Where Angels Fear To Tread

This work gives you an adrenaline rush and you need to be a certain type of person to do this, says Chase Wakeford.

Where angels fear to tread - high-rise window washing: For some, a day at work means spending the day in a dreary, neon-lit office, sitting in safety and comfort. High-rise window washers however spend their days dangling hundreds of metres above the ground. These mavericks on a line are responsible for a job few would want - cleaning the exteriors of some of the country’s tallest buildings.

The three-man team from Rope Runners could not have asked for a more picturesque view as they dangle from The Oysters on Umhlanga’s affluent mile. They speak with excitement about "jumping", their term for hanging precariously above terra firma.  

Chase Wakeford, 21, the youngest of the crew, loves his job. "Being up on the ropes hanging in the air is perfect for me. We get to go places that very few people get to experience. This work gives you an adrenaline rush and you need to be a certain type of person to do this," he says.

His colleague Matthew Knowles, 23, cuts a confident figure on a ledge on the building’s highest storey. There are only a handful of people who can do what they do, he says. "There is a huge element of trust in doing what we do. That is trusting your team mates and trusting the equipment that we are using."

Their supervisor, Abraham van den Heever, is a quiet, unassuming man. He checks that Knowles and Wakeford are safely fixed to their anchors, and monitors their progress as they lower themselves and clean. "This is better than sitting in the office staring at four walls all day. I can sit here and do this and watch the ocean while I feel the breeze on my face," he enthuses.

Knowles acknowledges their work is dangerous. "It would be if you didn’t know what you were doing. If the weather picks up and the wind gets strong then it can get risky, but we take precautions. We do that because we know that one little mistake can be the end of you," he says. "I can’t see myself doing anything else."

Q & A With South Africas "Window Lady"

The Window lady is a bloke.

Thabang’s unconventional business venture: Having spotted a gap in the market, Thabang Mazibuko took advantage and launched his own window washing company. Mazibuko set out to provide an innovative service to households and businesses after quitting a senior level sales position with a reputable company. His company, The Window Lady, is now 12-years-old and Mazibuko has no regrets by taking the plunge and venturing into entrepreneurship has paid off well for him. With a mission statement that reads, “To transform an industry known for high staff turnover, low standards and low self-esteem, into an effective and efficient industry through training and fair remuneration,” it’s no wonder Mazibuko has two SAB KickStart National Awards to his name.

How did the idea of starting a window washing company come to you?
I saw a lot of window cleaning company specialising in commercial buildings. So I did my research and found out that there are no household window cleaning services in the market.  In 2000, I started the Window Lady, then in June 2001, launched the company.

What research did you do?
I looked at who my clientele would be, what equipment I would need, best pricing and the service levels that customers would expect.

What challenges did you come across?
We encountered several issues. The first was trust. We clean windows both in and outside homes, so our customers would tend to be sceptical about crime. The second was payment, some of our customers would make payment on a 60/90 days payment agreement while some would not pay at all. Lastly we’ve had to work on our brand, who we are, where we come from and define who we do the windows for.

What should an entrepreneur looking to go into a similar business consider?
They must look at their reputation, because the majority of customers will look for a window cleaning background and service history. And you have to be able to show you know what you are doing.

What is your company’s vision?
The Window Lady’s motto is to exceed the customers’ expectations!

How is the business doing?
Despite the difficulties we have come across – from most household and business premises downsizing due to financial and economic pressure – we are still doing exceptionally well.

How receptive has the market been to your business?
I have received excellent responses from both commercial and domestic businesses. It’s a dynamic business, that revolves from time to time, and we get new customers through referrals all the time.

When you started out, did you have a business plan?
I had a business plan, and also raised the capital. I also arranged all the necessary equipment, trained the staff and really did my ground work exploring specific customers to target and advertising opportunities.

Who helped you draft the plan?
I was previously working at a senior level in a sales environment, and before I left my full-time position, I gathered as much relevant information as possible.

What are your future plans?
I’m planning to establish myself in both Pretoria and the Vaal by 2015. I also want to revisit my branches in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, possibly through joint ventures and gradually to stand alone. I was forced to close down these operations in 2010 because of the market.

How do you market your business?
We use various social media platforms, Estate magazine, billboards but most importantly, word of mouth.

