Extreme Window Cleaning

A pair of Russian cosmonauts embark on a six-hour space walk, floating more than 200 miles above the earth’s surface, to install new equipment and carry out maintenance tasks including window cleaning. Spacewalk specialist Devan Bolch explained before the walk that the cosmonauts have developed a cleaning tool kit with two swabs with handles on them (pictured). The swabs are kind of a type of terry cloth.

Extreme cleaning! Russian cosmonauts shine ISS windows in a six-hour spacewalk 250 miles above the Earth: It’s an unwelcome task that sees many of us balancing precariously on chairs and ladders.

But window cleaning is far more extreme in space. During a six-hour spacewalk, a pair of Russian cosmonauts cleaned the windows of the International Space Station (ISS) while floating 250 miles (400 km) above the Earth's surface.

Station commander Gennady Padalka and flight engineer Mikhail Kornienko closed the hatch on the station's Pirs module at 20.51 BST yesterday. The window cleaning task was completed during a spacewalk that lasted almost six hours, in which they also carried out maintenance tasks and installed new equipment.

It took six hours and a newly-invented cleaning tool for two Russian cosmonauts to clean the windows of the International Space Station–including a porthole window encrusted with years of dirt left by exhaust fumes from visiting ships.

The cosmonauts finished the expedition 30 minutes ahead of schedule after breezing through their first task - installing equipment to help crew members manoeuvre outside the ISS. They later completed maintenance on various experiments, photographed the Russian section of the space station and cleaned a porthole window to remove years of dirt left by exhaust fumes from visiting ships.

A pair of Russian cosmonauts has cleaned the windows of the International Space Station (ISS), floating 250 miles (400 km) above the Earth's surface. This photo taken from a screen in the mission control cenetre in Korolev outside Moscow shows Gennady Padalka and Mikhail Korniyenko working during their spacewalk.

‘They developed a (cleaning) tool kit with two swabs with handles on them. The swabs are kind of a type of terry cloth,' spacewalk specialist Devan Bolch explained before the walk. ‘It's kind of similar to what you would use on your car headlights, when they get hazy, to clean them.’

The success of the mission will boost spirits in Russia, whose once-pioneering space industry has suffered a string of accidents which have tarnished its reputation. A Proton-M carrier rocket burnt up over Siberia minutes after launch in May, just weeks after technical faults forced Russia to abandon a $51 million (£33 million) ISS supply mission.

The expedition is the fourth ISS spacewalk this year and the 10th for Padalka, who has spent more time in space than any other person. It is Kornienko's second venture outside the station - a $100 billion (£64 billion) research laboratory owned and operated by a partnership of 15 nations.

We could have provided a ladder...

The Squeaky Clean Robbery

Daylight robbery: He says the bear took the lunch that was supposed to be for his window cleaning workers, and used it to feed her cubs. Simpson says his crew did not mind.

Bear in North Georgia climbs into truck, takes food: A black bear climbed in to the company truck and made itself at home in Pickens County. "The mother bear took my guys' lunch," Gilbert Simpson, owner of Squeaky Clean Windows, said. It happened in Jasper in Pickens County last Tuesday, Simpson said. "My employees were on the job site in Big Canoe when she started taking their lunch to feed her cubs," Simpson said. He said he snapped photos of the bear and no one was hurt.

At least 5,000 bears call Georgia home, typically living in swamps or forested areas, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. It is usually unusual to sight bears in metro Atlanta but that has been getting more common lately. Dunwoody residents first reported bears this year in their back yards the first week in May. Dunwoody police had hoped that state rangers would subdue any creatures with a tranquilizer and transport them elsewhere.

Homeowner Vincent James watched a black bear get comfortable in his hammock.

The state Department of Natural Resources, however, informed them that bears are free roaming critters in Georgia: they have to be bad, apparently, before they can be forcibly moved. The suburbs can be dangerous for them. They occasionally rely on the interstate or other roads to traverse the territory, leading to fatal encounters with automobiles.

