6 Year Old Window Cleaner Fall

6 year old injured in fall from 2nd story window, Philadelphia: A 6 year old boy was injured Saturday morning when he fell from a second story window in North Philadelphia. Officials say it happened just before 9:30am in the 2300 block of North Gratz Street. Police say the boy was cleaning a window in a second floor bedroom when he fell through the screen and landed on concrete below. The child was transported to St. Christopher's Hospital with stomach pain. Early reports say he was stable in stable condition. Special Victims Unit has been called in to investigate, but has not ruled the incident as suspicious.

Young Boy Hospitalized After Fall: A 6-year-old boy has been hospitalized after falling out of a second-story window in North Philadelphia Saturday morning. Investigators say that the boy, whose name has not been released, was cleaning a window in a home at 2323 North Gratz Street when the window screen gave way as he was pushing on it. As a result, the boy went tumbling to the concrete yard below. The boy was taken to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, where he is listed as being in stable condition with stomach pain. Investigators say that the boy's mother is at the hospital with him. There has been no word if any charges will be filed.

A Window Cleaning Tourettes Sufferer

Window Cleaner Paul, left, with John Davidson.

Tourette's sufferers hope film will help dispel myths of condition: The first thing you notice about Paul Stevenson is just how well spoken he is, despite having the most severe form of Tourette’s Syndrome. When he is not “ticking” and uncontrollably yelling random words or offensive phrases, he is thoughtful, deliberate and comes across as an intelligent man committed to working as hard as he can to help improve the life of others with his condition.

Paul, from the Borders, has teamed up with Galashiels-born campaigner John Davidson, star of the John’s Not Mad series of TV documentaries, for a new show about their attempts to create the country’s first ever Tourette’s holiday camp. Paul appears in the National Geographic Channel special Strange Behaviours tomorrow night, which looks at their bid to raise awareness of the illness, and to found their dream retreat in the West Highlands.

The father-of-four had to quit his job as a window cleaner due to the physical ticks, and is usually too afraid to leave the house or go on holiday because of people’s reactions to his involuntary outbursts of swear words and insults. So he has teamed up with John, and fellow Tourette’s documentary star Stuart “Chopper” Colquhoun, to create a secluded spot where people with the same disability can relax, free from judgment and ridicule.

Paul said: “At times I feel ridiculed by my condition because I can’t control my body. “I always remember one time I was picking the kids up from the school and I was having ticks and saw my reflection. I looked like the village idiot, I was out of control. “I live in a small town and everybody here knows me and knows I have Tourette’s. “And when I was first diagnosed I went round all the shops and supermarkets and the police station with leaflets.

“But we get a lot of tourists here during the holiday season and it can be very hard dealing with strangers. “I’ve been in a chip shop and just suddenly shouted at the entire queue to f*** off. “You have to apologise and explain to these frightened people, but they were alright once they knew what had happened. “I’ve also had people take a swing at me. The worst thing, though, is that people like to watch you. “I’ve had several times when people have filmed me on their phones, following me around to see what I do. “That is so humiliating and degrading. I can be out with my kids and people are making fun of me. It’s a disability and people wouldn’t dream of following someone in a wheelchair and filming them.”

Paul’s life was changed forever when he suffered his first tick – the motor function spasms of the body, which help define the illness – three years ago at a close friend’s funeral. His nervous twitches were followed by involuntary gasps and then he started yelling “hey hey”, before it developed into the full-on coprolalia form of the illness. Some of the married father’s outbursts include “I’m a gay man”, “I’ve got a gay leg”, or “gastric band”. The words and phrases Paul comes out with are entirely involuntary and unpredictable. The only common factor is they are usually the most inappropriate thing to say in any given scenario.

Paul, 48, who currently lives in Berwick-upon-Tweed but used to live in Jedburgh and has Border hopped his whole life, admits being exasperated by ignorance and ridicule of the disability. This was highlighted when the Prime Minister made cruel, off-hand comments (which he later apologised for) describing watching Shadow ­Chancellor Ed Balls’ Commons performance as, “like having someone with Tourette’s permanently sitting opposite you”.