Is your business making a profit?
I made profit in this business in my first year, and reinvested the money back to the business. In the five years he’s been running, Mazibuko has won the SAB Kickstart National Awards for two years in a row. Even during the economic meltdown, we managed to make a sustainable profit.

How many people do you employ?
Between 2005 and 2010, we had 48 employees in both Gauteng, Western Cape and KZN. However we have currently downsized to just eight employees after closing our Cape Town and KwaZulu-Natal operations.

The Window Lady cc is a reputable organisation known for excellent service, responsive, happy, innovative staff and satisfied customers. Our mission is to transform an industry known for high staff turnover, low standards and low self-esteem, into an effective and efficient industry through training and fair remuneration. We also aim to empower people to fulfill their aspirations and capabilities through exchange of their honest labour to build a reputation of managing contracts successfully, by continually improving our service levels, and constantly meeting our customer requirements, to upgrade services to meet customer requirements in an ever changing market.To upgrade the technology and knowledge of all personnel through continuous improvement training. To constantly provide cutting edge knowledge and information as per acceptable national and international standards. Achieving customer satisfaction through the combined efforts of planning the infrastructure and executing the projects through our dedicated workforce

Window Cleaner Fatally Electrocuted

Man hurt in window-cleaning accident: Johannesburg - A man was badly burnt and critically injured when he apparently received a shock while cleaning windows in Kramerville, Sandton, paramedics said on Saturday. "...It was said that the man was cleaning windows on the outside of the building when he somehow came into contact with electrical wires overhead and he was [shocked] and as a result his body badly burnt," ER24 spokesperson Vanessa Jackson said. She said safety officials at the company would conduct the necessary investigations to discover the exact cause. The man, in his 30s, was extensively burnt in the accident on Friday. He was airlifted to Milpark Hospital's specialised burns unit.

Earlier incident where a man was electrocuted in Sandton: A panic-stricken employee at a business on Kramer street on Kramerville, Sandton, was unable to state exactly what had taken place at the site when she called through to 084124 earlier today. All we knew was that a man had been electrocuted and he was no longer conscious. They needed immediate medical assistance.

Upon arrival on scene, a man in his 30′s was found to be in a critical condition; badly burnt and unresponsive. Paramedics started to treat the extensive burn injuries he had sustained while the Advanced Life Support paramedics prepped his equipment and placed the man onto external ventilation equipment. While they continued his treatment, trying to stabilise his condition before being able to move him, a medical helicopter was called in to assist so as to get the man to a medical facility as soon as possible.

With Milpark hospital having a specialised burns unit, the man was packaged into the air ambulance and a short while later he was airborne to hospital.

Although safety officials at the company will need to conduct the necessary investigations into what exactly happened, it was said that the man was cleaning windows on the outside of the building when he somehow came in contact with electrical wires overhead and he was electrocuted and as a result his body badly burnt.

Window Cleaning News

Residents in Moab, Utah have started a petition to have Negro Bill Canyon renamed because they are embarrassed by the name.

Utah man starts online petition to change name of Negro Bill Canyon (Salt Lake City) - Moab resident Louis Williams (pictured) cringes every time he tells visitors the name of the canyon with the great hike to a stunning arch: Negro Bill Canyon. Williams, a window cleaner who has lived in Moab for 14 years, is leading a renewed campaign to change the name of the Southern Utah canyon that he and others believe is inappropriate. He has posted an online petition that has garnered more than 600 signatures and plans to submit a formal renaming application to the U.S. Board of Geographic Names. "People cringe when we have to tell the name of it. The looks on their face is: 'What did you just say?'" Williams said. "People ask. 'Why is it named that?' They don't ask who he is." 

He wants it to bear the last name of the black cowboy who ran cattle there in the 1870s, William Granstaff. The canyon name has already been changed in the 1960s to "Negro Bill Canyon" from a name that featured a derogatory word. He said he has dug up history that shows Granstaff's name was actually spelled with a "d'' after the "n." That's why he wants it renamed as Grandstaff Canyon. "Most of the places and streets and trails that were named after settlers just used their last names," Williams said. "That is what we should do for him."
Even though efforts in the late 1990s and 2000s to change the canyon name were met by resistance from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Williams is optimistic the idea will gain more traction this time. His campaign is one of dozens across the country to rename canyons, reservoirs, lakes and other places still bearing names deemed derogatory. There are 757 places with "negro" in the name from Alaska to Florida and Maine to California, according to an analysis of government records. But the president of the NAACP's Salt Lake City chapter, Jeanetta Williams, said her organization opposes the name change just as it did when others tried to make the switch.

