Don't Tell The Mrs

Jogram Chaudhury and Ali Husain don’t mind the heights as they clean high-rise buildings. His family back home though doesn’t know his job entails him getting onto metal platforms suspended mid-air.

Their families don’t know what work they do: “It takes us one month to finish cleaning a 40-storey building, and 10-12 days to complete a 14-floor building,” says Ali Husain, 35, window cleaner from Bangladesh (Right, in pic). “So in a month on an average we do two buildings.”

Husain has been in Dubai seven years, and he’s been cleaning high-rise windows for six. “No I don’t get scared”, he says. His family back home though doesn’t know his job entails him getting onto metal platforms suspended mid-air. “If they knew, they would ask me to come back home and not risk my life.”His partner at work, and in the suspended air platform, Jogram Chaudhury, from Nepal, says he doesn’t want to tell his wife that he cleans windows of tall buildings as she would fear for his safety.

What about heights? Are either of them scared of being so high up and looking down? Doesn’t it make you giddy? No, not scared, they say. But they concede that not everyone can do their job, not all the men in their accommodation are inclined towards climbing tall buildings. There’s only some of us who are not scared.

What about Dubai? Do you like Dubai? Yes, very much, what’s there not to like? Dubai is great, they both say without an eyelid batted, just smiles, and they look at each other. They’ve never done a mall, but that they say it is not so dangerous because it’s usually not too high.

Residents Put Life At Risk To Clean Windows

Residents put life at risk to clean windows: Gulf News reader advices people to take safety precautions. When I noticed this happening across from my office building, I could not avoid taking a picture of this person cleaning his window with a bucket of water beside him. He was not only risking his life, but there is even a chance of him causing damage to the vehicles parked below the building. I’ve seen this happening several times in the building throughout the summer.
I wanted to highlight this situation to alert our community from inviting danger to themselves and their fellow beings. I advice people to avoid such an unsafe practice, which could cause risk to themselves and others, too. These windows can be cleaned easily by just removing it from the groove and replacing it after the cleaning process. Authorities should also put a notice in each building reminding residents of safety measures. This reader is a sales manager based in Abu Dhabi.

Some safety tips from Robinson-Solutions:

1. Never put your head outside the window or beyond the window pane - your center of balance will follow your head, which tips the body.

2. Try never to use steps or ladders when cleaning windows from the inside, adding another factor of working at height from the inside will increase your chances of falling.

3. Over reaching will seriously raise your chances of falling. Watch your water on the ground, it could cause you to slip.

4. The chances of your tools falling & injuring people or property are increased, use safety bungees on your tools. Use a pole with lockable tips for your tools. Never leave tools or objects on the ledge.

5. Use a pole with lockable tips for reaching heights, again it is possible to keep your head inside.

6. Take breaks & think about the job before starting ... it may be possible to remove the window frame so you can clean it inside. Ask an assistant to help you if the window is too heavy (watch for wind).

7. Specialist tools can be bought for this type of work - I recommend Wagtail tools.

8. If you don't feel comfortable doing the job - don't do it. Call a professional. A clean window is not worth your life.