While the disease has become shorthand for bad language and comedy-style swearing, Paul said he, John and their support group are trying hard to provide some peace for everyone in their situation. “The first thing I would say to anybody who is diagnosed with Tourette’s is to get yourself a support group network – that’s the most important thing in the world. “Your family will be a great help to you but it’s so important to be able to speak to people who know exactly what you are going through. “I thought my life was over. I didn’t go out and I didn’t want to see anyone in case I frightened them, or they were staring at me. “But you have to see yourself as others see you. I know I’m not out of control but I don’t blame people for staring at me, it’s done out of ignorance of the condition.

“It was meeting John and Stuart that made all the difference to me. “They helped me get back on my feet and get on with my life. “That’s why we work together to run support groups and help others not to feel alienated. “The documentaries about John made a huge difference to how the illness is seen across the country and that’s why I agreed to take part in the new programme, to show what our lives are really like.” The new programme features Paul, John and Stuart heading off to the Scottish Highlands, to Arisaig, in order to find locations for a campsite they would love to set up for Tourette’s sufferers.

Paul said: “We started up our group TLC (Tourette’s Lifelong Care) and one of our ideas is to get a campsite for people to feel relaxed. “On holiday, I have felt under siege because the anxiety of worrying about ticking makes it worse and I am so worried about the attention. “We’d just like to be at peace with other people. “Our idea is to buy a static caravan in Scotland and offer it out to families with Tourette’s, whether it’s the parents or the kids, and we had been invited up to Arisaig by a lovely lady who wanted to help out. “I’d love to set up a place like that as it’d be a great help to people. “We had a residential meeting in Galashiels where everyone stayed together and that worked out well.

“A summer camp, like they have in America (called Twitch and Shout), would be our main ambition. “It might be a while away at the moment, but it could be something that could help people long after we are gone. ”So if anybody would like to help, or has any land we could use, we’d be grateful if they got in touch.” Speaking out was vital step

For the past 23 years John Davidson (pictured) has been the face – and the sound – of Tourette’s Syndrome in Britain. The Galashiels-born caretaker, who is now 40, amazed the nation with his touching and heartfelt story of isolation in the 1989 documentary John’s Not Mad, which basically introduced the British public to the condition. Since then he has helped others cope with the condition, including Stuart Colquhoun, with whom he starred in the 2009 programme, I Swear I Can’t Help It, and Paul in the latest programme Strange Behaviours.

John said: “I’ve grown up with Tourette’s and Tourette’s has grown up with me, so I’ve managed to balance things and get used to it. “But for people like Stuart and Paul, who have had late onset in their adult lives, it can be a huge problem and change for their lives. “So I consider it a pleasure and a responsibility to be able to help others. “I feel that because a lot of people saw me on television talking about Tourette’s it is important I represent people with the condition in the right way – and help others. “There is still a lot of work to do with raising awareness and letting people know the truth rather than stereotypes.”

Portland Panes Shine Come Rain Or Shine

Portland high-rise window washer Carlos Welsh, 28, makes sure not to miss a spot outside the luxury apartments of Pearl District's Metropolitan building. The Beaverton father of four took the job to support his family, and discovered a talent for dangling from rooftops. Click to enlarge.

Portland high-rise window washer makes panes shine, come rain or shine: When Carlos Welsh was laid off six years ago, he worried how he would support his four young children. He took the first job he was offered, cleaning the exterior windows of Portland's tallest buildings. He was terrified, but feeding a family trumped his fears. Fortunately for Welsh, he discovered a knack for hanging from a rope several stories above the pavement. By now, the 28-year-old is so used to dangling with nothing below him but a bucket of suds and a few stories of atmosphere, he answers cellphone calls in midair. "I've been cleaning long enough that I don't drop stuff," he says. "The new guys tie their phones to their clothes."

Welsh, of Beaverton, was working as an indoor window cleaner when the boss cut his position. He turned to the newspaper classifieds, where Clean Services Northwest had this advertisement: High-rise window washer needed.  Welsh was afraid of heights but applied anyway. When asked if he had any experience with high-rises, he lied. His first job was on the tallest building on Clean Services Northwest's account, the 35-story Koin Center. He nearly fainted with fear. "I didn't see myself, but I'm sure I was white and shaky," he says. "I was terrified." Welsh made it through that first descent with the help of an experienced trainer. Within a few weeks, the fear diminished. Instead, his thoughts during a "jump" involved tailoring his window-cleaning strategy to the building's architecture. "Each one is a little bit tricky," he says. "You have to know what you're doing." Now, Welsh is the supervisor working alongside fear-stricken new trainees. He teaches them the ropes while they avoid looking down.