The nearest you come to a window cleaning bear is in front of the Denver Convention Center.

Chinese Window Cleaning Spiderman Most At Risk

"Spidermen" (window cleaners) clean windows outside a high-rise building in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

China's "spidermen" need more care, protection (BEIJING, Xinhua) -- Suspended from one or two ropes only as thick as a man's thumb, they hang like spiders hundreds of meters in the air, cleaning and maintaining the country's skyscrapers. A recent string of tragedies has drawn attention to the need protect China's fearless spidermen, low-tech workers who don't have the superpowers of the movie character and risk their lives every day to make a meager living.

In a highrise in Xi'an, capital of northwest China' s Shaanxi Province in late July, a sudden wind sent two dangling workers swinging. The spidermen, suspended at the 12th and 15th floors when the incident occurred, cried for help and struggled against the wind for more than 20 minutes before they were dashed against the building.

In another case, two window washers on the 91st floor of the 492-meter Shanghai World Financial Center, were injured when the cradle they occupied crashed into the skyscraper in early April. "Wind is our biggest enemy," said Chen Guofu, 40, a window-cleaner who has survived five years of high altitude and risk in Beijing.

He recalled the first time he stepped off the edge of a tall building. With sweaty palms and a vertiginous head, he carried a bucket of soapy water and a squeegee on a pole, with only a suction cup on a string to anchor himself to the window.

"If those two workers in Xi'an could have anchored themselves to the window, the tragedy may not have happened," said Chen who came to Beijing in 2003 from a village of neighboring Hebei Province. He changed jobs many times before he became a spiderman. "I have no choice since I don't have other skills," he said.

Like most spidermen, Chen is one of hundreds of millions migrant workers working in construction or cleaning to support parents and children. The current urbanization drive has brought a forest of city skyscrapers: Spidermen are important to the expansion. Their safety should also be better protected, said Zhai Jialiang, secretary general of Beijing's cleaning industry association,

More than 1,000 workplace deaths are reported each year in the construction industry, and over 60 percent of fatalities are caused by falls from high places and building collapses, said Huang Shengchu, head of National Institute for Occupational Safety under the State Administration of Work Safety.

Zhai Jialiang wants companies to establish complete management mechanisms including pre-job training for workers, regular equipment checks and emergency plans. Currently, there are more than 300 spidermen in Xi'an, fewer than 200 of whom have licenses to allow them to work aloft, said Wang Wenyong, manager of Xi'an Yunfei Property Management Company. The licenses he mentioned are either issued by China Occupational Safety and Health Association or the local work safety department.

"Without licenses, proper training and supervision, many spidermen don't even attach themselves to a backup line," said Chen Guofu. Xinhua reporters searched "high-rise window cleaning" on the Internet and found countless advertisements. Zhai told Xinhua that many are small firms and are poorly regulated. Liang said the government and association should strengthen regular supervision on cleaning and maintenance of highrise, issue clear regulations and punish companies who break the rules.

Chicago Window Cleaner Critical - Sydney Window Cleaner Stable

The man, whose age was not immediately available, fell from a chair while cleaning windows about 8 a.m. on the sixth floor of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in the 200 block of East Huron.

Window Washer Critically Injured After 6-Story Fall From Northwestern Memorial Hospital: A window washer was critically injured after falling six stories from a Chicago hospital building Wednesday morning. Police said the man fell from the sixth floor of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in the 200 block of Huron Street around 8 a.m. The hospital's Galter Pavilion was seen blocked off with police tape.

The man was taken into the hospital for treatment and was listed in critical condition, officials said.

"Given the situation and location of the incident, several Northwestern Medicine medical professionals nearby responded to provide on-site emergency care," the hospital said in a statement. "The individual was transferred to the emergency department and is currently being evaluated by staff."

He broke two legs and has internal injuries, but is expected to be OK. "I think the net or something like that broke down and he fell. He broke his legs and everything," a witness said. Northwestern Memorial Hospital staff rushed out of the building and brought the window washer into the emergency room. "I know he's in surgery but that's all I know right now," Carlos Perez, SEIU Local 1, said.

