Real Window Cleaning Turf Wars

The police arrested six window cleaners in Santpoort-Noord after receiving a tip that a quarrel between two groups of competing window cleaning teams was to turn into a vicious gang fight over turf.

Window Cleaners in Zandaam get violent; arrests made (Netherlands): The police arrested six window cleaners in Santpoort-Noord after receiving a tip that a quarrel between two groups of several window cleaning teams may turn into an actual fight. When the police arrived at the scene of the confrontation Tuesday afternoon, three vans had already left, but the police were able to catch up with them later.

In two of the vans, police found baseball bats and a straight razors. The two drivers of both vans were arrested for possession of weapons. In the third van the police found the handle of an axe and several razors. As it was unclear whom the weapons belonged to, all four men in the van were arrested for weapon possession. At the police station, all six men were given a fine and released. The fight seems to have been about stealing customers.

Real window cleaning turf wars. Three full vans of window cleaners were arrested.

Police intervenes in window cleaning quarrel, (Santpoort) 'Monster Trucker (also a window cleaner) Mario Doornink attended the quarrel' - Police responded yesterday & arrested six suspects. They were fined & sent home. Two men (28 and 48 years) were arrested for the possession in their van of a baseball bat and a straight razor.

Four Zaandam Men aged 18 to 47 years old were arrested because in their bus was found a stem of an axe and several razors. The police rushed to the scene at 15:30 yesterday to Molenstraat because - according to a witness - a group of Zaandam local cleaners cleaners 'were intimidating others." From the North Holland village of Molenstraat were a group of Dutch cleaners & a group of foreign cleaners intimidating each other. One group showed aggression with with clubs, knives and a threatening aggressive dog.

When the quarrel happened, famed monster truck driver, Mario Doornink (pictured) was present. According to Doorninks partner, it was a fight over customers. "Everyone has their own customers," she says. "A company from Zaandam tried to pick up customers. They place their ladder in any garden, wash the windows and negotiate a price. "

There had already been stories that many window cleaners were working in districts which are believed to be defended by other groups of window cleaning workers.

Rival window cleaners active in Zaandam: Two groups of window cleaning brigades from around Zaandam met Monday and were stopped by Police. The police got a tip that the men would fight each other in Santpoort-Noord. A confrontation in which they were planning to fight each other with more than just sponges, buckets, and chamois. A tractor was included in the fight.

Three vans full of window cleaners were arrested and baseball bats and a straight razors were found. In another van, police found a stem of an axe and several extremely dangerous razors. The origin of the dispute between the rival cleaners were from Afpikken. There had already been stories that many window cleaners were working in districts which are believed to be defended by other groups of window cleaning workers.

The fight was broken up at the scene.

Dutch Window Cleaners Take A Tumble

A 3.5 tonne truck mounted lift overturned in Hengelo, Netherlands yesterday after one of its outrigger jacks broke through the bricks on the sidewalk/pavement.

Another ground incident: A 3.5 tonne truck mounted lift overturned in Hengelo, Netherlands yesterday after one of its outrigger jacks broke through the bricks on the sidewalk/pavement. The 20 metre articulated unit was being used by a window washing company and from what we can see no mats had been used under the jack pads. The lift came to rest against the building and thankfully no one was injured. The damage was also relatively light.

It does not look like any mats were used.

The boom came to rest against the side of the building.

Christmas lights fall: A man fell from a ladder yesterday while installing Christmas lights in the town of Ashford, Kent, in the UK. The man, said to be in his late 30s, was originally said to have been working from the van mounted lift, that he or his employer, Essex-based Festive Impact Lighting, had rented from Facelift. However we later discovered that he was working from a ladder when he slipped and fell backwards hitting his head on the ground. He was out cold for around five minutes before being taken to hospital where and later released. 

A photograph from the scene shortly after the incident occurred.

Zooming In On The Dutch Window Cleaning Cartel

Window cleaners fined for cartel forming: Ten window cleaners in The Hague have been fined up to €1,000 each by the Dutch competition authority NMa for dividing up the streets in a new residential area between them. This ruling makes it clear to window cleaners nationwide that they cannot make deals with each other about who takes which street,' NMa board member Henk Don said in a statement. Don also said the NMa welcomed a move to set up an official register of window cleaners, as long as it was not anti-competitive and respected the right of householders to choose their own window cleaner.

A summary of the NMa decision of 20 December 2011 Case 6425/Glazenwassers: The Board of Directors of the Dutch Competition Authority (NMa) states in this decision that ten window cleaning companies in 2006 were active in the private market (washing windows at houses) that the prohibition in the Competition Act were violated. These ten companies have broken the law by agreeing with each other that, (from the completion of the new housing, in the Hoorn Zoom, City of Delft) in 2006 to rule over (as much as possible) & divide business from the streets and share between the work between them.