Armed with a squeegee and a bucket of soapy water, Carlos Welsh has rappelled from dozens of Portland's highest buildings as a window washer for Clean Services Northwest. Click to enlarge.

On a recent Tuesday, Welsh and a partner begin a two-week project at The Metropolitan building on Northwest 10th Avenue and Lovejoy Street. At 225 feet, the luxury apartment building is the Pearl District's tallest. His meticulous hands rarely miss a spot. Leave a streak on a window in those expensive penthouses, Welsh says, and you're bound to get complaints. "We call it drip, when the water from your squeegee gets on the window," he says. "If your window doesn't look really good, you have to do it again." After dropping a rope containing his bucket and a small stick of wood to sit on, he climbs over the edge and doesn't stop working until he reaches the ground.

Left to right, down, zigzag back up to the top left corner, then X marks the spot. One window down, countless more to go. He swings over to the neighboring window and affixes a suction cup to the glass, using it to hold himself in place while he cleans. Right, down, zigzag, zigzag, X. It's the same routine all the way down. Drop a few feet of rope, refasten your carabiner, dip your squeegee in the dish soap, and swipe. Eight hours of this is taxing, Welsh says, but it beats sitting at a desk all day. "I don't like feeling trapped in four walls," he says. "With this job, you're a few days on one building, then you're jumping another one. You're always moving around, and you get to enjoy the weather."

Building managers are required to notify tenants a few days before window cleaners arrive, but Welsh still occasionally catches people off guard when he drops into view. Office workers, in particular, are easy to startle when they're absorbed in a task. Other washers have caught people in the throes of passion, but Welsh's most extreme encounter was with a naked woman who promptly bolted from the room. She returned in a robe a moment later and opened the window to say hello and laugh about the incident. "Some people are really nice and give you a tip," he says. "Others shut the blinds in front of you. They think you're looking in, but really you're just looking at the window." Passing pedestrians often ask questions or shout salutations and words of encouragement. Children, in particular, get excited when they spot Welsh hanging high above. "They're too little to understand how you're doing it," he says.

Cleaning windows requires more than a head for heights. Today, for instance, Welsh has to contend with exterior beams that jut several yards from the building. To reach the windows, he'll have to swing in, then cling to the suction cup with one arm while the other reaches overhead to clean. It's not easy on the arm muscles. "Rock climbers have applied before, thinking it will be kind of like a sport," he says. "But it isn't as easy or fun as it looks to them." His only protection is a breathable waterproof coat and pants, a baseball cap and a white beanie. No amount of padding would save him if he fell anyway, and accidents are extremely uncommon. Clean Services Northwest has never had one.

The Metropolitan project begins on a rainy, windy and frigid morning at the outset of a particularly wet week. Window washers squeegee through the elements. "We try to work on the opposite side of the building so we're shielded from the wind," he says. They cancel gigs only when the weather is unbearably bad. For all the job hazards, Welsh is paid $20 an hour. At home, he cleans the windows only on nice days, about four times each year. "I have little kids, so right after I clean the windows the handprints are all over anyway," he says.

Carlos Welsh's tips for gleaming glass: Don't worry about the solution. Welsh fills his bucket with dish soap and water. Anything that effectively removes the grime will do. Instead of investing in more expensive glass cleaner, buy a squeegee. It won't leave streaks the way spray cleaners and cloth sometimes do. Start from the top, so anything that drips won't ruin the work you've already done. Keep a towel handy to wipe your squeegee in between swipes.

Window Cleaner Airlifted To Hospital After Ladder Fall

Emergency vehicles in Alexandra Park after a man fell from a ladder nearby.

Window cleaner airlifted to hospital after fall: A man was airlifted to hospital on Tuesday (May 22) after falling from a ladder while cleaning windows. Chris Gerrish, aged in his 60s, was working at a house in Elphinstone Road when he fell off at about 11.50am on Tuesday. The air ambulance landed in nearby Alexandra Park and took Mr Gerrish to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton where he was treated for six fractured ribs. Mr Gerrish’s wife Carole, who lives in the area contacted the Observer yesterday. She said: “He had just been cleaning windows on his normal round. “It was definitely not an accident. We think he had some kind of stroke or heart attack while he was on the ladder.”