The window washer works for Corporate Clearning Services. The company says the man fell while working from a chair to clean windows at the hospital. They noted that this is "the first incident of its kind in the company's 21-year history." There have been reports of citations by OSHA for "minor violations five years ago" but the company says "neither violation was related to any incident with an employee."

"This is one of our most experienced and dedicated employees and we are focused on providing assistance to him and his family as he undergoes various medical tests and procedures," the company said in a statement. "We are also working closely with investigators so that we can better understand exactly how this happened and to ensure it doesn’t happen again.” The Service Employees International Union said the worker was a member of the union.

"Chicago’s window washers risk their lives every day as they step over the edge of our city's skyscrapers," the union said in a statement. "We pray for this worker's speedy recovery.”

The cause of the fall was not immediately known. Chicago Police are investigating the incident.

A hospital spokeswoman said the injured man was in a stable condition in hospital on Thursday morning.

Window cleaner falls from Apple Store on George Street: A window cleaner was seriously injured when he fell three storeys from the Apple Store in Sydney's CBD and struck a bus shelter before landing on the ground. The man, believed to be aged in his 40s, was taken to St Vincent's Hospital with injuries to his pelvis, spine and head after the accident on George Street about 8.30pm on Wednesday. A hospital spokeswoman said the injured man was in a stable condition in hospital on Thursday morning.

The man was believed to be one of three window cleaners working on the Apple Store's glass facade when he plummeted to the ground while preparing to abseil down the building. The man struck the top of the bus shelter, located in front of the Apple Store, before landing on the footpath. Witnesses said his cleaning equipment, including a bucket and a rope, was scattered around him.

Several people were believed to be standing in the bus shelter when the cleaner struck the roof. They were not injured. A WorkCover NSW spokeswoman said an inspector would be sent to examine the scene of the incident. She said the man was believed to have been using an abseiling device when he fell about three metres.

Apple released a statement saying the organisation was "shocked to learn of the accident last night involving a contractor cleaning the windows of our Sydney retail store". "We're doing everything we can to make sure he has the best care possible to help him make a full recovery," the statement said.

"Health and safety is our top priority for everyone who works and shops in our stores, so we're conducting a full investigation aimed at preventing any future accidents like this." Police taped off a section of the footpath outside the Apple Store and traffic was diverted while paramedics treated the man.

The man fell three storeys at the flagship George Street store.

Apple Store Window Cleaner Fall In Sydney

The Apple store on George St, Sydney, Australia. A safety harness, shattered glass, buckets and ropes remain scattered across the footpath as police investigate.

Apple store window cleaner in horror fall: A window cleaner survived after he fell headfirst from the top of the Apple Store and smashed into a bus stop in the city last night. The man, whose age is not known, stepped back to repel down the building’s glass face when he plummeted into the top of the glass bus stop on George St about 8.30pm. Paramedics rushed the man to St Vincents Hospital suffering pelvis, spine and head injuries.

A window cleaner has fallen three storeys from the Sydney Apple store in George Street and landed on a bus shelter.

English cruise ship workers Shaun Williams, 25, and Chris Rogerson, 24, were standing under the bus stop the man fell on top of.“We were at the bus stop and he landed on us,” Mr Williams said. “He was cleaning the window and then stepped back to repel down the edge to clean and he’s fallen headfirst and gone straight through the corner of the bus stop. “He didn’t die, he was conscious. It was literally right where we were standing. “He was making noises trying to get up, he just kept trying to get up and people were telling him to stay down as he was bleeding from his head. Loads of people came over.”

Mr Rogerson said the two were using the Wi-Fi from the Apple Store when the cleaner fell on top of them. “I just heard a massive smash then the rope fell on my head and his cleaning thing and I got a bit disorientated and he was just lying there,” Mr Rogerson said. “I was just chilling, we were just using the (Apple store’s) Wi-Fi.”