Condominium corporations in Ontario are not permitted to fine owners who breach the condominium documents. Fines are, however, permitted in many U.S. states and also in British Columbia. A recent case in British Columbia, Strata Plan LMS4255 v. Steven Newell, illustrates that fines may not be effective in getting a unit owner to cease breaching the condominium documents. In this case, the unit owner of a penthouse suite with an exclusive use balcony and roof deck above the unit, spent more than $800,000 on renovations, which included the installation of a hot tub, barbecue and entertainment system (TV and wall-mounted speakers) on his exclusive-use deck. Sounds like one of those bachelor pads that many of us have seen in the movies. After completing the renovations, the owner hosted many noisy parties that lasted until the wee hours of the morning.

In addition to the noise issues, the Strata Corporation took the position that the installation of the hot tub was an unauthorized installation and thus, should be removed. (The owner had previously asked for consent to install the hot tub, which was declined by the Corporation. Despite this, the hot tub was installed.) The Strata Corporation had failed its fall protection equipment inspection, as the location of the hot tub impeded the usage of two anchors required for proper window washing procedures. The Strata Corporation brought an application against the unit owner, as well as John Doe and Jane Doe and other persons unknown. This was done so that any court order would also be binding on all the attendees at the unit owner’s parties.

Cronin: 5 million jobs on track (South Africa): Public Works Deputy Minister Jeremy Cronin believes the government is on track to meet its target of creating five million job opportunities by 2014. According to Cronin, the government has created 2.6 million job opportunities in the past three and a half years through infrastructure projects. Cronin was addressing delegates at the department’s third Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) summit in Pretoria. Gauteng MEC for Economic Development Qedani Mahlangu urged other municipalities to look at Tshwane as an example of how jobs could be created while also creating a clean environment for the benefit of residents and communities.

She suggested that such jobs should be expanded to include window-cleaning and the upkeep of buildings in city centres – a model in use in countries in Europe and Asia. “We should look at creating these jobs but, more important, we should help those getting the jobs… to create co-operatives and manage and run the cleaning projects. “I’m urging municipalities to ensure that locals are employed in the projects, and not have a situation where a contractor comes into a province but has employed people from elsewhere.” A requirement for awarding the contracts should be the employment of locals, as should buying building materials from local hardware stores. “This way the money comes into the local community,” said Mahlangu.

Jobs Few People Want - High-Rise Window Washer: A job that is definitely not for the faint of heart that has an abundance of openings is high-rise window washer. Finding solid applicants for this position is not as simple as a retail or office job. The applicant must be comfortable working at staggering heights, deal with inclement weather and feel secure in a job where a lot of accidents occur. According to an article released by thefiscaltimes.com, eight people are injured every year in New York City alone, and 75 high rise window washers have died between the years 1983 and 2008. While the risks are clear, the benefits come in the form of a solid salary. High-rise window washers make on average $14 to $19 an hour. However, this can increase depending on your contract bids. Window washers make bids on contracts for various companies and they can accept as many or as few as they'd like. By being an independent contractor, high-rise window washers can determine the amount they want to bring in.

A new online tool from the soda giant tells you precisely how much exercise or housework it will take to work off that sugary beverage you just drank. Get ready: You’re going to be vacuuming for a while. Since the enactment of Obamacare, we’ve become used to calorie counts (restaurant chains with more than 20 outlets must have them). But Coke’s Calculator goes further. Not only do you get the counts, you also get a read-out on the exercise you’ll need to do afterwards to wash away the effects of the calories you’ve consumed.

A classic red-and-white can (139 calories) equates to 51 minutes of vacuuming, 21 minutes of lawn-mowing, 34 minutes of table tennis, or 17 minutes of Zumba. A 12-ounce regular soda contains 8 teaspoons of sugar.

If Sprite’s your thing (144 calories) you’ll need 13 minutes of circuit training, 41 minutes of window cleaning, or 33 minutes of pilates. And so on. There are even suggestions for when you drink a Slimline Tonic (no mention of the gin), or one of Glaceau’s "enhanced" waters (12 minutes of ping pong for a "Vitamin Water Power C"). The calculator is currently only on Coca Cola’s U.K. site--though, presumably, the calculations apply wherever its products are sold, and wherever there’s window-cleaning to be done.

