Health and safety board says window washer's death could have been avoided

One worker is dead and another injured after a window cleaning crane overturned.

In a recent article here,  the Quebec Health and safety board reported that a window cleaner's death could have been avoided. In this instance, they ruled that the window washing company is fully responsible for the unfortunate incident that resulted in the death of a 53-year-old employee back in April.

The employee, Rafael Marchante died on April 10th when a mobile crane overturned and crushed him. He and his 19-year-old son were cleaning windows on UQAM’s Paul Gerin Lajoie Pavilion the morning of the incident. The company overseeing the job, Lavage de Vitres Haute Performance, made several mistakes.

The crane, parked by another employee, was deployed at an extreme angle to reach some of the windows at the building. The crane was also not levelled. A plank of wood was placed over uneven terrain and under the support.

With the added weight of the employees in the support basket, the left support leg sank, causing the crane to tip backwards. Marchante was struck in the head by part of the crane . He died instantly. His son survived but was badly injured.

Officials said, “When the crane tilted, the chip fatally hit the worker aboard the window cleaning platform. And secondly, the operation of the crane beyond the lifting limit allowed by the manufacturer contributed in the sliding of the left rear stabilizer cylinder out of its support and destabilized the crane."

 

The company is now barred from using cranes to wash windows. All companies that use cranes should carefully review all safety measures and operational instructions for their equipment. Quebec's Federation of Labour (FTQ-Construction) is calling for mandatory training of all crane operators to reduce future injuries and accidents.

OSHA Cites Cleaning Service After Fatal Fall

Bella Vista, 631 Hazel St., Oshkosh, is a senior lifestyle and assisted-living facility, formerly the site of Mercy Medical Center & the scene of a 20 yr old window cleaners death.

OSHA cites cleaning service after fatal fall: The 2015 death of a 20 year old Oshkosh man who fell five stories from a senior-living facility prompted a federal investigation that resulted in multiple citations for a local window cleaning service.

Serwas Window Cleaning Services LLC faces one "wilful" and eight "serious" safety citations from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, after three separate investigations of company work sites in Oshkosh Appleton and Green Bay, the federal agency announced Thursday.

Tyler S. Peterson (pictured) fell to his death from a platform Sept. 9 while washing windows on the fifth floor of Bella Vista Retirement Community, 631 Hazel St., Oshkosh. He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.

Inspectors determined Peterson's safety lines were not properly tied off, according to an OSHA news release. They also cited Serwas for failing to properly use fall protection and to train workers in fall-protection systems.

“This young man’s tragic death illustrates the importance of training workers in the proper use of fall protection systems,” said Robert Bonack, area director for OSHA's Appleton office. “Window washing is an inherently dangerous job. Employers must ensure workers have the proper equipment and are trained in its use.”

The agency also cited the company for four serious violations for failing to use fall protection properly and train workers in fall protection systems used during drop work, according to the news release. OSHA also issued Serwas a hazard letter for not marking or tagging the ropes used on the rigger with the length, diameter and date placed in service.

Chuck Hertel, an Oshkosh-based attorney representing Serwas in the matter, disputed the allegations, saying Serwas has "a very vigorous training program" that it requires all employees to complete before they start work.

"No employees go up in the air without going through it," Hertel said Thursday in an interview with USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

Inspectors also found another worker had fallen July 16 on a job site on Adams Street in Green Bay, and OSHA issued three serious violations to the company Jan. 12 for violating fall protection standards. Serwas has contested those citations.

In the Oshkosh and Green Bay incidents, the company provided employees with adequate safety equipment, but the employees chose not to use it, Hertel said.

"Unfortunately, that equipment takes a fair amount of effort to properly put in place, and sometimes an employee chooses to take a shortcut," Hertel said. "Unfortunately, there were horrible results as a consequence."

On Oct. 1, 2015, an OSHA inspector saw workers cleaning gutters without fall protection on a residential roof on Durkee Street in Appleton, according to the news release. The agency cited the company for failing to provide fall protection.

The agency issued citations for the Hazel and Durkee Street violations March 7. Proposed penalties for all three inspections total $69,800.

The company is working with OSHA investigators to resolve any safety issues and will contest any citations that aren't resolved, Hertel said.

20-Year-Old Window Washer Falls to Death in WI (Oshkosh, WI) - A 20-year-old window washer fell more than 58 feet to his death because his safety lines were not properly tied off, federal inspectors found. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Serwas Window Cleaning Services LLC, for a total of one willful and eight serious safety citations following three separate investigations of company worksites in Appleton, Green Bay, and Oshkosh. The investigations were opened following the worker's Sept. 9, 2015, death.

"This young man's tragic death illustrates the importance of training workers in the proper use of fall protection systems," said Robert Bonack, OSHA's area director for the Appleton office. "Window washing is an inherently dangerous job. Employers must ensure workers have the proper equipment and are trained in its use."

OSHA's fatality inspection found the rooftop rigger being used by the worker was not tied back to a separate anchor point and counterweights were not utilized prior to him going over the edge to clean a set of windows at a senior living property on Hazel Street in Oshkosh. The agency cited the company for four serious violations for failing to use fall protection properly and train workers in fall protection systems used during drop work. OSHA also issued Serwas a hazard letter for not marking or tagging the ropes used on the rigger with the length, diameter, and date placed in service.

While investigating the fatality, inspectors found another worker had fallen on a job site on Adams Street in Green Bay on July 16, 2015, OSHA issued three serious violations* to the company on Jan. 12, 2016, for violating fall protection standards. Serwas has contested those citations. On Oct. 1, 2015, an OSHA inspector observed workers cleaning gutters on a residential roof on Durkee Street in Appleton, without fall protection. The company was cited for failing to provide fall protection on this site as well. Citations for the Hazel* and Durkee Street* violations were issued to the company on March 7. Proposed penalties for all three inspections total $ 69,800.

OSHA offers a Stop Falls online resource with detailed information in English and Spanish on fall protection standards. The page provides fact sheets, posters, and videos that illustrate various fall hazards and appropriate preventive measures. OSHA standards require that an effective form of fall protection be in use when workers perform construction activities six feet or more above the next lower level.

