Most highrise workers use what we call "idiot strings", that are just bungee cords that we attach to all of our tools so in case we do drop them they wont fall and hurt anyone. I can't say that I have ever seen anyone vomit or sweat so badly that it rains onto people. Most people who do this have very strong stomachs.

How many buildings does a single window cleaning team service? Are there buildings that are so big that they are constantly being cleaned?

Nice question, It all depends on size and the number of the crew/company. My crew consist of 4 people. We could knock out almost any building within 1-3 days. So we probably service between 50-80 buildings a year. However a lot of these are repeated twice or even 3 times a year. Yes, many buildings are so large that they are constantly being cleaned. a good example of this is the Trump Tower in Chicago. They almost have a crew their every other week.

I heard that the Golden Gate bridge is painted year round because it takes so long. Would you ever take on that job, I bet being over the ocean would be nuts!

I would, it's a easy and fun job. Last summer me and one other had to pressure wash a 15 story bank top to bottom, every inch. It took us about 1 month, and then we had to seal the building and wash the windows, lol. I personally don't mind long term job sites but they do become boring quickly.

What made you want to work the job? You must have some serious cojones.

Well, I was fresh out of high school and I had to get a job. I was good friends with the owners son, so I figured I would give it a shot. After about 3 months of working low rise (stores and houses) I was moved up to highrise and after another month or so I was promoted to supervisor. And yes my balls are quite large. ;)

Have you ever been flashed?

Yep! best day of work ever, haha.

Can I get some pro tips on cleaning glass. I work for a glazing contractor and we stick to industrial glass cleaner and paper towels. Razor blades and occasionally denatured alcohol. I have a squeegee and fluff bar, but want some tips for using them without making a mess.

Sure, Believe it or not, Dawn dish soap is the best for cleaning glass. This applies for residential, Industrial and store fronts. Fill a 5 gallon bucket about 3/4ths and then squirt a fairly small amount of dawn or whatever dish soap you prefer. Stir it up with your mop (fluffbar). Wet both sides of your mop then proceed to wet and scrub the window. Depending on the glass, scrape it with your razors and apply any necessary acids. Then squeegee it off. Obviously it's kind of hard to explain how to squeegee, but the main goal is to put your squeegee on the glass once, On once and off once, and take the least amount of swipes as possible. I'm right handed and I start around the far left mid of the window and go up to the top left corner to the top right corner, down to the bottom right corner back up and left-right my way down 'til I'm finish. You will probably have better luck 'youtubing' a tutorial. But realistically, You have a mop soaked with water, your bound to spill water. Just bring towels/rags with you and try your best to be neat. I hope I answered your questions :)

Was there anyone on your crew with a fear of heights?

Good question. Quite a few people who had no experience would apply for the job thinking that it was easy or didn't take any balls. So we would give them the benefit of the doubt and give them a shot. We would set their gear up and have them ready to jump over the building. Many of these people would just walk away... and we would never hear from them again. Some would break down in tears, and even one guy pissed him self.

Just how dangerous is this job? I don't recall ever hearing about a window cleaning accident. And if it is dangerous, I am guessing you're getting payed well. How much do you make... let say... per month?

If you know what your doing, it's a pretty safe job. However the simplest mistake will really hurt you. If you 'youtube' window washers or something a lot of accidents will probably show up. On the contrary, pay is rather low for the risk. In a month before taxes and insurance I would make roughly $2500 - $3000.

Ever do anything exciting on the lift-thingy?

I did most of my work off of a bosom chair. Basically, I hang from 2 ropes and sit on a chair the size of my ass. I have done some crazy stuff on that though, lol. Some Tony Hawk 900's and crazy swat jumps, so much fun.

I was thinking more inappropriate stuff but that was an interesting response. I think I would shit myself if I was sitting in a chair with two ropes hanging off it cleaning a window on huge skyscrapers.

Well, as much as I would love to fool around with a girl on a skyscraper, I don't think too many girls would be down for that, lol. 99% of buildings we service are office buildings, so I think they might be angry, haha!

Ever see any good parties? Any banter?

Ive seen a boat party, they came back later at night when it was dark and the boat was packed. This was in Wisconsin.

Whats the hardest stuff to get off windows?

Probably oxidation. The acid we use burns thru skin and is the worst! I accidentally spilled some on my hand once, my skin is still scarred.

Ever wash the windows for the Willis Tower (all though you probably still call it the Sears Tower)? Any pics of that? The Skydeck is too damn expensive.

The will tower has automated window washing... if your lucky or patient you will see a rather large black box going up and down the building. I think renaming it was stupid and pointless. Most people still call it the sears tower and will probably always call it that. The SEARS tower has automatic window cleaning machines that scale the buildings.

I work on 209 W Jackson (Jackson and Wells). Done anything around there?

55E. Jackson, I do the Chicago theater across from Fox News. I actually might do 209, Is that a Marc reality building? If so I probably do it. I have quite a lot of Marc Reality's.