Massachusetts-based All Access Equipment, the North American distributor of CMC Narrow Access Compact Crawler Lifts, has opened a new facility. Marketed and sold under Crawerlifts, the facility is located at 891 Woburn St., Wilmington, MA. It offers customers the ability to view all Crawlerlifts models available from All Access and receive demonstrations of the equipment in action. The new facility also provides extra space for training, servicing and a full warehouse of in-stock parts to meet the demands of the lift industry.

The company chose to combine its office and warehouse into a larger single facility to better serve their customers, and the new location’s close proximity to major highways provides for speed and convenience in sales and service, the company said in a statement. In a statement, the company said, "Crawlerlifts are the next generation narrow access lifts, built heavy duty and rugged for demanding industries such as tree services, window cleaning, painters, electricians, roofing, facilities maintenance and rental stores. Available popular lift sizes range from 50 to 105 feet working height. Crawlerlifts are light and nimble, and capable of entering 36-inch doors and gates."

Dubai-bound Leeds duo putting work first: Both men have had to take a week off work to fulfil their 7s commitments – Steve Morton from his role as an enforcement officer for Leeds City Council and Chris Peach (pictured right) taking a break from his window cleaning business, which he runs alongside cousin David Peach, also 35. He, too, was a Dubai 7s candidate until injury struck, something Peach knows all too well about having broken his neck during his playing days. “My cousin played in the trial game and broke his leg, otherwise he’d have been in with a shout of going over as well,” said Peach.“He’s just come out of the pot,” But they insist that their upcoming venture to the Dubai Rugby 7s is no holiday, well, almost. Morton, of Bramley, and Peach, of Morley, are the sole Leeds representatives selected to play for the British Amateur Rugby League Association’s BARLA Bulldogs international veterans squad.

Healthy young nursery worker has double mastectomy after finding she has breast cancer gene: Fiona Luscombe, 23, had the operation after discovering she has the gene that killed her mother and grandfather. Fiona Luscombe has had a double mastectomy after both her mother and grandfather died following a battle with breast cancer. The 23-year-old had elective surgery to remove both breasts after discovering she had the hereditary BRCA2 cancer gene. The abnormal gene is passed from parent to child and caused Fiona’s mother, Brenda, and grandfather, Frank, to develop breast cancer. Fiona revealed: “It went really well but it was really daunting. Both breasts were removed at the same time. They removed all the tissue and put the implants in." She said she had already spoken to her fiancé Chris Warn, a window cleaner, about the operation before she took the test. Fiona said: “He was around when my mum died as well and so he knew about my family. He was very supportive - just saying 'I'm happy as long as you're happy'.”

Is it the end of the line for cash? Cashless societies could become the norm but much will depend on consumer confidence in the available options and the level of security. Getting rid of cash has long been on the agenda of credit card providers, which trade on the fact that they can provide transaction data to the retailers they service. But now a new wave of virtual ways to pay means that consumers could soon be using new currencies Bitcoin and Ven to pay for goods too. Meanwhile, the UK’s three largest mobile networks got together earlier this month to work with retailers on consistent technology that will allow people to pay via a mobile ‘wallet’.

Digital payment solutions iZettle and credit card payment system Square, created by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, have introduced technology that allows everyone to accept card payments. Small traders, for example taxi-drivers, window cleaners and plumbers, and those retailers that do not have card acceptance in place can attach a dongle to smartphones and tablets to accept payment. This means the barrier for entry into cashless options is lowered and it is possible for those traders that were cash-only to accept cards.