The agency's ongoing Fall Prevention Campaign was developed in partnership with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and NIOSH's National Occupational Research Agenda program. Begun in 2012, the campaign provides employers with lifesaving information and educational materials on how to prevent falls, provide the right equipment for workers and train employees to use gear properly.

Sewas Window Cleaning Services has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Window Cleaning Rescues & Suspicious Deaths

The aerial ladder platform (ALP) that was brought by the department of fire and emergency services to rescue us looked like a toy from the 22nd floor where we were stranded for almost 10 hours. "The emergency services personnel and others watching us from the ground floor looked so tiny," recalled Akbar Hussain, 22, one of the two window cleaners who were stuck outside the World Trade Centre in Yeshwanthpur for a large part of Monday evening.

Window cleaners stuck outside 22nd floor rescued after 9-hour operation (Yeshwantpur, Bangalore): Duo were dangling more than 200 feet above the ground in an open-air platform for nearly nine hours before being rescued by Fire Department. Dangling in an open-air platform more than 200 feet above the ground, two labourers clung on to dear life for nearly nine hours while rescue teams figured a way to extract them to safety. The window-cleaners were stuck outside the 22nd floor of the World Trade Centre at Yeshwantpur.

Wasim Ahmed and Akbar Hussain were stranded while working in the WTC at Yeshwantpur on Monday.

Wasim Ahmed and Akbar Hussain – from Uttar Pradesh – were lowered from the roof of the 32-storey building on a pedestal at 8 a.m. in a day-long exercise to clean the glass façade of the tower that houses numerous multi-national companies and consulates. The pedestal was being manoeuvred by a machine. Around noon, the apparatus got stuck at the 22nd floor. Their colleagues tried to fix the machine, but failed. Then they tried to hoist them to the roof, but did not succeed.

When all efforts to rescue the duo failed, the Fire and Emergency Services personnel were alerted. By then, it was 5.45 p.m. The extendable ladders of the two fire tenders fell short by a long margin. The ladders could reach a height of 175 feet. Wasim says, “We were stuck for nearly nine hours and were scared out of our minds. It was a long way down. But, we were confident that the wires holding the pedestal would not break. The fact that it was only the machine that was malfunctioning and there was no problem with the ropes gave us some measure of confidence.”

Eventually around 9 p.m., officials broke glass panes on the 22nd floor and pulled the duo to safety. A police officer, who was part of the rescue operation, said, “The glass had to be broken carefully to ensure neither the duo nor those below were injured during the process. The pieces would be blown a little distance by the wind – which is dangerous as the complex houses a mall – before they hit the ground.” An official of the Fire Department said the duo were not wearing helmets or safety gear. More detail here.

Window cleaner trapped on platform outside Canberra building: A window cleaner and a mechanic had to call the fire brigade for help when they became trapped on a raised platform in Canberra on Saturday morning. The men were working on the fourth floor on the top of a building on Constitution Avenue, in Campbell, when the platform stopped moving. They called triple zero shortly after 7am.

The Emergency Services Agency said it sent the ambulance, a pumper and the Bronto Aerial Platform to help. "A firefighter was able to fix the mechanical issue of the hydraulic platform they were working on," the agency said in a statement. "ACT Fire & Rescue did not have to use its Bronto Aerial Platform. The two men have been safely lowered to the ground." No one was hurt in the incident.

He had no identification on him but now, nearly two weeks later, the OPD has identified the man as Fallbrook resident, window cleaner, Mark Andrew Slaughter, 45.

Death of Fallbrook man called ‘suspicious’ (OCEANSIDE): A man found injured on an Oceanside bike path on New Year’s Day and later died was identified Wednesday as a Fallbrook resident. Mark Andrew Slaughter, 45, died under what police are investigating as suspicious, Oceanside police Lt. Leonard Cosby said. Slaughter was found along a bike path on South Coast Highway, near Eaton Street, about 8:40 p.m. on Jan. 1, police said. He had head and face injuries, and was taken to a hospital. He died a short time later.

Cosby said an autopsy was conducted but the Medical Examiner’s Office was not able to determine what caused Slaughter’s head injuries or what caused his death. Internet sites show Mark Slaughter as owner of Focus Window Cleaning Service in Fallbrook. Investigators are asking that anyone with information about the case or about Slaughter’s movements on Jan. 1 call them at (760) 435-4892.

Police cover the body of a domestic helper who fell out of the window of an apartment in Kowloon City on Wednesday.

Indonesian maid falls to death in window-cleaning accident: An Indonesian maid fell to her death on Wednesday when she was apparently doing some cleaning work at a window of an apartment in Kowloon City. The domestic helper, a 21-year-old who bears the first name Titik, came to Hong Kong just two months ago, according to Ming Pao Daily. The accident took place at midday at a building named Elite House on Argyle Street.

A security guard said he rushed outside the building after hearing a loud thud. He saw a woman lying on the ground unconscious, prompting him to immediately call the police. When the police and medical personnel arrived, they pronounced the woman dead on the scene. Blood stains and broken pieces of a flower pot were found on the floor. The police didn’t find any suicide note on the person or inside the flat, leading them to believe that the maid may have fallen from the window accidentally.

Cheung Kit-man, chairman of Hong Kong Employment Agencies Association, said that in the past two years there had been a total of fourteen cases of domestic workers falling out of windows. Domestic workers are often not careful, he said, noting that some maids tend to lean way too out from windows when cleaning. Under current law, the Hong Kong government requires an employer to buy insurance for their foreign domestic workers. Family members of the maid are eligible for compensation, and the cost of transferring the body back to homeland will also be covered.

Spate of suicides in China still largely unexplained: The unnatural deaths of seven government officials in less than a month have raised concerns among members of the public, as the causes of some of the deaths have not been explained. Yang Xiaojun, a law professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said only limited information has been provided from official sources, and it’s not sufficient to stop the public from speculating. He said he believes the results of investigations into the deaths are a matter of public concern and that governmental departments need to explain the causes in a timely manner.

Earlier this year, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee issued a notice requiring the public release of detailed information about deceased officials. According to a report in Southern Weekly, 112 officials committed suicide from August 2003 to April 2014, with 39 percent of those dying in their offices, 33 percent at home and the rest at parks or clubs. Hao Zhuang, security chief in Jiaohe, Jilin province, died after falling from the window of his sixth-floor office on Monday morning. The local government made a statement, saying Hao fell from the window accidentally when he was cleaning the window glass and died of critical injuries despite emergency medical treatment. No other details were available.