Fines: The Board therefore imposes fines: nine window cleaners get a fine of EURO 1000, one window cleaner received a symbolic fine of EUR 1000 (because of his advanced age in combination with other circumstances, he is no longer active in the window cleaning). While creating a market sharing agreement is a serious offense, the fines are low, because only a low turnover was involved with the deal. For the sole proprietors where in this case the fines are small, it is still a hard fine for the small turnover made. And even if it concerns a relatively small case, the NMa considered it important to act, because many customers had difficulty encountering & finding another window cleaner.

What happened? The ten window cleaners in early 2006 sought contact with each other and decided to "join forces" so to stop other window cleaners ('strong stand') at the expected completion of the Horn Zoom to make a 'closed shop.' Six of the ten window cleaners had met at McDonald's in Delft-Noord and discussed the division of labor in the service delivery of the Horn Zoom. After the meeting at McDonald's, the ten window cleaners continued (telephone) contact. They talked about the shared business drive to the Horn Zoom, the division of work and finding out the date of delivery of services to the district houses. The window cleaners also talked to each other about the 'securing' of the existing positions of the 'group' in Wateringseveld, compared to other groups of window cleaners. The actual distribution of work is no longer in existence there because of FIOD surgery that used some other window cleaners. It remained that an agreement has been reached.

Restriction of competition: The agreement restricted competition, because each window cleaner in the group by the agreement of the decision would have a private, exclusive area with streets, where other window cleaners could not come - nor that of their own group, or others. The new residents of the district were a 'fait accompliace' and have no choice. Because window cleaners usually keep to an "Unwritten rule" not to serve customers in streets or neighborhoods that have a different window cleaner, this also worked as a distribution agreement for any time off needed, covering work between them. Moreover, it commited the group to stand up for each other, and if necessary, stand together against 'Intruders' actions.

No justification: The window cleaners argued that the agreement would be needed for their livelihood (their own area made it possible to operate at lower cost) and "to stop infighting at the door of the customer." The NMa stated it was not a good enough reason for a street or neighborhood to own the distribution of services by a cartel. The NMa considers window cleaners in competition with each other to reduce costs on its own merit, and that nothing should prevent their customers to approach other window cleaners. It is up to consumers to decide which window cleaner could be found at will.

Broader offense unproven: In the report the preliminary findings from the investigation by the NMa, it was suspected that the group were in violation of the Competition for other agreements in the period 2003-2006 within a large area of the Randstad (Hoofddorp-Rotterdam-The Hague-Utrecht). Besides the already mentioned ten window cleaning companies considered, another thirteen other window cleaners who were involved in streets "leased" from a fixed group of lessors. The NMa, after examination of the facts concluded, that these other agreements were not proven and the only agreement on the Horn Zoom case, that the fines were made.

Criminal cases: Cases against some of the companies where previously a criminal investigation was ran which followed convictions for tax evasion, forgery and money laundering. The NMa has an FIOD file from the prosecution, including wiretapping and report interrogations, from which the Council the violation of the prohibition determined the degree of seriousness. The offense for which the NMa fines are imposed, however, is entirely separate from the earlier criminal cases, only the NMa, and not the OM is competent in the field of competition law. The NMa did not think that the window cleaners should be "doubly punished", and saw no reason to refrain from fining. The window cleaners who have received a decision, may lodge an objection, and then possibly appeal to the courts.

NMa fines Dutch window cleaning cartel agreement: The Dutch Competition Authority (NMa) fined ten window cleaners that made an illegal cartel agreement. The ten window cleaners each agreed in 2006 to divide the streets between them in a new neighborhood in Delft, The Hague and thus to determine which street who would perform the window cleaning. "This case makes clear that the NMa agreements on servicing street and neighborhood distribution can not be tolerated," said Henk Don, director of the NMa.

Window cleaners that are "appropriating" leads to the chagrin of many consumers who have no option to go to another window cleaner, can now, if they are dissatisfied. NMa therefore welcomes the initiative of the General Industrial Crafts (HBA) to open a public register where private users can pick window cleaners themselves after registering. An important condition for this list, is that a window cleaner is recognizable and can be identified by a consumer in respect to which window cleaner they would choose. Don:"I hope that through the initiative of the HBA that the 'unwritten rule' to "own" other people's streets has had its day. "It helps consumers to choose a window cleaner who is reliable & to win customers by reputation." Obviously it is important that such a register does not restrict competition. Every reputable window cleaner should be able to participate in this register. The NMa will therefore in consultation with the HBA register set objectives where the requirements are non-discriminatory and clear in advance.

