Thunder, Lightning & Earthquakes In Dubai For Window Cleaners

If the rain begins to fall in the middle of a job, the cleaners sometimes have to start all over again.

Weather that leaves UAE men swinging in the rain: Window cleaners who hang from ropes outside skyscrapers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are constantly watching for change in the weather. "The last time we saw rain like this was a few years ago. In 2012 it only rained once. It's not the hard rain that cleans things, it's a muddy rain and things get even worse," said Alain El Tawil, the managing director at Gecko.

If the rain begins to fall in the middle of a job, the cleaners sometimes have to start all over again. Gecko cleaners were halfway through cleaning a building in Abu Dhabi when it started to rain. The job that should have taken 20 days will now probably take 30. "We have to do it again," Mr El Tawil shrugged.

Rain is not their only problem. Amel Vriesmann, head of the rope access division at Megarme, said: "We need to stay within the parameters of the winds. The limit is 20-25 knots depending on the scope of work you do. When the rain becomes severe, we pull out. But a few drops don't stop us."

Last week's thunder and lightning had cleaners abseiling down to safety. "Once we saw lightning, we were off the building. We have a daily weather forecast email among all the management. Rain is OK but thunder and lightning is a no-go," he said.

World's Highest Window Cleaners - It Took Us Three Months To Clean Burj Khalifa (Nick Vassilev) -  It took an Australian window cleaning company 3 months to clean the windows of the tallest building in the world - Burj Khalifa. Ever wondered about how they keep the windows of these skyscrapers clean? The usual options available to window cleaners such as ladders and high-level Reach and Wash cleaning systems aren’t an option there.

London, UK -- Travel and tourism websites, programmes and brochures continually bring us pictures of tall skyscrapers in some far-off land, man-made mountains of glittering glass and steel. But pause to think about what has to go on to keep the windows of these skyscrapers, such as the Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sparkling and clean.

Usually, window cleaners working with exterior windows above the ground have several options. “We encourage our window cleaners to use high-reach window washers that can be operated from the ground for health and safety reasons,” said a spokesperson from the London-based cleaning company Anyclean, which offers window cleaning alongside a range of other cleaning services. “Ladders are OK if used correctly for two-storey houses and skylights on bungalows.  The Reach & Wash machines can reach up 75 feet, which takes care of most domestic and office window cleaning situations, but for anything higher than this, you need cradles, harnesses and cherry pickers.”

So what did the company responsible for keeping the windows of the Burj Khalifa clean do? The Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest building at 2717 feet tall with a total of 24,830 windows, which make up 1,292,500 square feet of glass to clean.  The Australian company CoxGomyl, which is responsible for getting the windows clean for the opening ceremony (held back in 2010), took three months to complete the process of cleaning the windows.

This window cleaning team specialises in making equipment known as Building Maintenance Units (BMUs) as well as other high-rise high-tech window cleaning equipment. A number of these BMUs are permanently in place on the Burj Khalifa and the machines use a system of tracks and cradles to reach every single window. The tracks are built into the exterior façade of the building, and window cleaners are carried in these cradles (which are housed in special cavities inside the building when not in use) to where they can work at washing the windows. To clean the windows, they use ordinary soap and water. “You can imagine how expensive it would be if they used chemical window cleaning products,” said the representative from Anyclean. “But water does work well at cleaning just about everything.”

The window cleaners who operate in the highest BMU on the Burj Khalifa hold the current record for world’s highest window cleaners.  “Good for them,” said the Anyclean representative. “But I think I like keeping my feet on the ground!”

909 high-rises, 448 skyscrapers in Dubai... But do you know how to survive an earthquake? Tall order: Dubai has 909 completed high-rises, including world’s tallest tower, tallest hotel and tallest residential buildings (By Vicky Kapur) -  Two major earthquakes have rocked the Arab world and the UAE in the month of April: the first one on April 9, and the second one on April 16. Both the earthquakes were follwed by minor aftershocks. A 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook Iran and the rest of the Arab world at around 4pm UAE time on April 9, 2013, followed by smaller aftershocks. The death toll from the quake was last reported at 37, with hundreds others injured, mostly in Iran.
 