Also on Monday, Wang Jinwei, 50, head of the finance bureau of Enshi, Hubei province, died after falling from the roof of the residential building where he lived. No explanation for his death has been released. According to a report by Legal Evening News, officials who died of unnatural causes recently include Xiao Wensun, mayor of Liuzhou in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, who drowned in a river on Nov 4; Zhang Jianwei, head of the disciplinary department of China Nation Offshore Oil Corporation, who died in his office on Nov 3; Wang Pin’gang, senior vice-president of China Shenhua Energy Co, who died on Oct 29, the same day the former head of the land and resources department in Xiamen, Fujian province, surnamed Lin, hanged himself in a park; and Chen Hongqiao, president of Guosen Securities, who committed suicide at his home on Oct 23.

Company Fined For Death Of Window Cleaner

Kevin Dolan plunges through open floor-to-ceiling window of Pountney Hill House while cleaning huge glass pane from inside without harness.

Window cleaner falls to his death from third storey of Grade II-listed building: A window cleaner plummeted to his death from the third-storey window of a Grade II-listed building in the City after bosses failed to ensure safe working conditions, a court heard. Kevin Dolan, 57, fell to his death through the open floor-to-ceiling window of Pountney Hill House, in central London, while cleaning the huge glass pane from the inside. The Old Bailey heard his death on October 18, 2012 was caused by a lack of safety measures, such as harnesses or rope access.

Surrey-based cleaning company Blades (London) Ltd took immediate responsibility for his death and pleaded guilty to an offence under the Health and Safety Act. Directors Bob Sawyer, Darren Sawyer and James Curtis sat at the back of court as their business was handed a £45,000 fine. Judge Richard Kramer QC said: "Nothing this court can does today can, sadly, turn the clock back. Moreover, it is insidious to try to place a value on the loss of life."

Mr Dolan had been working in the four-storey office block when he fell from an open third-storey window. The window opened into the room like a door, so it was possible to clean from the inside - although there were no barriers to prevent a fall, prosecutor Alastair Smith said. The court heard there was no rope access, no harnesses and no fall arrest or restraint. There were "eye bolts" built into the building, but they were not being used. Mr Smith added: "The method attempted was almost certainly the quickest, but almost certainly the least safe."

Mr Dolan was a close personal friend of the Sawyer brothers and Curtis, who opened the commercial cleaning company in 2007. The firm specialised in providing services, including window cleaning, to commercial premises in the City of London and relied heavily on subcontractors. Mr Dolan was described as more experienced than his bosses, who would turn to him for advice.

Their barrister Mark Balysz said: "The company is devastated by the loss of their friend and is truly sorry for it." He said the windows at Pountney Hill House had been cleaned in the same way for many years, adding: "It took the death of a friend to realise the risk to which they had put themselves, Kevin and others."

Blades (London) Limited, of Wallington, pleaded guilty to a single charge of breaching general duty to an employee under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The company was fined £45,000 and ordered to pay £7,500 costs.

London Window Cleaner Loses Balance & His Life

Flowers and an Arsenal scarf left around the basement area of the Noel Road property in London. David Bluring a local window cleaner fell after losing his balance.

A “kind and lovely” window cleaner who had worked in Islington since he was just 16 tragically died after falling from the roof of a five-storey house in Angel. Father of two David Bluring, 58, who grew up in the borough but lived in Southgate, was cleaning the top-floor windows of the property in Noel Road at around 3pm last Thursday when he lost his balance and fell around 50 feet.

Mr Bluring was one of five children who spent their childhood on the Peabody estate, off Essex Road. It is unclear what caused the fall, but a handle appeared to be missing from a top-floor window. Passers-by suggested Mr Bluring may have lost his balance after the handle he was holding onto came away. 

The window cleaner, who fell into the basement area in front of the property, was not using a ladder at the time and appears not to have taken any other safety precautions. Police say they are not treating the incident as suspicious at this stage.

The Noel Road house where Mr Bluring fell.

Geoffrey Arden, 85, who owns the house, said he had opened the door to Mr Bluring earlier that day. “He seemed perfectly normal,” he said. “I had only met him once or twice. He had been our window cleaner for about a year after he was recommended to us by neighbours. He was very conscientious. “How he lost his balance I don’t know. It’s a great tragedy.”

The pensioner said he had never seen Mr Bluring use a ladder, and that he had climbed on to the roof out of the top-floor window. Dave Branch, a builder who was working in a house opposite and was said to have tried to come to Mr Bluring’s aid after witnessing the fall, left a bunch of flowers and a card at the scene. It said: “So sorry I couldn’t help you more. My thoughts are with you and your family. Rest in peace.”

Wilton Square resident Isobel Waller, one of Mr Bluring’s customers of 17 years, said she and her husband Anthony had seen him just days before his death. “He was laughing and joking, full of vitality and acute observations of life,” she said.

A message left at the scene in Angel.

“Dave Burling was one of the first people my husband and I met when we moved to Wilton Square in 1998. “He was always ready for a chat and we would discuss the issues of the day over a cup of coffee when he came to do our windows. He kept a friendly eye on people living on their own or who needed a bit of help.” “We will miss him enormously,” she added.

Another customer, Arlington Square resident Kathleen Bondar, described Mr Bluring as a “nice, cheerful and friendly man”. “He was such a nice, cheerful and friendly man whom I trusted so easily around my home,” she added. “He worked hard and carefully and always had a kind, lovely manner. This is a tragedy for all who knew him.”

Police and paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and London Air Ambulance attended the incident but were unable to save the 58-year-old. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Enquiries into the circumstances of the death are being carried out by officers from Islington Council and the Health and Safety Executive. Mr Bluring is survived by son Damian, 31, daughter Sam, 30 and his wife Sharon.

Tacoma Window Washer Falls To Death From Downtown Building

Inspectors on Thursday investigate a fatal fall of a window washer at a downtown Tacoma building. The accident happened at the Davita Building at 1423 Pacific Ave. The man apparently fell 10 stories after climbing over the edge of the building's roof.