I'd love to come up with you once, just to see what it feels like.

I no longer do highrise or live in chicago ;( I moved to New Hampshire.

Which building(s) gave you your favorite view?

There's a 20 story building in Itasca that sits over a lake and you can see the Chicago skyline in the distance. I'll post pics when I get home. Here's an album of some of my favorite pictures.

How do you handle extreme weather (like strong winds, show storm, etc.)

Wind is a hell. Anything over 15 (wind speed) is NOPE. We will work in light rain as long as it doesn't effect our work. Once heavy rains come our gear becomes soaked and potentially ruined. Snow doesn't really effect us, although cold does. Once it becomes freezing temps. we have to use chemicals to prevent the water from freezing. Extreme heat also hurts us, Imagine turning your stove to high and dropping some water on it, it dissipates instantly. This is what happens when we apply water to windows in the summer sun ;( even if its not that hot out.

About 6 years ago, my crew was in Lafayette, IN, working on a 20+ story building. The weather was rather nice out, but a storm came in very fast while they were near the top of the building. By the time they got half way down it was pouring rain and the winds were 20mph+. Their ropes became tangled and they were stuck. The wind was so strong that it was pushing them around the corners of the building. Long story short the local fire department came along with ambulance and had to rescue them. They were to high for the ladders to reach them so they instead broke the windows out and pulled them inside. Pretty scary stuff.

First I must say you are so handsome... Do you always see some awful things in office?

Thanks, lol... I don't see too many awful things. We service mostly office buildings, so mostly just chubby guys typing away.

Wow, what are you doing at the moment?

I moved to New Hampshire last fall and I am studying to be an architect.

Why would you ever quit that job!?!?

Because its a dead end job.

How long does it take to clean an entire building's windows? (If you're comfortable answering this) how much did you get paid?

Each building is different in size, glass counts, shape, etc. There are so many different variables to account for, but with a crew of 4 experienced guys I can finish most average buildings within 2 days. I worked for a non union company and was making 15/hour.

Have you ever caught anyone naked or in the act of doing something illegal?

I caught a guy jerking off in a vacant suite once... that was pretty disturbing.

I work retail and have really bad dreams about work. Unable to close a sale, unhappy customers yelling at me for something I don't know even though I did... you know, weird dream shit. Do you have dreams about falling? Every time I think about heights, my asshole clinches up. Just a fun fact.

I never had full dreams about that kind of stuff. However I did day-dream and imagine shit quite a bit. But mostly right before the first time I ever climbed over. After that I became rather cocky while I was hanging. I did a lot of things that would have OSHA up my ass if they knew.

How do I get a job doing this? I can't seem to find a way to get into this industry?

Almost none will hire you for highrise if you have no experience. I suggest finding a company and start on low rise. Do that for about a year or until you have become very good and fast at washing windows. From there you should request to be put on highrise, if you're good enough I'm sure they will be more than happy to train you. But yeah, it's not something you can just do, there's a few prerequisites.

How's the pay? Seems like a pretty chill job if you can handle it, dangling from ropes while you listen to tunes. Ever thought you were going to fall? Ever heard of anyone falling?

I was paid $15/hour out of a non union company. Union makes $17+ starting. So I was being shorted quite a bit for my experience. Yeah, there's been a few times where I almost pissed my self. I would climb over the ledge and I would keep falling for 3-10 feet. Sometimes, if you do pull out enough slack you just sink, and its a really weird feeling, lol. There's nothing you can do but look down and pick a spot to land, lol...

My friend also worked as a high rise window cleaner. Back in the 80's. I asked him what was his biggest memory. He told me that while he was cleaning the window of a large high rise apartment building and through the window he could hear the phone ringing (before cell phones)....he saw this woman running out of the bathroom with her pants down to her ankles just to answer the phone....he saw this and she saw him where she jumped down b/w the bed and managed to pull her pants up. Needless to say he felt embarrassed for her but thought it was a funny sight.

Ya, I haven't seen to much of this type of stuff because we do 99% of office buildings, but every so often you will catch someone in the act doing something they shouldn't be.

Skyscraper Window Cleaners A Breed Apart

Phillip Watkinson cleans windows on Toronto's 70-storey Scotia Plaza. Click to enlarge.

Skyscraper window cleaners a breed apart: When you step onto the roof of Scotia Plaza, the first thing that hits you are the bugs. You're 70 storeys up. It's an entirely different ecosystem. For one thing, it's 7C cooler than it is at ground level. And this time of year, the place is swarming with aphids. Stand still for long, and you are gradually mummified in a thin layer of critters. Still, it could be worse. "Two weeks from now, it'll be the spiders. Lots of them. Big suckers," says Neal Dance, rounding his forefinger and thumb to indicate something about the size of a toonie.

