#SKYSCRAPER WINDOW CLEANER WINDOWS#

At high elevations, winds can become quite strong, especially with the layout of the city as wind rushes between buildings and down streets.

If a scaffold disconnects or breaks and a worker falls hundreds of feet, it is almost guaranteed to be fatal.Įven if safety equipment works properly, there are still other risks to window washers. While washers often work hundreds of feet in the air, a fall of 50 or 60 feet is likely to be fatal. The biggest risk for window washers is, of course, falling from a great height due to a failed piece of safety equipment. Safety harnesses, ropes, and belts are all used every day, and the lives of the washers using this equipment are always at stake. In situations that are not quite so high up, it is not unusual for a window washer to clip onto a bolt driven into the side of a building and remain attached while washing the windows. Many high-rises have rigging on the roof of the building, which window washers attach to a scaffold on ropes, which is then lowered down from the roof to give the cleaners access to windows.

#SKYSCRAPER WINDOW CLEANER WINDOWS#

The men and women who keep these windows clean do so from outside the building, often hundreds of feet up in the air, suspended above the street below.ĭifferent methods are used by window washers to remain suspended outside a building and clean it. Businesses that lease office space in a high-rise expect their employees and managers to have clear views out of their offices, which is part of what they are paying for. Just like on a house, the windows on skyscrapers, high-rises, and other large office buildings all need to be cleaned as a part of regular maintenance.

But this work presents very real dangers, both for the window washers who brave such terrifying heights and for pedestrians below. What would New York City be without the towering skyscrapers that dominate so much of the city’s skyline? And how much duller would those architectural achievements look if their windows didn’t shine brightly throughout the day? High-rise window washers keep those windows clean and clear for people inside to look out and for others to see the beauty of the city shining off their glass.

Skyscraper window cleaner