Window washer in Tacoma falls to death from downtown building: A window washer died Thursday after falling from a downtown Tacoma building. The Pierce County medical examiner’s office identified the dead man as Timothy Thomas Sargent Jr., 30, of Kent.

Tacoma Fire responded to the accident, which happened about 9:45 a.m. at the DaVita building, 1423 Pacific Ave. Few details were available about the fall.

Sargent, who was working with a partner cleaning the building’s exterior, fell after apparently climbing over the edge of the building’s roof. He fell roughly 10 stories and was pronounced dead at the scene, police spokeswoman Loretta Cool said.

Sargent worked for Seattle-based United Building Services, said Cammy Wittrell, who represents the building owner, 1423 Pacific Partners. “It’s been a very trying and sad, sad day,” Wittrell said. “We’re trying to deal with this tragedy and are thinking about his family.”

No one from United Building Services was available for comment Thursday. The state Department of Labor & Industries is investigating the accident.

Inspectors investigate a fatal fall of a window washer at a downtown Tacoma building Thursday.

Window washer plunges to his death in Tacoma: washer fell to his death from a building in Tacoma. The 30-year-old man fell from the DaVita building Thursday morning, formerly known as the Sandberg Building, at 14th Street and Pacific Avenue.

Reports are that the man had just gone over the edge of the 180-foot-tall building when he fell to his death. Tacoma police are at the scene where window washing gear and cable can be seen hanging from the building. A bucket, rope and a pair of shoes are on the ground. Tacoma police and the Department of Labor and Industries are investigating.

Window Cleaning Contractor On Trial In France

Saint-Malo Brittany.

Window cleaning contractor on trial in France: A window cleaner died after falling off his ladder, resulting in a court case. An accident has been tried by the local criminal court of Saint-Malo following the death of a window cleaner who fell off his ladder.

Nobody saw or heard anything that day inside a superstore near Saint-Malo, in Brittany. While he was cleaning indoor windows Christian Aubert, 46, fell from his ladder and was found unconscious with severe head injuries. This model employee, who had 24 years’ experience, died four days later in hospital without having regained consciousness.

Eight months later his employer, the boss of a cleaning firm with 11 employees found himself before the court, charged with involuntary homicide and infringement of health and safety regulations.

Did Christian Aubert, on the day of his accident, have with him the equipment necessary for carrying out his tasks in accordance with the relevant safety regulation? This was the question the judges had to find an answer to while referring to the company’s internal rules and to the complex French legislation embodied in the Code du Travail.

As far as the company boss was concerned, the victim had been working within the law - he was working on a ladder that carried him to a height of two metres above the ground to clean a glazed surface to a maximum height of 3.6 metres.

“If one takes account of the man’s height and the fact he was working with arms stretched, he must have been at a height of about 1.25 metres above the ground,” argued the employer, who had distributed an internal note prohibiting his workers from climbing without protection to a height of over 1.60 metres.

But there were no witnesses and even the victim’s workmate, who was working next to him, was unable to confirm this assertion. On the other side of the witness stand, lawyers defending the dead employee referred to the work inspector’s report, who had investigated the accident and had concluded that acts of “negligence” had been involved and the employer had been responsible for not abiding by safety regulations.

“In this matter, lack of prudence has been involved, even though it may have been in good faith”, the public prosecutor decided, demanding a 3,500 euros fine.

Meanwhile the defendant has made new arrangements within his company, putting a wheeled scaffolding tower at the disposal of his workers, a device that may not be compulsory but which would have prevented the dramatic accident which struck Christian Aubert.

This case is a reminder that, as regards safety at work, there is no guarantee staff won’t be hit by an accident. This is particularly true of window cleaners, who often have to work at great heights. In this case, a man lost his life while working at less than two metres from the ground.

So far the ruling hasn’t been announced because the case is still being deliberated, but it is generally expected the employer will receive a sentence on the 3rd October when the case in court reopens. 

Investigating The Dangers Of Older Glass Windows

Investigating The Dangers Of Older Glass Windows.

Investigating The Dangers Of Older Glass Windows (Pittsburgh) — When Michael Racky leaned up against a storefront window, the window gave way. Shards of glass cut him like a knife, killing the 52-year-old father. “I have to wake up every day realizing I will never see him again,” says daughter Meghan Racky. That store front window was broken and the crack was held together with tape. That’s a no-no and a big safety hazard. “This is a dangerous situation,” says window expert Mark Meshulam.

Meshulam says any broken window — especially in older buildings like those in Pittsburgh — can pose a risk. When he checked out windows in downtown Pittsburgh he found several broken windows in the City County building. “I think if there’s enough wind, and just right rattling, that one piece could break free and it could take flight,” remarks Meshulam while looking at a cracked pane of glass in the first floor window.

Back in 2012, glass from a window on the eighth floor of the City County Building fell out and came crashing down onto Grant Street. “The glass is cracked but we have greater safety issues where whole panels are falling out of buildings,” says Mike Gable with the city of Pittsburgh. We brought the broken window issue to the attention of the city of Pittsburgh. Gable says the city is responsible for close to 300 buildings and they have one person who fixes the glass. City officials tell KDKA they don’t deem the nine broken panes of glass we found to be an emergency.

“Well I can’t say that, there are work orders. I can’t tell you if there are work orders for all nine panes of glass, but our facilities people are aware of it and we will do the best we can to get them replaced,” Gable said when asked if they would be fixed any time soon. Over at the county courthouse, there were several broken windows as well. The county is responsible for the windows in more than 120 main buildings, including the courthouse, which dates back to 1888.

“Just in the past two years, we have spent $12,000 just for the glass,” says Doug Nolfi, Director of Facility Maintenance for Allegheny County. After informing the county of the broken windows at the courthouse — the building was inspected. One window was fixed immediately. Some of the windows are so old, the glass needs to be specially ordered.

Officials with the city and county say both buildings are currently being evaluated from top to bottom on how to make them more energy efficient, and that could include new glass for every window.

City and county officials say they do inspect their buildings on a regular basis looking for problems, but they rely on the public and employees to report issues.

Window Cleaner Falls To Death

The building from which a glass cleaner fell to death in Dubai on Saturday morning. 