Coastal Bend residents dream of winning $550 million Powerball jackpot, discuss plans for huge payday. In Corpus Christi it’s the $550 million question. What would you do if those six numbers matched the ones on your Powerball ticket? Surely there’s a unique answer for each person who bought into the dream of beating the 175 million to 1 odds to win Wednesday’s record-breaking lottery jackpot. But after buying nine tickets from Stripes at Water Street and Interstate 37 on Wednesday, Victor Acosta summed up the most likely sentiment. “I’d quit my job,” said Acosta, a window cleaner from San Antonio. If you’re looking for better odds than Powerball — it’s a safe bet to say most people would do the same. But what comes after the initial urge to free yourself from the ranks of your current job? Acosta said he’d also like to travel the world, specifically to Acapulco, Mexico. His choice of transportation for the trip would be a new yacht. Two lucky ticket holders — one in Arizona and another in Missouri — are waking up Thursday to new lives as multimillionaires after the largest Powerball jackpot drawing ever. The numbers drawn for Wednesday night, for the second-highest jackpot in U.S. lottery history, are: 5, 16, 22, 23, 29 and Powerball of 6.

Louth tradesmen angry over warning letters about parking while doing their jobs: A council employee, market traders and local tradespeople have all received warning letters about parking while undergoing their jobs. In preparation for new civil parking enforcement by Lincolnshire County Council which comes into force on Monday, wardens have been patrolling towns and issuing warning notices to drivers who are parked illegally. But Louth Area Committee heard that local tradespeople and market employees have also received warning notices whilst they are undergoing their work. Councillor George Horton said: "Common sense is a big factor. I was collared by a window cleaner who was doing his job who was told he could not park his van there because it is illegal. "Louth is a thriving town. Things like this do not do anything for the cause."

Man sentenced following distraction burglaries: On Saturday September 1 Nathan Lee Makey, aged 35, from Longley in Sheffield called at the home of an 80-year-old woman in the Longley area pretending to be canvassing work for a cleaning company. After gaining her confidence he asked to use the toilet. He then went onto steal jewellery, which was of huge sentimental value as it was a present from her late husband. The following weekend, on Sunday 9 September, Makey pretended to be a window cleaner when he attended at an address in the Southey area of Sheffield - the home of an 82-year-old woman. He entered the house uninvited and engaged the elderly woman in a conversation. During his short stay he went onto steal her handbag, money and other personal items. “Both elderly victims have been informed that Nathan Makey is now serving a lengthy prison sentence. They commented that it was excellent news and they were over the moon” he said.

A knifeman who terrorised a nurse on a disused railway track in the early hours, has been jailed for six months. Burnley Crown Court heard how drunken David Harrington (pictured), 24, had earlier been attacked on a night out and had armed himself with two knives and set off to find his assailants. But his victim, a slightly built man in his 50s, walking home from a night out with his wife, was an innocent, total stranger and had nothing to do with what had happened. Harrington wrapped his arm around the man’s neck from behind and held one of the six inch bladed weapons just inches from his face, leaving him petrified. Harrington, then a Padiham window cleaner, fought back tears in the dock as Judge Jonathan Gibson told him: “Given the circumstances and the widespread concern about the carrying and use of knives, I'm afraid an immediate custodial sentence is inevitable.” The defendant, a father-to-be, of Milton Street, Padiham, had admitted common assault and two counts of having an offensive weapon and had been committed for sentence by Pennine magistrates. He had two previous convictions. Judge Gibson said: “I’m afraid what you did was truly dreadful and you accept that by demonstrating remorse, it seems to me, to the court. “Your victim was, not surprisingly, terrified and what happened has had a significant psychological effect upon him.”

Knockout for Motor Neurone Disease: Terri Reddy (pictured) a 44-year-old will trade punches with another girl as part of the ‘Pavilion Punch Up’ White Collar Boxing night in Leopardstown in order to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA). Terri’s husband Tom Byrne, 58, was diagnosed with the degenerative disease last November. In just one year, the 6ft 21/2 in rugby player, who worked as a carpenter by trade, has lost much of his mobility and struggles to walk.

For the last eight weeks, window cleaner Terri has been put through her paces at the National Stadium gym, training ground of our Olympic boxing heroes, by top coach Eddie Bolger, who trains Irish light-heavyweight champ Joe Ward. And this weekend she will stride into the ring to the theme tune of boxing movie ‘Rocky 6’ to try and outpunch her opponent for the charity.

The plucky Athy woman, who will fight under the moniker “Lights Out”, says she’s looking forward to the fight night, even though she doesn’t know yet who her opponent will be. “I’ll fight anyone, I don’t care at this stage!” she said. Some 30 supporters will be yelling her on on the night - a few, she suspects, who want to see the feisty fighter ship a few punches. “A few people will think it’s been a long time coming,” she joked. “People are very good, and are getting behind both me and the cause. Because we’re from a small town, everyone knows both of us.”