The epicenter of the April 16 quake, of 7.8 magnitude, was also in Iran, near the border with Pakistan, and it rocked the region at 2.44pm UAE time (10.44am GMT). The UAE's official seismology authority, National Centre of Metrology and Seismology, confirmed to  Emirates 24|7 that the epicentre of the most recent quake was 650km off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah in UAE. However, the tremors from the quake could be felt in locations as far and wide as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama, parts of Saudi Arabia as well as in Oman, with minor swaying of high-rises reported in these locations.

Earthquakes are not common in Dubai and the rest of the UAE, but nature has its way of showing who’s the boss every once in a while. Perhaps because we are not used to experiencing frequent tremors, residents of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, especially those living and working in high-rises, may not necessarily be adept at knowing what to do when tremors strike. It is no secret that Dubai is home to the tallest residential skyscraper cluster in the world. Not only does Dubai boast of the tallest building in the world, the imposing Burj Khalifa, but also the tallest residential tower (Princess Tower), the tallest hotel in the world (JW Marriott Marquis Dubai), among many more.

According to Emporis, a global provider of building information, Dubai has 909 high-rise buildings , including 448 skyscrapers (comprising 40 floors or more). According to SkyscraperPage.com, Dubai has 387 towers that are more than 99 metres in height, of which 84 are more than 202 metres tall and 26 are 301 metres or more in height. Indeed, there are three towers in Dubai that are at least half a kilometre (500 metres) in height. That’s a tall order, indeed, if there was one.

While we’ve all come to live and love our high-rises in Dubai, we can’t all claim to know about what do in case an earthquake strikes. Proof of this was the recent Iran quake, tremors of which were felt by us here in Dubai. There was confusion all along, with a number of office and residential buildings evacuated on the one hand, and with others going along with their daily chores as if nothing had happened. But if you need to be prepared the next time tremors strike, wherever in the world you are, you’ll do well to understand the following pointers (SOURCES: Earthquake Country and Go Los Angeles.

INDOORS: DROP, COVER, HOLD ON…

• DROP to the ground; take COVER by getting under a sturdy table or other piece of furniture; and HOLD ON until the shaking stops. If there isn’t a table or desk near you, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of the building. Check out this PDF .

• Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall, such as lighting fixtures or furniture.

• Quickly move to a safe location in the room such as under a strong desk, a strong table, or along an interior wall. The goal is to protect yourself from falling objects and be located near the structural strong points of the room. Avoid taking cover near windows, large mirrors, hanging objects, heavy furniture, heavy appliances or fireplaces.

• If you are cooking, turn off the stove and take cover.

• Stay in bed if you are there when the earthquake strikes. Hold on and protect your head with a pillow, unless you are under a heavy light fixture, window or anything else that could fall. In that case, move to the nearest safe place (i.e. under a desk or in an inside corner).

• Use a doorway for shelter only if it is in close proximity to you and if you know it is a strongly supported, load-bearing doorway. Brace yourself on the side with the hinges to avoid the door swinging at you.

• Stay inside until shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Research has shown that most injuries occur when people inside buildings attempt to move to a different location inside the building or try to leave.

• Be aware that the electricity may go out or the sprinkler systems or fire alarms may turn on.

• DO NOT use the elevators, even if they are working. There may be aftershocks.

• If you’re in your hotel room, stay there. There are usually aftershocks, and sometimes they may be worse than the original earthquake. Under a sturdy desk or in an inside corner of your room is the safest place to be, even if you’re on the 40th floor. If there’s a heavy bookcase next to a match-stick desk, don’t get under the desk.

• If you are in a restaurant, get under the table.

OUTDOORS: Stay Put

• Move to an open area where falling objects are unlikely to strike you.

• Move away from buildings, powerlines, streetlights, utility wires and trees.

• Once in the open, stay there until the shaking stops. The greatest danger exists directly outside buildings, at exits, and alongside exterior walls. Ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death or injury. Most earthquake-related casualties result from collapsing walls, flying glass, and falling objects.

