A "Cuppa" Sorts Out Worker In Window Cleaning Cradle

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Shard worker caught in high winds terror went straight back to work after a cuppa: A Shard worker who survived a terrifying tangle at 1,000ft returned to work soon afterwards - after a soothing cup of coffee. Eyewitnesses watched in horror as the cradle dangling outside the 72nd floor of the 1,017ft building twirled wildly in high winds. Thousands more have since watched a YouTube video (below) clip of the drama as the spinning platform was wrestled back under control.

Ten fire fighters and an ambulance were on standby at the foot of the 78-storey building for 45 minutes after being called at 2.15pm yesterday. But today, Milton Keynes-based contractors More Control UK - which was carrying out external safety checks on the skyscraper days before its official opening - said the horrifying incident "looked worse than it was." A spokesman said: "Unfortunately while we were testing software at the top of the Shard a gust of wind caught the cradle. We simply lifted it up to stop it from spinning. "The engineer in the cradle was fine after a nice cup of coffee."

In a later statement the company added: "It is built to withstand wind speeds of up to 32mph and readings, taken throughout, showed that it did not exceed 20mph. "The operative responded with the appropriate conduct during these disturbed wind patterns. On any Mace project, the Health and Safety of all employees is paramount and we are proud of our current record on The Shard where we have recently passed two million man hours without a reportable accident.” Witnesses who watched the drama unfold on the capital's newest landmark were amazed anyone could survive such an ordeal.

A Shard worker told the Standard: "They've got abseilers on ropes cleaning all the windows and at first we though it was one of them, but they weren't out there because it was too windy. It was a company doing something with the metalwork. "One of the cables went and the maintenance unit started whipping round and round. The guy was hanging on up there for at least a minute. "The cables got all twisted up so they couldn’t lift it up or down as normal and had to spin it back to unwind it. It was incredible to watch."

He added: "I've been up to the 71st floor and it's pretty scary looking down from the inside, although the building tapers so it's not a sheer drop. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be out there but the guys who work up there every day are used to it. "I've already had my wife on the phone saying 'it wasn't you was it?'"

A spokeswoman for Mace, the main contractor building architect Renzo Piano's design to life, today said the incident was swiftly and safely brought under control. She said:"We can confirm that the wind speeds were well within safe limits and that the building maintenance unit was operating in the right way. "Nobody was injured and the operatives were able to resume work." A spokesman for London Fire Brigade said the cradle had been made safe within an hour, adding "we can all now breathe a sigh of relief". The Shard, which has 31.4 acres of office, commercial and residential space, will be officially opened by Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani, Qatar's prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, and the Duke of York on Thursday.

Shard Window Cleaner Safe After Incident

The cleaning cradle hanging from the Shard on Monday: the individuals were since rescued.

Shard window cleaner safe after incident: Emergency services were sent to the Shard today - days before its official opening - after a window cleaner got stuck in a precarious position on the 72nd floor. Ten firefighters attended the scene in central London this afternoon after reports of the cleaner's cradle on the outside of the building becoming unsafe. A video posted on YouTube (below) appeared to show the cradle swinging in the wind at the top of the tower, which has 78 occupiable levels. On-site engineers fixed the problem. An ambulance was on standby at the bottom of the 309.6 metre (1,015ft) high building but the window cleaner was not thought to be injured. London Fire Brigade, which sent a fire engine and fire rescue unit to the Shard, said in a message on Twitter: "On site engineers at the £Shard have made the window cleaner's cradle safe & we can all now breathe a sigh of relief."

The Shard, which is the tallest building in Western Europe and has 31.4 acres of space, will be officially opened by Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani, Qatar's prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, and the Duke of York on Thursday. A spokesman for the Shard said: "The wind got up a bit more than we were anticipating and the window cleaner was brought down to ground level. He wasn't hurt.  "I think it was seen from a helicopter and people panicked unnecessarily." Three workmen were still working on the London Bridge Station side of the Shard this afternoon, having come down as far as around the 25th floor. The trio could be seen slowly descending down the side of the glass-sided building, washing the windows as they went. There were no signs of them being in any difficulty despite blustery conditions around the skyscraper.