Window cleaner falls from 10th floor of Dubai building - Dubai Police investigation is underway to determine the cause of fatal accident: A young worker fell to his death from the tenth floor while cleaning the glass façade of a building in Dubai early on Saturday morning. Rasalmia, from Bangladesh, in his late 20s, fell from a building in Deira’s Port Saeed area.

Col Adil Al Suwaidi, Manager of Al Muraqqabat Police Station, confirmed to Emirates 24|7 that the cleaning worker fell from the 10th floor of the building and died on the spot. Advising the maintenance and cleaning company supervisors and engineers to provide all the required safety and security facilities for employees who work at such heights, Col Al Suwaidi added that an investigation is underway to determine whether there were any lapses in providing security to the worker.

The Colonel added that the body of the worker had been sent to the forensic laboratory. According to the station head, the necessary measures for workers’ safety seemed to be in place, but authorities are investigating further to rule out any security lapses. The investigation will determine whether the worker fell due to his own security lapse or if some foul play was involved.

Passersby saw the victim’s dead body lying at the entrance of the Business Avenue Tower, which houses several offices. One of Rasalmia’s colleagues was on a floor above the tenth and two co-workers were cleaning the glass façade of floors below the tenth when the tragedy happened at around 6am.

According to Rasalmia’s relatives, the victim’s co-workers became aware of the accident from the vibrations of the iron rope from which a cleaning cradle hung. It is not yet clear what exactly caused his fall. Security staff of the building confirmed the accident but an official of the cleaning company declined to comment. Rasalmia shared his room with eight colleagues who are saddened by his sudden death.

Witnesses describe ‘horror’ of finding man’s body after suspected fall from Dubai tower: Eye witnesses have described the grisly scene after a man’s body was found at the base of a tower in Dubai on Tuesday. Staff from the Radisson Royal Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road made the grim discovery outside the Nassima apartment block of the same building. A staff member told 7DAYS the man appeared to have been “a resident or a guest” of one of the apartments.

Police officers cordoned off the area and are currently investigating. They have not yet confirmed the cause of death or released details about the circumstances of the man’s death. However, it is thought that he fell to his death. “At first we thought it could have been a cleaner but I doubt it because he was wearing Adidas shorts. The windows are sealed so I don’t know how he managed. He could have fallen or jumped from the rooftop. Police are here to investigate,” a witness said.

The incident is thought to have taken place between 4pm and 5pm. A passerby who was walking to a nearby coffee shop on the same street told 7DAYS: “He was lying on the pavement. It was horrifying to see. They covered him up but I could still see his leg hanging out.” Vehicles and officers from the Dubai Police Crime Scene Investigation department were also at the scene but declined to comment.

Death Of Window Washer Netanel Arami Was An Act Of Terror

Court lifts gag order, reveals Netanel Arami was murdered by Arabs for 'nationalistic reasons'; family furious over cover-up.

Death of Window Washer Netanel Arami was an Act of Terror - Due to the tenacity of the family, police have agreed to announce that the death of high-rise window washer Netanel Arami HY”D, 27, was a terror attack as they claimed all along. After the young man’s death police were quick to label his death an accident but the insistence of the family compelled an investigation which led them to learn an Arab tampered with Arami’s rappelling equipment, resulting in his fall from the 11th floor.

Police on Wednesday 4 Kislev announced three Arabs are in custody. Israel Police is announcing that the case is closed and the final determination is the death was an act of terrorism. The family will now receive benefits and rights given to bereaved families.

The family was represented by Honenu, taking the case to the Petach Tikvah Magistrate Court which on Wednesday morning ordered lifting the gag order on the case, overriding police objections. Justice Merav Greenberg permitted reporting the ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) has three Arabs in custody who are connected to the attack involving sabotaging his equipment.

Court lifts gag order, reveals Netanel Arami was murdered by Arabs for ‘nationalistic reasons'; family furious over cover-up. In a dramatic turn of events Petah Tikva’s Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning lifted a gag order over the murder of Jewish construction worker Netanel Arami – revealing that his murder was indeed an Arab terrorist attack.

Arami’s family have  long insisted that his death was an act of murder by one or more of his Arab colleagues after he fell from a Petah Tikva construction site – apparently after his ropes were cut as he rappelled from the eleventh floor. The Arami family have led a hard-fought campaign for police to make public details of their investigation, and just yesterday petitioned the court to lift the gag order.

Initial reports claimed that when police arrived on the roof of the Petah Tikva building Arami fell from they found his ropes cut and Arab workers laughing, but police and other officials have remained tight-lipped on details of their investigation ever since. Police inaction and repeated allegations of a cover-up have sparked public outcry and protests.

Judge Merav Greenberg released for publication the fact that following Arami’s murder police arrested and interrogated three Arab suspects “under suspicion that they were involved with causing his death for nationalistic motives.” The three were released from police custody after a lengthy interrogation, as “no legal justification was found” to keep them detained while the investigation is still ongoing. The court also released for publication the fact that Arami’s family received a document from police confirming that they qualified as family of a “victim of terror.”

Arami’s mother Miriam – who last month accused authorities of leading a cover-up over the affair – responded to the court’s decision with both a sense of vindication and frustration. “It is important to us that they publicized the matter so that everyone should know the truth, and know that Netanel went to work and didn’t come but, but was murdered because he was a Jew,” she said. “All the silencing of people and attempts to cover-up did not succeed.” “With the help of God, we promised Netanel two weeks ago when we visited him at the cemetery on his birthday, that we will not rest and will not be silent until the murderers are found,” she said.

But the grieving mother could not contain her anger at the muted reaction of government officials to her son’s murder. “We are angry at the fact that not a single government official such as the President or Prime Minister have come to comfort us, and didn’t even offer condolences over the telephone.”

“Abu Khdeir everyone mourned,” she noted, referring to the Arab teenager murdered during the summer by Jewish extremists – an attack which drew sharp condemnations and an outpouring of support for the Abu Khdeir family by Israeli officials. “Apparently for them he is more precious than the blood of my son.”

Attorney Hur Uriel Nizri of the legal rights group Honenu, who has represented the Arami family in their campaign to lift the gag order, hailed the court’s decision. “It is important to say that until now no public or government officials have made contact with the family, despite the fact that the matter was known and clear (to all). “As such, we call on the President, who knows how to go visit victims of other kinds of violence should come and comfort the family… Netanel Arami was killed because he was a Jew.”