TRAPPED UNDER DEBRIS

• Do not light a match.

• Do not move about or kick up dust.

• Cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing.

• Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can locate you. Use a whistle if one is available. Shout only as a last resort. Shouting can cause you to inhale dangerous amounts of dust.

AFTER THE QUAKE

• Check for injuries, attend to injuries if needed, help ensure the safety of people around you.

• Check for damage. If your building is badly damaged you should leave it until it has been inspected by a safety professional.

• If you smell or hear a gas leak, get everyone outside and open windows and doors. If you can do it safely, turn off the gas at the meter. Report the leak to the gas company and fire department. Do not use any electrical appliances because a tiny spark could ignite the gas.

• If the power is out, unplug major appliances to prevent possible damage when the power is turned back on. If you see sparks, frayed wires, or smell hot insulation turn off electricity at the main fuse box or breaker. If you will have to step in water to turn off the electricity you should call a professional to turn it off for you.

Lightning Strike Hits Window Cleaner

A man was struck by lightning Thursday while working atop the Marriott Marquis hotel in downtown Atlanta.

911 system knocked out, hotel window washer struck by lightning as fierce storms strike Cumming, Ga. — Crews are scrambling to make repairs after the 911 system in Forsyth County was knocked out at the height of fierce thunderstorms that struck the metro Atlanta area. Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton tells WSB Radio that Thursday's storms are believed to have knocked out the system. Paxton said the county is using its mobile command center and also getting help from Hall County's 911 center to relay emergency calls. The storm system that rolled through Forsyth County, just north of Atlanta, also sent a lightning bolt crashing onto an Atlanta hotel rooftop, injuring a worker Thursday afternoon. The man was washing windows at the top of the Marriott Marquis hotel in downtown Atlanta when the lightning hit. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. His condition wasn't known.

Lightning strikes man on window-washing scaffold -- Officials with the Atlanta Fire Department said a man was struck by lightning while on a window-washing scaffold on a downtown hotel building Thursday afternoon. It happened at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, at the corner of John Portman Boulevard and Peachtree Center Avenue. Hotel general manager Erica Qualls says the man was working with AAA National Maintenance, a window-washing company. Qualls said the man had been washing windows earlier in the day, but at the time he was struck, he was securing ropes. Qualls said Marriott has a policy that no roof work is to be done when there is lightning in the area, and says she does not know why he was still up there. The man has been transported to Grady Memorial Hospital. The man's condition is unknown, at this time.

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A scaffold lift sits on the ground after a malfunction left a worker hanging on the exterior of the Capitol in Olympia on Thursday.

Worker left dangling after mishap on Legislative Building: Cleaning of the Legislative Building has been suspended indefinitely after a platform similar to that used by window washers gave way, leaving one worker suspended by his life line 40 feet above the ground for about two minutes. Cleaning of the Legislative Building was suspended indefinitely Thursday after a platform similar to that used by window washers gave way, leaving one worker suspended by his life line 40 feet above the ground for about two minutes, according to officials at the state Department of Enterprise Services.

The employee of Seattle-based Western Waterproofing Co., who has not been identified, was pulled to safety on the fourth-floor roof by a co-worker just as Olympia Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene about 7:10 a.m. to assist. Work on the $1.148 million project will not resume until all the scaffolding and equipment are checked, and the dozen or so employees assigned to the job go through additional safety training, Enterprise Services spokesman Jim Erskine said. There were two workers in the rectangular mobile platform preparing to pressure-wash a portion of the Legislative Building. It was not immediately clear how the second worker reached safety.

The project to perform critical exterior repairs and clean the upper two-thirds of the building began in late July and was to be completed in early November. The Capitol Dome is typically scrubbed clean every five years, but the work scheduled for 2009 was placed on hold because of the bleak state budget picture. The current contract also includes tackling leaks in the historic sandstone structure. Enterprise Services maintains the Capitol Campus and its buildings.

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The view Thursday afternoon from the west tower of Marina City. At least four cameras are filming firefighters at center carrying on a stretcher the victim of the mishap at left.