A view of the Shard from across the Thames.

Spokesman for the Shard: 'People panicked unnecessarily' - A spokesman for the Shard said: "The wind got up a bit more than we were anticipating and the window cleaner was brought down to ground level. He wasn't hurt. I think it was seen from a helicopter and people panicked unnecessarily. Three workmen were still working on the London Bridge Station side of the Shard this afternoon, having come down as far as around the 25th floor. The trio could be seen slowly descending down the side of the glass-sided building, washing the windows as they went. There were no signs of them being in any difficulty despite blustery conditions around the skyscraper."

Miracle rescue of man trapped on window cleaners' cradle on 72nd floor of the Shard: Firefighters were called to the Shard today after a window cleaners' platform started to shake violently in high winds. London fire brigade said the platform was "in a precarious position" this afternoon and ten firefighters were called to the 72nd floor of the 1,017 foot tall skyscraper. Engineers later managed to make the platform safe. One person was safely rescued from the platform. No one was hurt in the incident. The video below, filmed from the ground, shows the cradle shaking violently in high winds.

Witness to Shard accident: 'Window cleaning box was swinging wildly' - Witness Neil Walsh was waiting for a train at nearby London Bridge station when he saw the drama unfold. The 30-year-old marketing executive from Dartford, Kent, who filmed the incident on his phone, said: “I go through there every day and always have a gawp up at the Shard to see what's happening. I happened to notice that the window cleaning box was swinging wildly. It was quite erratic... It was dangling from quite a thin arm and was a few feet away from the building itself, rocking left, right, up and down. It was swinging all over the place. The last few days have been windy and it must have been worse up there. I filmed it thinking the box was empty. That was a worry in itself, without me realising there was someone inside, probably cowering in a corner and hanging on for dear life.

Window cleaner gets stuck on the 72nd floor of The Shard: Emergency services were sent to the Shard - days before its official opening - after a window cleaner got stuck in a precarious position on the 72nd floor. Ten firefighters attended the scene in central London after reports of the cleaner's cradle on the outside of the building becoming unsafe. On-site engineers fixed the problem. An ambulance was on standby at the bottom of the 309.6 metre (1,015ft) high building but the window cleaner was not thought to be injured. London Fire Brigade, which sent a fire engine and fire rescue unit to the Shard, said on Twitter: "On site engineers at the #Shard have made the window cleaner's cradle safe". The Shard, the tallest building in Western Europe will be opened by Qatar's prime minister and the Duke of York on Thursday.

Drama at Shard as window cleaning basket sways wildly in wind: A window cleaner at the Shard building could thank his lucky stars today, following an emergency 330 metres above the ground in central London. The video (above) captures the moment when high winds buffeted a basket for window cleaners like a straw in the wind, near the top of Europe’s highest building, this lunchtime. Emergency services rushed to the scene at London Bridge at 2.15pm. Fortunately for the person involved, the incident appears to have passed relatively safely – considering events unfolded 72 floors up. Ambulances crews at the scene

said there were no injuries.

Window cleaner trapped in Shard terror: A window cleaner was trapped above the 72nd floor of the 1,017ft Shard today — sparking a frantic rescue mission. Emergency services rushed to the skyscraper after the cleaner's cradle started swinging violently in high winds. The incident at the central London landmark happened just days before the building is due to have its official opening. London fire brigade said the platform was "in a precarious position" as the cleaner became stuck. An ambulance was on standby at the bottom while on-site engineers fixed the problem. One person was safely rescued from the platform. No one was hurt in the incident. London Fire Brigade posted a message on Twitter saying: “On site engineers at the Shard have made the window cleaner’s cradle safe & we can all now breathe a sigh of relief.”