Coun Tarren Randle, left, and Hayley Johnson, general manager of Fever cleaning the outside of the premises.

Workers in Eastgate Street, alongside councillors and volunteers, grabbed the scrubbing brushes yesterday to take part in a big clean-up of the area. The call to arms was made as an incentive to help brighten up mucky shop fronts and empty buildings.  Other areas around the bowling green and Aviation Gardens were also given a spruce-up by young volunteers. It is hoped the deep clean will help draw in visitors. Councillor Jennie Dallimore, cabinet member for communities and neighbourhoods, said: "We have been working with volunteers from local businesses as well as our partners to undertake a deep clean of the Eastgate area. "We hope this will improve the area's appearance and encourage footfall from more shoppers. The council has been working with its partners Enterprise to undertake a deep clean, and Gloucestershire Highways have been performing gulley maintenance. Businesses and volunteers have been joining together to tidy the frontages. "Businesses such as Asda and Wilkinson's have also been supporting the day by donating volunteers and equipment."

Window Cleaners Star In: Ladders, Tables & Death Wishes

Cleaning the front of 61 Piccadilly takes four yet still a Death Wish.

Ladders and tables: A reader in London snapped the following photo less than an hour ago in Piccadilly, it shows how it takes four people to provide less than safe method of working at height. Now you have to assume that cleaning this restaurant window and its surround is a routine job, possibly carried out at least once a month?? Therefore there is no excuse to be using such a ludicrous access method. A small step ladder balanced on two cocktail tables!! So unstable that it takes three to hold it down. Fact is that the wrong move and the lot will go over and what they don’t appreciate is that it could easily result in a fatality… all for the want of a longer step ladder! Definitely one for our Death Wish series.

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You might think that this is simply man on a long ladder doing a job that requires two hands?

African ladder Death Wish: A reader in South Africa has sent us photographs of a truly radical piece of ladder application engineering.  Possibly one of the craziest Death Wish entries we have seen in some time. The men are painting the church clock tower in the northern town of Mussina, (previously Messina) South Africa on the border with Zimbabwe. The first glimpse looks bad enough, the man is clearly on a long ladder at some height and trying to rub down and paint. The ladder is though longer than you might think, the one the man is on is not resting on the ground…..

....However the base of the ladder is not on the ground, it is supported by this cantilever and human counterweight.

It is in fact balanced on a cantilever arm created out of planks with a human counterweight sitting on them while ‘footing’ the ladder with a rope. If you thought that was craxy it doesn’t end there, back up a little and you see the it goes on ……

Step back and you can see the contraption these two have devised.

And on ….

..Although not quite, the first ladder is even longer!

What ingenuity! The chances of this going wrong are about as high as they go, In fact we wonder which route up the ladder our man took? Did he climb the outward facing second stage? or did he clamber over the human counterweight?

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Working on a hot glass roof: Spotted on the Stratford shopping centre site in London, a man on a glass canopy who tires with his lanyard. The man was clearly charged with cleaning a glass entrance canopy before the grand opening this week, but apparently got fed up with clipping his lanyard on each time he moved. So if the glass had broken or he had slipped near the edge, he would have been a ‘goner’ and the opening put in jeopardy.

In the words of our correspondent : “Whilst working at the large new shopping centre in Stratford London I spotted this guy doing an unbelievable act of cleaning a glass canopy without being clipped-on. At first he was clipping on to the supporting steelwork, but got quickly bored with that and in the end carried on walking in and out of the building opening onto the glass without securing himself.

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In this scenario the cost is often the least important - it is the effort and time it takes. However in spite of that very few of us would go to the extreme that the man in our photo has gone to. He has stacked the table on top of the two benches that go with it, added a couple of decorative concrete blocks and then perched his step ladder on top of it all and finally with a big stretch he can reach whatever it is he is after. Whether he survived to do it all again we don’t know, one thing is for certain the chances of falling are exceptionally high and even from this height the fall could be fatal or almost worse he could end up a paraplegic.

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This example of working at height sent in by a reader from Holland most definitely qualifies as a Death Wish. It shows a window cleaner working on the third floor of city centre building, around six or seven metres up, he is balancing on the narrow window ledge. At first glance you might wonder how he got to where he is, unless he climbed out through the window? Look a little closer and you can see his ladder to his right! He has clearly stepped off the ladder onto one ledge then moved on to the other windows.