Dance is talking while two of his employees stand nearby fiddling with their safety harnesses. They are getting ready to step off the edge onto a narrow platform suspended 285 metres above the ground and clean the windows. The number of tall residential buildings in the GTA has increased almost 70 per cent in the past eight years, with roughly 1,300 apartment buildings four storeys or higher. Add in the office towers and unclassifiable structures like the AGO and that's a lot of windows that need professional cleaning. The men and women who do the job aren't suicidal. They just look like that, tied to ropes all the way up above.

Window washer Nick Snutch is suspended from the side of the Canada Life building on University Ave.

Dance, 48, a former washer himself, emblemizes this breed apart. He's a wandering soul whose greying dreadlocks hang down well below his waist. After a decade as a British paratrooper, he travelled the world. At 30, he ended up in Toronto. A random billboard ad got him thinking about window washing. Dance started out on this very building, washing its windows at night. Eighteen years on, he is the president of Solar Group Inc., and Scotia Plaza gets cleaned by day.

Window-cleaning season stretches from May to November. Right now, Solar is ramping up. The company employs 60 washers to do 400 buildings in the city, including First Canadian Place and the CN Tower. It isn't hard to find people. People generally find them – bike couriers, construction workers, even a group of parachutists at one point. "There's a certain sort of thrill-seeker this job attracts," says Dance. It takes two earthbound weeks to learn how to clean windows properly. There are three days of safety training. Then you're out on a platform or dangling from a bosun's chair – highrise cleaners tend to specialize in one or the other.  Some find that once they have to step out over the abyss, they can't do it. That happens to about one time in 10. Those few are reassigned to ground work.

Looking north on the city from the top of the 70-storey Scotia Plaza. It takes from six to 10 weeks to clean the building's windows.

The cleaners on the Scotia Plaza work on a platform 15 metres long that's hinged in the middle at a right angle to fit the crenulated design of the building. The platform is suspended from a large motor that resembles a locomotive. The motor chugs around the roof via a rail system, putting the platform in place to be lowered. The tower was built with window cleaning in mind, like all the downtown behemoths. There are vertical channels in the walls in which the cleaners can `plug' the platform, thereby defying the updraft.

A platform of window washers (small rectangle at bottom) hangs from the Exchange Tower in Toronto's financial district.

Platform cleaners toil in pairs, working until the wind forces them off the building or they feel like quitting. They're paid for piecework – so many dollars for so much of the building cleaned. Generally, they aim to cover about 80 vertical feet of frontage in a day. For that, they'll earn about $200 each, according to Dance. Cleaning this tower is a year-round operation. It takes six to 10 weeks to do the whole thing. On the first pass, washers clean the windows. On the second, they clean the reddish granite cladding.

Trevor Pitts, who has wielded a squeegee for three years, wipes a window high up the 70-storey Scotia Plaza building, which can take 10 weeks to clean.

Today, the team doing the windows is Phillip Watkinson, 29, and Trevor Pitts, 34. They've been at this job for three years. Though it may strike you as a risky way to earn your bread, this job is all about eliminating risk. "If you get caught doing any daredevilry, that's the last daredevilry you'll do," says Pitts. "Yup, you're fired before you hit the ground," adds Watkinson. The greatest danger is the wind. There are four distinct layers of wind – "like currents in the ocean" – as you move down the tower. And the winds can shift. Before they lower the platform, cleaners let a few drops of water fall. The turbulence of the water's descent tells them what they're dealing with.

Both Watkinson and Pitts cite tranquillity as their favourite part of the job. The only noise is the wind picking up now and again and the odd siren below. "Oh, and then there are the peregrines," says Pitts, referring to a group of falcons. "I came up the other morning, and one was just sitting over there," says Watkinson. "He was eating a duck." The peregrines look pretty, but they're ornery. And unlike spiders, they're dangerous. They don't weigh much – about a kilo – but anything that can swoop in at speeds up to 320 km/h is going to do some damage. A few years ago, one took a chunk out of a window washer's scalp as he worked. "He thought his partner had slapped him in the back of the head," says Solar's operations manager, Don Hillier. "He needed stitches."

A window cleaner is suspended from a platform on the Sun Life building on University Ave.

So. How do you avoid an irritated peregrine? "The key is to stay close to the building," says Hillier. "The key is to dump the water out of your bucket and put it on your head," offers Pitts. A few minutes later, Watkinson and Pitts are poised on the side of the building, silently going about their business. Each has a foot-long brush with soft bristles lashed to one hand and a squeegee to the other.

From the ground, window cleaning looks like a slow process. Up close, it looks impossibly fast, a swirling attack honed by thousands of repetitions. While they work, Dance continues to wax about the job up high. Mid-sentence, a breeze kicks up, blowing north into town. "It's three o'clock, isn't it," Dance asks. It is, almost to the second. "That's the city breathing. In the morning, it breathes out (toward the lake) and in the afternoon it breathes back in," Dance says. Just another thing you can't learn at ground level.

Window washer Nick Snutch sits on the ledge of the Canada Life building before descending in a bosun's chair.