Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Moderator David@stives on October 07, 2009, 07:59:17 am

Title: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: Moderator David@stives on October 07, 2009, 07:59:17 am
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/10/06/90191_ntnews.html
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: Murdie window cleaning on October 07, 2009, 08:17:40 am
 :o mad
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: trevor perry on October 07, 2009, 08:27:45 am
when i first started that was common practice i remember one building we did that was 9 storey high and we used to put a chair on the ledge to stand on, ive got to admit looking back it was totally stupid but now i think things have gone stupid to the other extreme.
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: Niall McAllister on October 07, 2009, 08:47:46 am
Quote
"I'd say you're taking a fairly decent risk."
typical australian understatement :D :D
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: leapstallbuildings on October 07, 2009, 09:13:53 am
Although it doesn't look a good idea, you also have to question the stupidity of the planners who designed it without a safe way of cleaning the windows.
"Tilt and turn" with a locking mechanism would surely have been a better way.
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: Gleaming windows on October 07, 2009, 09:18:58 am
Thats why they call it the Darwin Awards

http://www.darwinawards.com/
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: Totus on October 07, 2009, 09:49:48 am
Could be worse. Could of lived on the 13th or 14th floor!!! ;D
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: Gerry Styles on October 07, 2009, 12:59:11 pm
maybe it is something that they put in the beer
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: Ian Lancaster on October 07, 2009, 03:32:34 pm
From where I'm looking that ledge looks about 3 ft wide.

How wide do you need it to be?

When I was a tumbler (circa 1968/9) if I'd expressed concern about working on a ledge that wide I would have been bombarded with shouts of "Come 'ere, give us yer 'and, I'll show yer 'ow to do it", or the favourite: "Wassamarrer wiv yer? I could ride a bike on that!"

We all worked like that.

Nobody ever fell off - we knew what we were doing.

Think about it: if that ledge were a foot off the ground and you were standing on it to clean windows, would you fall off?

If you would, you've no business being in this trade, you're a liability to yourself and everyone else.

I did it umpteen times because there was no 'Elf and Safety' dictating to professional individuals what the could or couldn't make their own decisions about.

I agree that it's different if an employer tries to force an employee to take what the employee considers to be stupid risks.

Having said all that, would I do it now?  NO ;D

But then I retire in a couple of months, I don't need to - I've done my share ::)
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: gerard mcmanus on October 07, 2009, 04:14:19 pm
I agree there is a good ledge there and the building should have been built with better methods of maintenance in mind. However he should have a harness, or something. Its just not the same as three feet of the ground as you are dealing with higher winds that you wouldn't be dealing with at three feet, with loads of other buildings as wind breakers.
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: rich fraser on October 07, 2009, 04:46:51 pm
Iwas doin things a s daft a s that up to about a couple of years ago. I was nearly asked to leave sight when i was cleaning the roof of Southampton football stadium. We where wearing harnesses but you had to unclip it every time you stepped over a rafter as you walked around the roof. I thought it was ok to just jog along hopping over the rafters. Then again at thet time i was on £45 a day and iwanted to get it over with so i could get home. Things have changed a bit now.



Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: Gleaming windows on October 07, 2009, 04:49:11 pm
Yea, Southampton cant afford to have their stadium cleaned anymore  ;D
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: rich fraser on October 07, 2009, 04:52:27 pm
Yea, Southampton cant afford to have their stadium cleaned anymore  ;D

Funny thing is your almost right!
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: trevor perry on October 07, 2009, 04:52:53 pm
i wish i had some photos of the ledges i used to walk i think some people on here would have an heart attack if they saw them but i always felt safe and it was my father who taught me, he must not of liked me musch teaching me to do them things ;D
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: Mike_G on October 07, 2009, 05:05:59 pm
Done worse, many years ago, but worse.
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: thewaterwizard on October 07, 2009, 05:12:36 pm
he is a ladderless window cleaner
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: jouk45 on October 07, 2009, 05:31:19 pm
i saw that on karls blog last week, and hes got a tin of the old amber nectar by his side   ;D
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: eddie d on October 07, 2009, 05:46:14 pm
  ;D i wouldnt have a problem doing that myself.

  funny but ledges and heights dont bother me at all. ladders however do .
Title: Re: And now its time for something completely stupid
Post by: Gleaming windows on October 07, 2009, 05:49:57 pm
Ledges and heights never bothered me one bit, why worry about ledges and the like?


Its the landing that always did my head in  ;)