Could an Org save lives?

Ron Musgraves

Exterior Restoration Specialist
Staff member
Tragic story, Please read about a tragedy.

Could education have prevented this, is it possible we dont take training an safety serious enough?

http://robinson-solutions.blogspot.com/2009/09/rip-bryan-prairie-window-cleaning-news.html

This was a horrible accident, I just hope that people take the training an safety serious.


R.I.P. Bryan Prairie: Man confirms window washer who died was his son: Bryan Prairie took the window-washing job to support his family, his father said. The window washer who fell three stories to his death at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park had taken the job this summer while looking for work
 
That is truly sad.

There have been a lot of incidents involving scaffolds and swing stages in the past few years.
 
A good friend of mine has been cleaning hi-rise windows for over 18 years either repelling or swing-stage but he prefers the repelling by far.

Each time one of these tragedy's happens we talk about it and he tells me that most of the time the building owners don't want to pay the going rate and hire a lowballer who sells them on the swing-stage as opposed to the repelling.

Each has it's benefits but the problem he says is that the guys that are hired do not have much if any experience window cleaning let alone being up above ground.

He tells me that they should have a lot more experience under their belt before they go up above 2 floors and have repelling experience just in case.

On many bids he told me that he was under-bid by a company that will use the swing stage to save money but then they go and get guys up there that do not have much if any experience on the stages. Repelling cost more money but you get guys with more years experience and generally work safer.

A lot of times the building owner will tell them that the price is too much and so they have to look at the swing stages to save money but that brings guys on the job with not much experience.

In several incidents in the past few years the guys on the platform did not have much experience and did not know what to do in an emergency and the results were tragic.

Each method has it's benefits but when freak winds happen the swing-stage will start flying all around where if you were repelling, you are a smaller target, you have suction cups to help hold yourself there or you can start lowering yourself down safely where on the swing-stage it is bouncing against the building and sometimes you get knocked off.

More training, mandatory time experience before going up to higher floors sounds like a good idea to me.

There is nothing wrong with learning slowly and being safe.
 
Not to mention proper safety gear. I did not read the article, but I would be willing to bet that there was not a safety harness that was being used on that swing stage.

Personally, they can have it. I don't want to be swinging around the outside of a building hanging on a rope. That is why they make good money, if they are charging right.
 
I have heard the window washers association has a great rigging class that I want to check out in the future. In my past occupation I have seen 3 men die and know of more, it was all on rigging or high work. Safety you just cant play with it, you have to live it

When you painted those bridges Jeff, did you have to be certified operating the lifts an equipment?
 
When you painted those bridges Jeff, did you have to be certified operating the lifts an equipment?

Lift certification was a joke back then and sometimes now. Basically a 2 minute run through and go

I ended up taking rigging classes and became a certified rigger through the Painters Union, that was swing type staging
 
Lift certification was a joke back then and sometimes now. Basically a 2 minute run through and go

I ended up taking rigging classes and became a certified rigger through the Painters Union, that was swing type staging

Your alive...lol
 
That sounds interesting, I would like to learn the rigging they use, there are not any unions down here, maybe there are some videos out there or maybe some 1 day classes somewhere?
 
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