“I thank the court for its decision and we call on the various government authorities to come and do their jobs. We call on the Shabak (Israel Security Agency) and to the police to continue to investigate and carry out the required investigative duties,” he continued. Despite that, however, Nizri added that he and the family were “pained” at the fact that it took a long and difficult legal campaign just to reveal the truth about the affair.

Original story here

Ropes Of Window Washer Netanel Arami Intentionally Cut

Authorities believe Palestinian workers may have cut rope of Netanel Arami, who was hanging by the 11th floor of a building, sending him to his death.

Police suspect man who fell to death was murdered: Investigation shows that ropes holding window washer Netanel Arami were intentionally cut • Police looking into possible nationalistic motives • Family accuses authorities of covering up motive for murder, calls protest march in Bat Yam.

A window washer who fell to his death from the 11th floor of a Petach Tikva building at a construction site two weeks ago was murdered, police announced on Tuesday. They said the ropes that had secured Netanel Roei Arami, 26, to the building had been cut intentionally, possibly out of nationalistic motives.

Arami had been strapped into rappeling equipment while at work washing the windows. Initial investigations and evidence from Arami's workmates indicated that he had been working carefully, as he always did. The team of window washers had rappeled off the roof, and when their work was done, lowered themselves all the way down. When Arami's workmates did not see him on the ropes, they searched the area and were shocked to discover him on the ground.

The workers called an ambulance and the Petach Tikva police, who opened an investigation that was later handed off to the Shin Bet security agency.  Since the incident, Arami's family has been angry at the police and their alleged obfuscation of what took place. On Tuesday, Arami's parents and pregnant widow, Moriah, convened a press conference. The couple's two children -- Avia, 4, and Itai, 2 -- were also there.

"We knew from the beginning this was murder, because he was a professional. The fact that he was murdered because he was Jewish leads us to demand that the killers be brought to justice," said Arami's mother, Miriam. "The government needs to draw the right conclusions about how to treat terrorists. I am pleading that Netanel be the last victim. If the punishment isn't harsh enough, I'm afraid it won't be enough. All this whitewashing won't help," she said.

Arami's parents, Uziel and Miriam, and his widow, Moriah.

Uziel Arami, Netanel's father, said, "The loss of my son Netanel is the public's loss. Every day [terrorists] slam us. We weep for what God took from us and want Netanel to be the last victim of the Jewish people. Our strength is in unity. So we are asking the public's and media's help in bringing the truth to light."

Uziel said the family would hold a protest walk Wednesday evening from Yoseftal Street in Bat Yam toward the local police station. Moriah Arami described her late husband as "an amazing father. A man with no enemies … a full partner. A devoted father. A working man who left every day to make a living. An amazing husband."

The family's attorney, from the Honenu National Legal Defense Organization, Hori Nizori, said: "Two weeks ago, Netanel Arami was murdered, and since then welfare authorities have not contacted the family. … Only after two weeks of pressure from us and from MK Moshe Feiglin, did the police agree to partially lift the gag order [on the case] and admit that they are looking into possible nationalistic motives for the murder."

Feiglin said at the press conference that "whenever it's possible to turn a blind eye and stick their head in the sand, the police and the establishment does so, because it's apparently convenient, or because they are afraid of protests. There was pro-Hamas and pro-Islamic State graffiti on the building. Stones from the building were found in nearby playgrounds."

The police have not responded to the family's statements. According to the police, an investigative team has met with the Arami family no fewer than four times, including on Monday with the head detective. The police also said the family knew about the gag order and had received an update when it was partially lifted, and that some 20 minutes after the incident took place, Arami's brother arrived and said that he wanted to notify the rest of the family himself. 

A police source said, "All possibilities are being investigated. It is still unclear if this was nationalistically motivated. There have been no arrests thus far, and the investigation is ongoing and intensive." 'My son was murdered because he was Jewish'. Mother of Netanel Arami, who was killed 2 weeks ago after falling off the 11th floor of a building, criticizes authorities for mishandling the family, calls for capture of perpetrators.

“He told me several times that he was afraid that the Arabs at the construction site would try to kill him by cutting the cables,” his wife, Moria.

Police suspect murder in construction worker’s death: Family of Netanel Arami, who died in a fall two weeks ago, accuses authorities of covering up facts to keep public calm. Police lifted a gag order Tuesday on an investigation into the death of an Israeli construction worker who died in a fall at a building site in Petah Tikvah, confirming that he may have been murdered.

Following the death of Netanel Arami, 27, two weeks ago, in what police initially said was an accidental fall — both the cables he was using to rappel down the face of a building snapped — his family lobbied for police to investigate the possibility that he was murdered. “He told me several times that he was afraid that the Arabs at the construction site would try to kill him by cutting the cables,” his wife, Moria, said, according to Israeli news site NRG.

Arami’s brother, Ohad, said that his brother was a professional with many years’ experience who always employed proper safety measures, and there was no chance the fall could have been an accident. “When they are working and rappelling from high up, they are attached to two cables so that if one snaps, there is a backup cable,” Ohad Arami said. “There is no way that both cables could snap at the same time unless somebody intentionally cut them.”

Last week, Arami’s widow went as far as accusing the police of attempting to cover up the circumstances of her husband’s death. “Maybe they didn’t have a suspect, but they knew what happened, and could’ve given [us] the details of the incident,” she told Channel 10. “They tried to cover things up, so there wouldn’t be an uprising, chaos and war.”

The building Netanel was working on.

"My son was murdered because he was Jewish, there's no other reason," said Miriam, the mother of Netanel Roi Arami, who fell to his death two weeks ago from the 11th floor of a building under construction in Petah Tikva. The Arami family held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, after police suspicions the death was not an accident were made public earlier in the day. "I call on all government branches to put a stop to those who slaughter us. It's as if we're in a shooting range. No one knows who's next," she said, clarifying that the family "knew this was a murder and not a work accident from the get go."