Dearborn Street suits up for role in Chicago Fire: Two actors dressed as Chicago firefighters run past two cars parked in the wrong place at the wrong time. North Dearborn Street just south of Kinzie Street was turned into a film set on Thursday as a scene was filmed for the new television series, Chicago Fire. Traffic on Dearborn was reduced to one lane from early morning to late afternoon, and stopped altogether during actual filming. The two cars on the west side of Dearborn were made up to look like window-washing equipment had fallen from 353 North Clark. According to the Chicago Film Office, Thursday was the one and only day of filming on Dearborn for Chicago Fire. While the show will continue to shoot throughout Chicago through mid-December, there are no plans for them to be back in River North anytime soon. Chicago Fire premiers on NBC on October 10.

Window Cleaning News & Photos

Apple of investors' eye - In this July 21, 2011 photo, a window washer works atop the cube-like structure of glass that houses the Apple Store showroom in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Investors seem to think you want an iPad more than oil, as Apple Inc. became the most valuable company in the United States, surpassing Exxon Mobil Corp. on Wednesday. Apple briefly flirted with the top spot on Tuesday afternoon before settling back slightly below the oil giant.

China's price rises may have peaked but the country still faces inflationary risks, including the possibility of a new round of monetary easing by the United States, China's top economic planner said on Wednesday. A worker pauses from cleaning the exterior window of a hotel in Wuhan, Hubei province March 30, 2009. China's economy would grow 6 percent this year without government help but the 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) stimulus plan and other measures will boost growth to over 8 percent, Xinhua news agency quoted a senior government researcher as saying. 

China warns U.S. on managing its debt: China's central bank governor called Wednesday for the U.S. to "take responsible policy measures to handle its debt," a day after the world's largest economy reached a bipartisan deal to reduce its deficit and lift its borrowing limit to avoid a default. The comments from People's Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan, posted on the central bank's website, signal China's lingering concern over America's financial health. China is the U.S.' largest foreign creditor, holding at least $1.16 trillion in Treasury securities. Zhou also warned that stability is needed in the highly traded U.S. debt market, and said China plans to continue diversifying its currency reserves. Pictured above - A window washer works on a Beijing office building.

AB350: Unreasonable and unfair - Legislation would dictate to employers which workers would make up their labor force. If you read Santa Ana Democratic Assemblyman Jose Solorio's explanation of his legislation, the controversial Assembly Bill 350, it's about helping low-wage workers keep their jobs in a tough economy. Don't be fooled. It's really about helping the sponsor of the bill, the Service Employees International Union, retain union membership and improve its bargaining position. The bill requires employers who win new contracts for building services — including janitorial, maintenance, security, window-cleaning and cafeteria services — to hire and retain the previous contractor's employees for three months. If the employees' work is satisfactory during that 90-day period, the new employer would be required to keep them on. This is an unreasonable, unfair and unnecessary constraint on business. It would essentially dictate to an employer what his work force would be.

Under this bill, the new employer would not be able to interview or conduct a background check of the retained workers. Any business — a hospital or a hotel operator, for example — unhappy with the company that provided security or window cleaning previously, could contract with a new company but would still be stuck with the same work force. Existing law calls for a 60-day retention period for janitors and maintenance workers. This measure expands the type of workers who would have to be retained — adding security guards, window cleaners and food-service employees. It then tacks on another month to the time the new contractor or building owner would have to keep the old contractor's work force in place. Finally, it bars the new employer from firing the retained worker unless the employer can show specific incidents in which the retained worker's performance was unsatisfactory. Also here & here.

Body in Eel River identified as missing Santa Rosa man: The body found in the Eel River last month is a Santa Rosa man who may have been the victim of a homicide, authorities confirmed Wednesday. Edward Burton Jensen Jr., a 54-year-old man who had been living in Blocksburg, had been missing since April. The Humboldt County Coroner's Office identified Jensen in a press release sent out Wednesday. ”Investigation into the circumstances of Jensen's death is ongoing,” the release said. Jensen was last seen at a rural residence in the Larabee Creek subdivision area of Blocksburg, walking away from the residence after an argument with another subject. His body was discovered on July 28 in the river off of the 2400 block of Dyerville Loop Road. Responding deputies reportedly located the body in a small pool of water on a stump in the river. It appeared that the body had been in the river for a while. He had been living in Blocksburg with a relative. He had worked as a window cleaner in Sonoma County, but it's unclear whether he held a job at the time of his death.