This is by far and away one of the worst examples we have seen in quite some time. It breaks all of the Dutch regulations on working at height, but worse than that it is suicidal. We often see people doing stupid things, however as long as they are good climbers and very aware of the risks they are taking are unlikely to have an accident. In this case though the chances are ridiculously high, particularly the step from the ladder to the first ledge and worse still the manoeuvre back onto the ladder. Although he does appear to have placed the ladder up against some sort of overflow spout, which will at least help prevent the ladder from side slipping - the most common ladder accident.

It is always curious to see this happening in sophisticated markets, the Netherlands is arguably the world’s most highly developed access market with more lifts and alloy towers per head of the population than any other country. We know of window cleaners in Amsterdam who own their own self-propelled boom lifts. Aerial lifts of all kinds and scaffold towers or suspended platforms are available to rent on almost every street corner. And yet you come across jokers like this? The series shows how many people there are still to be converted to efficient and appropriate forms of access equipment and provides excellent material for safety trainers.

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Working at height? There are many ways these windows could have been worked on that would have been safe, faster and easier. Spotted in a London street.

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Can you spot our man?

Spotted in a northern German town this weekend a man cleaning windows precariously - the man stands on the ledge three tall storeys up and keeping his head inside the frame ..one assumes for stability … he reaches outside to clean the windows. A slip a trip and he could easily land on a tourist or shopper below.

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Spotted, two men working on a roof in Leeds, UK, they had climbed a long ladder clambered onto the roof and were working on the glass skylights. At one point one other men actually climbed onto to glass to reach a certain point. No apparent safety equipment was in use.

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Another day and several readers sent in more pictures of crazy people with a death wish. Today’s example comes from a reader in Germany which snapped this window cleaner earlier this year in his home town. The man climbs up his ladder well beyond the point he should, then transfers from the ladder to the window ledge which is wide enough for half his foot, so a tip toes job this one. He then shifts sideways to the far window, and holding on with one hand starts cleaning the upper window panes which he can just reach at a stretch.

Oh... & if you're working on a construction site - don't forget your hard hat...

Another Window Cleaner Electrocuted - South Africa - R.I.P Elky

Shock fells window cleaner: A window cleaner plunged four metres onto a pavement after suffering an electric shock in Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon, said Netcare 911. Spokesperson Jeff Wicks said he was critically injured and was taken to Milpark Hospital. The incident occurred at the intersection of Small and Bree streets in Johannesburg. Wicks said the man was thought to have been thrown from his cleaning platform after making contact with an electrical transformer.

Tragic OAP was yards from home when he died: An old age pensioner was just yards from his home when he was knocked down and killed on Thursday evening. And now Alexander McClymont’s devastated family are calling on the council to make the corner where he died safer for pedestrians. Alexander, or Elky as he was known to his friends, was trying to cross the road at Bonnyton Road’s junction with Fullarton Street when the accident happened. Elky leaves a family of four children – daughters Jackie, Andrea, Audrey and son Stevie – seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

The sprightly 70-year-old, who used to work at Glenfield and Kennedy, was better known in Kilmarnock as a window cleaner in the town centre. Said daughter Jackie: “Dad was a really fit man and had a lot of living left to do. He walked everywhere and I know he felt 21 inside. “This is a bad corner where dad died. The pavement runs out and he was having to cross to where it starts again. Perhaps the council should consider lights or a zebra crossing. “When we were putting flowers down another elderly man was trying to cross the road and he was almost hit too.”

The family are still in shock over their dad’s sudden passing, but want to give their thanks to the people who came to his aid following the accident. Added Jackie: “We think dad probably died either at the scene or shortly before he arrived at hospital, but we haven’t all the details yet. “We do know that there were people there helping him and we want to sincerely thank everyone who was with him. We are really grateful.”

Advertising Window Cleaner

Life-size images were stuck on glass doors at shops at airports in South Africa for the advertisement of I.C.U. glass and window cleaner. The images show people walking in to glass doors with a flattened face. Probably a testament to the fact that spray on window cleaner will not clean like a professional does, this product window cleaner has now disappeared from the shelves. Nice advertising either way. Also check out: The Power of Advertising by Windex.