Police suspects Netanel's murder was nationalistically motivated. Miriam urged for the capture and the execution of judgment of the perpetrators. "Let Netanel be the last victim. If there's no deterring punishment, this would not be the last case. All of these cover-ups won't help. The people are not stupid." Miriam also criticized the police's handling of the family. "They come to tell the family and they find a woman with a baby in her arms, and she collapses, but they ask her to come straight to the station so she could sign off on the autopsy. There's no emotional support from the police. They have to also show sensitivity," she said. "The people of Israel support us, and came to the shiva (Jewish 7 days of mourning), and continue supporting us. We don't get support from the government or any other authority. No one from welfare or the municipality came to visit us," Miriam charged.

Netanel's father, Rabbi Uziel Arami, also spoke at the press conference, saying his son was "not a private victim. He's a public victim that belongs to all Israelis. We see what's happening out there - one time it's an attack with a truck and another time with a tractor. Stones are thrown at kindergartens and there's graffiti in support of Hamas and ISIS. We don't want another victim like Netanel. I'm asking for the truth to be set free, and for things to not be covered up." Choking on tears and struggling to speak, Netanel's widow, Muriya, turned to the gathered reporters and asked: "My son is two years old and asking me where dad is. What do you tell a child that age? I tell him that dad's watching over us from the sky."

Netanel Arami with his wife and children.

Muriya, who is pregnant, said her late husband "had no enemies and he was loved by all. He was a full time father, an amazing husband, dedicated, who did everything. I don't know how my children could grow up without a father."

Attorney Hur Nizri from the organization Honenu, who is representing the family, said: "Two weeks ago Netanel Arami was murdered and until now welfare authorities have failed to contact the family. The family was abandoned and was not taken care of by the authorities, while at the same time it needs to bear the pain of a situation likes this - losing what is most precious to them. The family is determined to fight until the truth comes out, and we expect the police to keep the family updated on the progress of the investigation."

Netanel Arami, 26, owned a construction company contracted to do exterior work on a hi-rise building in central Israel. During the fatal day, Arami was rappelling along the side of the Petah Tikvah building in order to seal vent openings when both his cables snapped and he fell 11 stories to his death.

Over 50 workers were at the site of the time, the majority of which are Israel-Arabs and Palestinians, as well as a few Chinese nations, but none have been arrested. The workers, for their part, claim his death was an accident. During the investigation all were quested about their whereabouts and if they know anything about the suspected murder or who was behind it. Their stories were crosschecked and none were arrested. The police say the investigation continues and all investigation leads are being followed.

According to an initial investigation, Roi Arami left his home in Moshav Ahiezer, said goodbye to his pregnant wife and two children and proceeded to the site. There, he and a group of other rappellers worked on the side of the building, sealing the air ducts of the building's security rooms. The team had finished, but Roi Arami was still working. The crew worked their way down and waited in the car for his arrival. When he failed to show up they began to search for him and were horrified to see he was no longer on the building. A few minutes of additional searches led them to his lifeless body.

Rope Access Window Cleaning News

Understanding the Work Health & Safety Act 2011 With its 351 pages of legal jargon, it is not difficult to see why many people are still in the dark when it comes to understanding the Work Health & Safety Act 2011 and their duties and obligations.

Safety Officers Crack Down on Height Safety Systems (Australia) - Following a number of ‘near miss accidents’ in recent years, Workplace Health and Safety Officers from the Gold Coast region have spearheaded the creation of the Height Safety industry Working Group. The group, which convened for the first time in March, includes stakeholders from industry sectors including rope access, high rise window cleaning, height safety system installation and height safety equipment manufacturing. The officers identified window cleaning companies being at the greatest risk. 

These companies abseil down the building while attached to anchor point systems on the roof. In its meeting, the group identified the need to raise awareness of best practice principles in three main areas: Correct design, installation and certification of height safety systems; Raising the standard of safety of rope access companies; and Understanding of the Work Health & Safety Act 2011 by Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBUs). Design, Installation and Certification No amount of training or safe procedures can save a worker from a poorly designed and installed system.

An adequate design will address four separate points: Building layout: What sections of the building will need to be accessed? Building Structure: Is the building structure capable of sustaining the potential force of a fall? Anchor Design: The position, type and number of anchors that will be required? Rescue: In the event of an incident, does the design allow for a safe rescue? Installation is equally important. In order to protect yourself as a PCBU, it is important to ensure the installation company holds a QBCC license to install height safety systems, is an authorised installer for the manufacturer of the system in question, has adequate levels of experience in installing height safety systems and holds the required insurance. 

It is also important to clarify what certification and documents you will receive once the system is installed. Raising Standards Another goal of the working group is to raise the level of professionalism and safety within the rope access industry. Through better general education and awareness, they expect consumers will demand a higher standard of safety from rope access companies, and that rather simply awarding work according to the lowest quote, PCBUs will increasingly question areas such as qualifications, competency and experience. The follow on effect will be a more professional and safety conscious industry. 

Understanding the Work Health & Safety Act 2011 With its 351 pages of legal jargon, it is not difficult to see why many people are still in the dark when it comes to understanding the Work Health & Safety Act 2011 and their duties and obligations. It is a legal requirement that a PCBU has a duty to ‘eliminate risks to health and safety’ and ‘if it is not practicable to eliminate risks…to minimise those risks.’ Yet many building owners, corporate bodies and building managers do not fully understand this non-transferable obligation. Heavy penalties apply for failing to comply with the legislation, including large fines and potential jail sentences. 

The Act goes further to state that this duty cannot be transferred to another person and that more than one person can hold the same duty at the same time (part 2, division 1, subdivision 1, section 14 & 16.) How do you ensure compliance? So as a PCBU, how do you ensure you are getting the right advice and complying with your duty? You could read all 351 pages of the Work Health & Safety Act 2011 as well as the 735 pages of the Work Health & Safety Regulation 2011. Not to mention the Standards AS1891.4 and AS4488, or you could just follow these three simple rules: Properly research which companies you will choose to obtain a quote from. Ask the experience and compliance questions at the start of this article. Choose a company which is experienced, compliant, licenced and authorised, and is also willing to help educate you about your duties and obligations. 

Hopefully, the new working group will help drive industry change and raise standards. If it helps to prompt PCBUs to ask not only if they are complying with their obligations under the Act but also whether or not they have done everything possible to help keep people safe, it will succeed in this goal.