The fines: €1,000 per window cleaner were tailored to the limited extent of each violation. This involved small sole traders with a low turnover. The investigation into the window cleaning cartel was made after the Public Prosecutor (OM), who was investigating the financial fraud by window cleaners, that the cartel material was found. The NMa will join forces (by January 1, 2013) with the Consumer Authority, OPTA under the name Consumer Market Authority (ACM). The new regulator will make markets work for the interests of consumer protection. The ACM will work on three pillars: consumer protection, competition regulation and sector-specific market surveillance.

Window Cleaning News

Fall from height warning given by former window cleaner: A former West Midlands window cleaner who broke his hip and wrist when he fell from a ladder has added his weight to the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) efforts to eliminate workplace injuries. Ken Bradley, 63, was cleaning the windows of a house in Dudley in July 2006 when the ladder slipped and he fell. "I felt the ladder slip from under me and I grabbed a window to try and stop myself from falling. But I couldn’t reach. I don’t really remember much after that until I woke up in hospital but I do know I was lucky to escape with the injuries I got," he said. Brian Martin, HSE inspector, said that Mr Bradley's accident shows that any fall from height can have devastating consequences. The HSE recently re-launched its slips, trips and falls campaign, which aims to make people aware of the risks of working at height, among other workplace dangers.

Police in the Driffield area are urging possible victims to come forward after police arrested a man for fraud by false representation. Police have arrested a 27-year-old Driffield man in connection with a number of alleged offences. It is alleged a man knocked on several doors in the Driffield area on Thursday 04 February between 1545hrs and 1630hrs, claiming to be the residents' window cleaner and asking for payment. It is alleged some home owners paid the man a sum of money, whilst others became suspicious and refused to pay the man. The 27-year-old man has been released on police bail, pending further enquiries, until a date in February. PC Simon Marshall said: "We have had many victims coming forward with regards to a man alleging to be their window cleaner.

Missing man found: A 33 year old man who had been missing for two weeks has been found safe and well. Police appealed for help in tracing window cleaner Alexander Wileman after he went missing from his home in Albermarle Drive, Wantage, on Wednesday, February 3. Police spokesman Daniel Donovan said Mr Wileman was found safe and well at Victoria Station in London at about 11am today. He is currently being driven to an Oxfordshire police station. Members of the public were thanked for their assistance in trying to find Mr Wileman.

Frost-bound building firms get cash help: Building groups, gardening companies and window washing firms can claim government help to pay workers who have been left without anything to do because of the long period of frost. Social affairs minister Piet Hein Donner has agreed that companies which have been affected by the wintry weather can apply for temporary unemployment benefit (ww) for staff for February and March. Some 400 claims have already been made and thousands are expected, the Financieele Dagblad reports.

Bus riders now shivering on the curb at Fifth Avenue and State Street in downtown La Crosse could have been using a heated transit center blocks away — had its construction gone as planned. But passengers and city officials who’ve waited more than 15 years for the transit center will wait at least another eight months. The Grand River Station, bid for about $21.6 million, is about eight months behind schedule and $2 million over budget, though still within the contingencies for the project. The project has had 24 change orders to date, some small — such as $2,000 for sprinkler revisions or an additional fire valve hose — and some pricier, such as $109,000 to install window washing equipment. Many of those, Hutchens said, are the result of incomplete architectural information from the start.

A Turkish investor has brought the basic ‘Roomba’ model of US company iRobot to the market, selling 500 units in only 45 days. Ali Tan Şerbetçi says the company plans to sell its products in the Middle East through Turkey. iRobot, a United States-based company with a 75 percent market share in the global home robots market, has entered Turkey with its “Roomba” model. The robot, reminiscent of a Frisbee, has a diameter of 30 centimeters and a height of eight centimeters. The robot is able to calculate the layout of a given area and clean it without human intervention. The 'Roomba' reminiscent of a Frisbee, has a diameter of 30 centimeters and a height of eight centimeters. The “Scooba” model, which uses water and detergent, will be on the Turkish market in April and will sell for 1,200 liras. “Scooba was designed for working couples, families with children, those who have pets, elderly people and the disabled,” Şerbetçi said. “It brushes and washes an area of 80 square meters and completes its cleaning without touching carpets and the like.” After Scooba, the company plans to introduce window cleaning and security robots to the market.

Ultra-thin glass coating for buildings on the way to UK: German company says new product is green and suitable for almost any surface. An ultra-thin coating is being promoted as the next big thing for protecting the surfaces of everything from hospital equipment to buildings. Called Liquid Glass, the flexible and breathable glass coating is being marketed by its German maker Nanopool as a coating for wood, stone, fibre, plastic and glass and ceramics.
The coating is approximately 100 nanometres thick (500 times thinner than a human hair), and according to the manufacturer it is food safe, environmentally friendly and can be applied to almost any surface. The coating leaves surfaces easy to clean and anti-microbially protected. Neil McClelland, UK project manager for Nanopool explained some of the principles behind the product, saying, "In essence, we extract molecules of SiO2 [silicon dioxide] (the primary constituent of glass) from quartz sand, and then we add the molecules to water or ethanol." Liquid Glass is on the market in Germany and will soon be available in the UK. It has already been trialled for the protection of monuments in Turkey, including the Ataturk Mausoleum in Ankara.