Unveiled - First picture of new steel and glass roof at King's Cross Station, London: THIS is the first ever picture of the now completed roof in the King’s Cross railway station redevelopment. The giant steel and glass structure, which covers the new western concourse and will be the main entrance to the station, has been shrouded in weight-bearing scaffolding as it was built over the past three years. Designed by architect John McAslan and built by engineers Arup, the roof covers 8,000 square metres and is held up by 17 columns – with one large funnel-shaped column that sits directly in front of the Grade-I listed facade. The work to upgrade King’s Cross, which has cost around £500million, will be completed in stages. The main areas should be finished by March, while the second stage, which includes the demolition of the green canopy on Euston Road, will take place as soon as the Olympics are completed next summer.

The UK government’s Office for Budget Responsibility, in its recent “Fiscal Sustainability Report”, has finally published details of the total liabilities under the PFI (Private Finance Initiative). They come to a fairly astonishing £40 billion. There was also an announcement about the result of a pilot project to look at how money could be saved from existing PFI schemes. An impressive sounding £1.5 billion was suggested as the potential benefit. But hang on a minute. That’s over the whole life of the current schemes, many of which are up to 30 years. And if we apply it to the liability, that would suggest a saving of less than 4%. And how would it be achieved? The Treasury said savings have been made through a combination of changes, including reducing wasteful energy consumption, subletting or mothballing surplus building space, and reviewing service requirements such as window cleaning and frequency of decoration.

Nick’s fond memories of motoring legend father: Charles Rolls, Henry Royce and, locally, Raymond Mays - people know these names and associate them with cars. But the name of Sir John Black is right up there with them, even though you may never have heard of him. He ran the Standard Motor Company, which produced the Standard Vanguard car and the Ferguson tractor, at one time ran the Hillman and Triumph motor companies and was a general high-flyer from the 1920s to the 1950s, mixing with the leading politicians, celebrities and industrialists of the day. He also had a strong connection with Raymond Mays, Bourne’s own motor company mogul. Sir John died in 1965 aged 70 and his son, Nick Black of Cambridge Road, Stamford, has written a book about him entitled Triumph and Tragedy. The book contains fascinating stories, wonderful photos, some local connections and even a mysterious link with the Knights Templar!

Nick, who runs a window-cleaning business and has lived in Stamford for 30 years, decided to write it after inheriting a collection of photographs when his mother, Sir John’s second wife, died eight years ago in Switzerland where she had lived for 40 years. “This is a one-off for me and has taken me five years but I realised that with the photos and stories my mother had told me I had a great story to tell,” says Nick. Nick, who is pictured wearing his father’s blue velvet smoking jacket, only passed his driving test eight years ago and has no real interest in cars. He is married with two children and has led a very different life from that of his famous father.

Man Struck By Lightning After Bolt Goes Through Glass, Ohio— The Medina County Sheriff's Office confirms that a 41-year-old man was struck Tuesday evening by lightning on Kennard Road in Westfield Township. Emergency crews arrived at the scene at approximately 8:30 p.m. At that point, the man was breathing but disoriented. Westfield Township Fire Rescue transported the man to Medina Hospital. He was alert and conscious at the time. A family member who did not want to be identified said that the lightning bolt went through a glass door or window and struck the victim while he was standing inside the home. The family member said the man is being kept at the hospital for observation. Lisa Loparo, a spokesperson for Medina Hospital, said that the victim's name is Fred Waters. Lightning strikes kill 50 people a year on average in the United States. Video here.