Stefan Bright - Acceptance of Triangle Award Speech: If you do not know anything about the professional window cleaning industry, here are a few tips to get you started; Number one,we prefer the term professional window cleaner over window washer. Homeowners are window washers, professional window cleaners require up to 6 months to become skilled enough to be able to perfectly clean over a hundred windows a day. Furthermore, it takes nearly a year to become equally proficient in the safe and correct use of the equipment needed to reach the windows.

Number two, we are not daredevils, cowboys nor are we crazy because we like working at heights. We are highly skilled tradespeople who enjoy the serenity of working above the general population using our artistic abilities to create a clear view of the world for those of you who get to look at it through our canvas.

Number three, we do have standards, guidelines, regulations and training programs to follow which help to ensure our health and safety as well as the safety of the general public as they walk by and look up at us plying our trade. The reason I am standing before you today is because it was not always this way. When I started cleaning windows myself in the late 1970’ s, there were no regulations, standards, guidelines or trade associations. I was only able to learn the trade from somebody who learned it from somebody else and realizing that a lot of it was based on trial and error.

Ten years later, I traveled from central Pennsylvania to the remote western town of Lubbock, Texas where the first ever gathering of professional window cleaners from across North America took place. At this event, over 60 window cleaners simultaneously discovered that we weren’t all alone in this occupation and that sharing our trials and errors would only help us all learn more about our occupation and safety. The International Window Cleaning Association, better known as the IWCA was born and the year was 1989.

The following year, Federal OSHA held a public hearing to begin the renovation of the General Industry Walking and Working Surface regulations which includes equipment and techniques used regularly by professional window cleaners. I testified at that hearing and a few months later, the President of the IWCA asked me to join the board of directors and head up the Safety and Training Standards Committee. That committee consisted of about a dozen professional window cleaners from across the country and together we agreed that our occupation needed a consistent set of safety guidelines. I had done some research and found that on average about 7 - 9 fatalities occurred each year in the window cleaning industry.

It took over a year for us to put together and publish the Safety Guidelines for Window Cleaning. Because nothing like this had ever existed before, several thousand copies were sold. This became the catalyst for many good things to come. Shortly afterwards , I spent over a year researching two decades worth of window cleaning accident case studies in order to pinpoint causes, hazards and methods of abatement. As a result, I was able to assemble a window cleaner safety training program to educate workers with identifying the hazards of our occupation and how to avoid them. That program was first delivered in 1993 and has been given several times a year ever since. In fact, I just came home this past Sunday (5/3/2014) from delivering it in Los Angeles, California.

The IWCA has estimated that over 6,500 professional window cleaners have attended and taken part in this training. I know that these professionals have taught others in the trade so the real outreach has been significantly greater. All this knowledge, experience and education helped with the development of an American National Standard for Window Cleaning Safety in 2001 which has helped OSHA, architects, engineers, designers and builders better understand the requirements for safe building maintenance. It was our way of introducing prevention through design to the window cleaning industry.

The safety training program and industry safety standard were the core documents which contributed to the creation of the Window Cleaner Safety Certification program. This is an IWCA program that is a study course which requires taking three online tests and a proctored final exam. All these accomplishments have made a difference. Professional window cleaning is the number one trade that takes place on commercial and residential mid to high rise buildings more than any other. There are upwards of twenty thousand workers exposed to serious fall hazards every day in North America and  no longer do professional window cleaners have to guess, or practice their trade by trial and error which can have fatal consequences.

Today, there are readily available sources of knowledge, experience and safety training. The Alliance between OSHA and the IWCA has helped to expand the educational outreach. This past February, the IWCA celebrated its 25th anniversary. I was asked to compile and deliver the list of safety related milestones the organization had achieved in that time. The most significant achievement was the statistic showing a 30 percent reduction in the number of fatalities in the window cleaning industry over the last 10 year. After reading these milestones to the audience , I think several people in attendance there may have thought to nominate me for this award. I thank them for that.

The greatest reward for doing what I do is when a window cleaner shakes my hand and thanks me for helping them to learn how to think more safely about their occupation which in turn, helps them to work safer. Over the years many have even told me I’ve saved their lives or that of a co-worker. Receiving this award from the American Society of Safety Engineers is extremely gratifying. I have benefited by being a member of the ASSE since 1997 and having such an esteemed organization that is outside of the window cleaning industry recognize and distinguish my efforts is most honorable and greatly appreciated. And in saving the best for last, I could not have done any of what I have without the extreme sacrifice and support of my best friend , who happens to be my wife of over 30 years, Michele. Thank you for your patience, tolerance and acceptance of what I do, which helped me make a difference. Thankyou.

The caped crusader window washers were back on the job for a second year at an Oregon children's hospital - not fighting crime, but fighting grime. Super heroes descend the nine stories of Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel for the second year.

Superheroes lift kids' spirits at Portland hospital: Superheroes took to the skies at Randall Children’s Hospital Monday fighting not crime but grime. “Holy squeegy Batman – it’s time to get to work,” shouted a window washer decked out as the Boy Wonder. A half dozen members of the regular window washing crew donned tights and capes to delight young patients. “This is the second year for this and I’m looking forward to all the smiles and high fives,” said Batman as he was suiting up.

This year’s event included a super twist for the kids. “We’re here with free costumes for all the patients,” said Alison Hicks who runs Chelsea’s Closet in memory of her daughter. “Dress-up was her favorite thing when she was in the hospital, it gave her a reason to get up in the morning,” Hicks said, of her daughter.

Before the superheroes arrived, costumes were delivered to rooms and out-patients selected outfits from a hallway rack. “It’s so nice to have him come here for something other than chemotherapy,” said the mother of a three-year-old patient. For the dangling half dozen doing the dirty work, there was a big pay off. “It so nice to come and brighten the day of these kids who are going through tough times, and they end up brightening our day as well,” concluded Spiderman. 

Union Files Complaint In Death Of Window-Washing Custodian At UC Berkeley - A union representing service workers at the University of California, Berkeley has filed a complaint with state authorities over the death of a custodian. Forty-five-year-old Damon Frick died after falling from a lift on April 7 while washing window sills at a campus auditorium 20 feet above the ground. The complaint against the university says Frick never received proper safety training, and his supervisor assigned him the job even though those duties weren’t part of his typical work. It was filed Wednesday with the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health. Frick’s family separately is pursuing a wrongful death claim against UC Berkeley. A call to the university on Friday was not immediately returned.