A plane crashed into a Northwest Austin building that houses federal offices about 10 this morning, injuring several people and sparking a fire that sent plumes of smoke into the air that could be seen for miles. A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said the crash, at the Echelon 1 building in the 9400 block of Research Boulevard, was “apparently a criminal act.” Austin Fire Department Division Chief Dawn Clopton said that the FBI would be taking over the investigation. Joe Williams, co-founder of the company, and Cynthia Reed, her boss, ran to a nearby truck with window washing equipment and ladders. “By some miracle there was a truck that was for cleaning windows and there were ladders,” Olivarez said. “They were putting ladders up against the building trying to get people out,” Olivarez said. “It looked as if they couldn’t get out, like both the floors were on fire. There was smoke protruding out of all the windows. It probably took about four minutes for the entire parking lot to be filled with smoke.”
They began to get out people until fire trucks showed up with their own ladders, she said.

Window Cleaner Knew: A second long-running business in Birmingham’s Brindleyplace has been refused a lease renewal amid claims the landlord could damage the long-term success of the district. Spiritual health shop Zen is the latest tenant to be turned down by the British Airways Pension Fund after hair salon Umberto Giannini was told it too would have to leave. They claimed they were the last to know and even a local window cleaner was aware plans were afoot to “kick all the smaller people out”.

In celebration of Black History Month, University of Rhode Island students and faculty attended the Black Inventors Exhibit on Tuesday, to pay tribute to and learn about the famous inventions of lesser-known black inventors. The exhibit showed that without black inventors, we would live in a world without traffic lights, mops and golf tees. Sandra Lamb, co-founder of the organization, said some of the tools featured, particularly the early technology, are from Africa, which she bought from a flea market in Massachusetts. The exhibit also displayed simple inventions like a window cleaner and a lemon squeezer.

For Mayor: Don Marsh: I'm Don Marsh, and my wife and I have been married for 32 years and raised both our children here. I am the owner of Marsh Window Cleaning, and I've spent the last 29 years serving the private sector in a position where what matters are positive results that can be seen with the naked eye. This is the kind of bottom-line-driven governing and transparency that I will bring to City Hall.

Giuliani also spoke about 9/11, said youth council member Garrett Weeks, and told the audience it was a day where a lot of people showed their leadership skills. One example he cited was an event that took place on an elevator in the World Trade Center. The power went out after one of the hijacked planes slammed into Tower One, Giuliani said. This caused the elevators to stop working. Six men were on one of the elevators. Most of them were executives with the exception of window-washer Jan Demczur carrying his bucket and a squeegee. As the men were trying to figure out how to get out of the elevator, Demczur realized they could use the pole on his squeegee to pry open the door so he directed the men in helping him. The elevator opened to a thick wall. Demczur took the lead again and took the sharp edge of his squeegee handle to scrape away the wall. After digging through three layers of drywall they were able to free themselves from the elevator. Demczur is not only considered a hero, but a leader as well.

The Carbo Clean Water Fed Pole

The Carbo Clean Pole Wash Systems from the Netherlands:

The Carbo Clean Pole is a strong and extremely low-weight cleaning pole, made of carbon, designed for telescopic glass and façade washing, up to a height of approx. 13.5 m. With the Carbo Clean Pole you can wash up to 4 floors without the use of a ladder. Having an ergonomic shape the pole has a handy grip. Due to the special shape it is easy to recognize the front and rear of the pole, so that the brush will always be correctly positioned to the face the glass.

The Carbo Clean Pole washing brush is no ordinary brush, but specially provided with a so-called window-sill brush. This windowsill brush is particularly intended for the cleaning of the protruding parts of an object. By choosing carbon as a base material, the Carbo Clean Pole has a lower weight and is stronger than other telescopic washing poles. Total length is 13.5 m. Consisting of 8 pole sections of 1.7 m. each, the Carbo Clean Pole weighs approx. 4 kg and has approx. 2 kg less weight than other poles available on the market.
The Carbo Clean Pole exists of separate sections of 1.7 m or 1.2 m., which can be put together by means of the fixing system (two conical parts). So, if you have to clean at a lower height, simply do not use all the sections, thus reducing the overall weight.

The Carbo Clean Pole exists of two conical parts sliding into one-another. A stainless steel spring clip in the lower part locks in a recess in the upper part. In order to release the two parts, push the spring clip at both sides of the Carbo Clean Pole. Now you can slide out both parts again.
You can easily store the separate poles into the special movable and collapsible Carbo Clean Pole cart.