Strong exports secure sales increase for Latchways: Shares in Latchways, the maker of devices to stop roofers and window cleaners falling, jumped after it said trading has been robust, with strong export markets helping to lift revenues. Latchways said it has seen strong growth in mainland Europe. “As expected, conditions in the UK construction market remain weak, affecting both product sales and installation margins in our UK Safety Services division,” the company said. “This has been more than offset by the continued growth in export markets.”

A heart broken Blackpool mother today described the brutal murder of her beloved son as like a “matador slaughtering a bull”. Andreas Fantousi was stabbed twice in the neck during a fight with a gang which erupted following a row over a cigarette. The 30-year-old father-of-two’s killers – 19-year-old Sheree Smith and boyfriend Michael Gordon, 22 – now face lengthy jail terms after the murder outside Mr Fantousi’s new home in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent. Mr Fantousi worked in Blackpool as a window cleaner before he moved to the Midlands in February last year to live with his girlfriend. 

Three affected by carbon monoxide poisoning in Wheaton: Three people in Wheaton were taken to a hospital Saturday evening with minor symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services. The three were sitting inside a home on Andrews Street when they became ill with carbon monoxide poisoning after 6 p.m., said fire spokesman Asst. Chief Scott Graham. Paramedics transferred them to a local hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries. Fire officials determined the cause of the incident came from fumes from a pressure washer used outside the home near an open window, Graham said.

Grimsby’s town hall nears completion: The end is near for reconstruction of the town hall, says the Grimsby’s public works manager. Work is almost complete on the expanded and rebuilt town hall, and staff and council are expected to move into their new home this fall. Town hall was originally slated to be open by March 31, and then July 31. Unexpected delays and challenges slowed construction and inflated the final cost from $6.8 million to $8.3 million. Public works manager Bob LeRoux, who described the project as the largest and most complex he’s ever overseen, said the end is finally in sight. “There are 300 per cent more windows than there were before. The window cleaning bill is going to go up,” he said.

Old Windows Find a Following: Barbara Jones had one stipulation when she was renovating her 1794 farmhouse:  keep the original windows. “For me, it’s aesthetics,” Ms. Jones said as she opened a white wooden window, the summer sun bouncing off its wavy glass. “Keeping the importance of what you have.” Old windows have acquired a bad reputation over the last few decades as drafty, inefficient and ecologically suspect: fixtures that should be replaced rather than refurbished. But over the last decade or so, homeowners like Ms. Jones are becoming more common. Many people are keeping their old windows, fixing what they have in the name of appearance, history and, for some, cost savings, according to architects, preservationists and window restorers. 

Covington Councilman Keith Dalton will run for a second term this November, because he feels he's needed. "As tough as economic times are in the whole country and in Georgia - we've had some of the highest unemployment in the nation - my conservative voice is needed now more than it was four years ago," Dalton said this week. Dalton, 46, is the owner of Covington Window Cleaners, which does contract office cleaning, commercial lawn maintenance, pressure washing and carpet and floor cleaning. He employs five full staff and around a dozen part-time employees.

He said, if elected, he will continue to work to keep taxpayers costs down, including taxes and utility rates. The city has invested millions of dollars to keep electricity rates down, and recently agreed to hold off on a water rate increase until customers could be given a few months warning. As far as long term goals, Dalton said it's too difficult to do true long range planning given the economy, so his focus will be on keeping spending down to save money for business and residents. "I don't care if it's my budget, my church's or the city's; you have to be fiscally responsible. You can't spend money you don't have," Dalton said. In addition to owning Covington Window Cleaners on at least a part-time basis since late 1985, Dalton said he was an Oxford police officer for more than six years, including a couple of years as police chief, and a Covington police officer for less than five years.

The mother of all instincts: In the last few weeks of pregnancy, Mother Nature plays a cruel joke. It's called "the nesting instinct," and before I was pregnant I didn't know it was a real thing. Sure I had heard of mommies-to-be actively preparing for bringing home baby, but I didn't know pregnant women actually had this inherent compulsion to clean and scrub and cook. When I asked my mom if she ever experienced "the nesting instinct," she responded with "Nine months pregnant was the only time in my life I've ever washed windows." My mom? Up on a step stool with a washcloth and window cleaner?