The man, believed to be in his 40s, was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital in a critical condition with suspected pelvis, spine and head injuries. Emergency services partially closed off George Street as they helped the man about 8.30pm on Wednesday.

Two of the cleaner’s distressed co-workers spoke with police who sectioned off the footpath outside the store. The bus stop’s glass roof was badly damaged while the man’s harness and rope lay on the footpath next to it. WorkCover is investigating.

The window cleaner is taken to hospital.

A window cleaner has fallen three-storeys off a Sydney store, suffering head and spinal injuries.

Drought Restrictions Affecting Window Cleaners

Window Cleaner, Jim Hamilton says, "As soon as the drought came, the phones stopped ringing. I do believe the public is taking the restrictions very seriously and it's taking a toll on us guys who make a living using water," he said.

Business drying up as drought persists (MINT HILL, N.C.) — As drought conditions persist across nearly half of North Carolina, some business owners told Channel 9 they're noticing their customers are spending less and cutting water usage. The combination of heat and a lack of rainfall is bringing back memories of the 2007 drought when business dropped nearly 40 percent. It may get worse this year. And when traffic slows it can trickle down to his employees that could lose hours if times get too tough.

Business has been slow for Jim Hamilton as well. Monday was the first time in two weeks Hamilton suited up in his window-washing gear and he did it to give Eyewitness News a demonstration to show how much water he uses. "As soon as the drought came, the phones stopped ringing. I do believe the public is taking the restrictions very seriously and it's taking a toll on us guys who make a living using water," he said.

He believes they're doing the right thing. There are 47 counties in North Carolina in some form of a drought and Channel 9 meteorologists predict conditions will worsen over the next few days. "We'll all to do our part hopefully and in time, the good lord willing, we'll get through this too," said Hamilton.

Researchers from the National Drought Monitor told Channel 9 they collect reports from across the country showing where drought conditions force businesses to cut employees or expand their services to save jobs. 

Nelson city hall recently had its windows cleaned, in violation of the city's own water restrictions.

Nelson city hall washes windows despite water restrictions: or anyone wondering why city hall was washing its windows recently despite water restrictions, it turns out it was done by an outside contractor who does windows for provincial government buildings. “Due to 310 Ward formerly being a provincial building, the [contractor] still does building maintenance,” public works director Colin Innes told the Star.

“In discussing this issue with them they have indicated that the window washing was organized for all of the buildings they maintain, so our restrictions were not recognized in the setup of the window washing.” Innes said the company is now aware, and will comply with any restrictions in place in Nelson.

$13.1375 Million To Window Cleaning Survivor

Alcides Moreno: Alcides, a window washer, was working when a malfunction caused the platform to send him and his brother Edgar down 47 stories.

'Antin Ehrlich & Epstein' Helps in Getting Amount of $13.1375 Million to Survivor Who Fell from Roof of Building (New York, NY): The lawyers of 'Antin Ehrlich & Epstein' have helped the survivor to get a claim of $13.1375 Million from the owner of the building. The worker fell from the 47th floor of the building due to the negligence in safety.

Antin Ehrlich &Epstein, a well-known law firm for accident and injury attorneys has helped a survivor who fell from the roof to get the amount of $13.1375 Million. The settlement was done by one of the NYC personal injury lawyers at Antin. Sources have confirmed that the survivor is the window washer. He was cleaning the widow of a 47 story building. Due to negligence in safety by the building owners and the scaffolding company for the worker, the survivor fell from the 47th floor of the building. Though, doctors were able to save the life of the window washer.

Speaking to the media, one of the lawyers of the law firm said, "This case was really important for us. We wanted that the survivor should get justice. Every life is precious. We had the complete evidence that the person fell from the building because of safety negligence."

The lawyers of 'Antin Ehrlich & Epstein' argued about the safety measures in the court and asked to settle the situation if the owner of the building pays the amount of $13.1375 Million to the survivor. The case was settled in New York. Also here.