[Ray]

http://www.shropshirestar.com/2008/02/ladder-fall-man-dies/

A Shropshire window cleaner has died after slipping off his ladder and suffering a head injury.

The family of 58-year-old Ken Morris, of Waters Upton, near Telford, had to make the heartbreaking decision to switch off his life support machine in hospital.

Warm tributes have been paid to the father-of-two, a keen grasstrack car racer, who was liked and respected by everyone in the village.

Mr Morris, of East View, Sytche Lane, leaves a widow Carol, 55, children Charlotte, 27, and 22-year-old Mathew and many members of his extended family.



So sad

[Captain Scarlet]

This is such a shame, Im glad I dont use ladders. It only takes one moment of madness and your dead. At least with a pole the worst that can happen is some spotting, I feel very sorry for his poor family,  Luke

[poleman]

Very sorry to hear this from a fellow WC, my condolences to the family

Ladders are ban, in my company as I employ, its not the ladder, its the user BUT that's the problem in its self! while there are humans using them, there will be human error and in this job it can be serious or fatal  

Andy

[dai]

So sorry to hear that, it could happen to any of us. How many of us have died in the last 12 months?
So sad, and so unnecessary. WFP is the safest way to do the job, nobody can argue against that. Dai

[valroyb]

so sorry to hear this news my hart goes out to all family

[jikwan]

good post
anything like this should be posted to make aware of the massive potential
for injury and death
something to counter lacksidasical  mind

[edd]

you wouldn't get us up a ladder when the cheapest wfp is a 80 quid backpack
from Gardiners maybe some spotting but better then DEAD still very sad to here this tragic news again Edd

[Captain Scarlet]

Sorry, to correct but that £80 backpack is from Window Cleaning Warehouse! Luke

[AuRavelling79]

A salutory reminder...

[edd]

I stand corrected cheers luke xxxxxxxx

[d s windowcleaning]

a real shame .

[supernova77]

The poor guys family... To loose a husband and a dad all for just cleaning a window! So sad!

Andy

[keith b]

An awful tragedy, I feel for his family!

Im wondering if there is anything we could do? other than switching over to WFP, should the window cleaning federations push for better practical safety legislation regarding body harnesses and hook eyes on new properties being built?

It just makes me wonder if this tragedy could have been avoided!

Question; Are most falls off of ladders due to window cleaners over reaching?

[* Rosy Leatherman]

Question; Are most falls off of ladders due to window cleaners over reaching?

That or not footed/wrong angle.

[Londoner]

You can't clean windows without stretching sometimes and you can't choose the ground beneath every window at every house. Its just the reality of cleaning windows with a ladder.

Its really bad when these things happen. You go out to work one morning and thats it.

My sadness for the family is all the more because I know that it could have been any of us.

Nobody should die trying to earn a days wages. I feel safer now because I am WFP but I still get my ladders out most days.

The good thing about this forum is that news does reach a wider and more diverse number of window cleaners who would otherwise never have known about it. A little personal reflection isn't a bad thing at times like this.

[Rayleigh Window Cleaning Services]

My thoughts are with his family. Must be a really bad time for them.

Perhaps the public may have a bit more of an undrstanding as to why we strive to make this occupation safer for ouselves and our employees.

Steve

[robbie14000]

My condolences to all his family and friends.

The way forward is wfp to minimise the tradegies that are happening year in year out.

Is there some sort of fund for window cleaners to help families out in these situations?

Very sad news and shows all on here how dangerous our jobs can be.
Thanks Robbie

[rugby]

very sad news, my thoughts go out to his family 

[BUFTON]

very, very saddening, our thoughts are with the family.
It is sobering when this happens and serves as a reminder to those who have to use ladders to think of your families, particularly if tempted to reach that little bit further, or go up without ladder legs at the bottom. It reminded me of a cleaner i saw in Looe two year ago doing first floor windows on a steeply inclined pavement with the ladder at a tilt.....and the scary bit was that the ally ladders had no rubber feet!!!Shame on him!.

[TennetClean]

Sad news indeed

Is there some sort of fund for window cleaners to help families out in these situations?

Good question, I would have though the answer is NO.  Unless the poor guy had accident insurance that pays out a death benefit, unfortunately there'll be no payout for the family.

Just goes to show, we should all at least try and get some kind of accident cover in place for ourselves.  I looked at it a while ago and found it to be mega expensive - window cleaners are a big risk, and they couldnt understand the concept of a window cleaner that didnt use ladders.