Chris just celebrated his 60th birthday earlier this year.

Another Illegal Window Cleaner Gets Jail

Under surveillance: Thomas Kenny claimed his back complaint was a disability... but was caught on camera lifting a ladder. Thomas Kenny claimed his back complaint was so bad he couldn't walk. But he was caught on camera carrying a ladder and lifting a tyre from his car. The 52-year-old had been jailed for a separate case of benefit fraud in 2009

That will never wash! Benefits cheat who claimed £33,000 by pretending he had to use a wheelchair caught cleaning windows. A cheat who pretended he needed to use a wheelchair so he could claim benefits has been jailed after investigators caught working as a window cleaner. Thomas Kenny claimed more than £33,000 in incapacity benefit and disability living allowance over a five-year period. The 52-year-old - who had been jailed back in 2009 for a different case of benefit fraud - was emotionless as he was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to eight months in prison. The father-of-two was caught on surveillance by the Department for Work and Pensions carrying a ladder and taking a tyre out of the boot of his car.

Grey-haired Kenny was charged with failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) of a change in circumstances when he started work as a window cleaner in 2007, having claimed incapacity benefits since 1997 for a bad back. He was also charged with fraudulently claiming Disability Living Allowance (DLA) from April 2008 until his arrest last September. He pleaded guilty to both charges at Liverpool Magistrates Court in March. The 'serial fraudster' claimed £11,554.30 of DLA from April 2008 until September 2011. He also fraudulently claimed £22,129.50 of incapacity benefits from June 2007 to August 2011. He fraudulently claimed a total of £33,683.80.

Bootle-born Kenny claimed on his DLA application form that he used a walking stick, and sometimes used a wheelchair. He also claimed that he could not wash or dry himself, needed help climbing the stairs, and that it took him three to four minutes to walk five metres, but had been working as a window cleaner since 2007. Kenny claimed he only took on the window cleaning work from his father, who had suffered a fall in 2007 which resulted in a brain injury. An earlier sentencing date was adjourned last month as Kenny’s father died while he was in court. Nicola Daley, prosecuting, said: 'He (Kenny) has been in receipt of incapacity benefits since 1997 and was unfit for work. 'It was not fraudulent from the outset, but there was a failure to notify the DWP of the change in circumstances. 'In more recent times he was working as a self-employed window cleaner.' Kenny was also jailed for four months in 2009 for failing to notify the DWP of his wife’s occupational pension, after claiming income support for the couple since 2002.

Only a quarter of that sentence was served, and it did not deter Kenny, who continued to receive DLA and incapacity benefits following his release. David Birrell, defending, said: 'By explanation and not excuse, the window cleaning round Mr Kenny carried out had been his father’s round. 'His father suffered an accident when he fell from a ladder in 2007 and suffered what would end up as a fatal brain injury.' Mr Kenny was asked to step in by his mother and he said he felt obliged to do so. He is 52, married, with two children. His daughter sits in court today, and his family are devastated. 'He is a man who works and volunteers driving disabled children around - there is good in him.' Judge Mark Brown, sentencing, said: 'Mr Kenny, you said it took you several minutes to walk a short distance and needed a walking stick and needed help with personal issues.

Heavy load: In one image, Kenny is seen lifting a tyre from the boot of his car.

Easy does it: Far from being incapacitated, Kenny lifts the ladder on to the roof of his car with ease.

'There was significant dishonesty here and your position is considerably aggravated by the fact that in 2009 you were sentenced to four months in prison for making false statements to obtain benefits over the course of five-and-a-half years. 'Following your release from prison, you continued to claim incapacity benefits and DLA and did so fraudulently. 'It is clear to me that you are something of a serial fraudster. You are a repeat offender when it comes to duping the state. 'It has been said time and time again that this country cannot afford to pay out these kind of monies. 'Money that could be put into health care and social services. It could be used to support people, not put into your back pocket.' Kenny was sentenced to eight months in prison, and waved to his daughter, who burst into tears as he was led from the dock.

Window Cleaners Hit The Heights

Photo of the Day: Window cleaners share a smoke on the 33rd floor. Click to enlarge.

Cleaners hit the heights — of buildings and business: It’s a long way down. So long that falling means death. But that’s a carefully controlled risk that the employees of an East York company take when they’re washing the windows of high-rise buildings across the GTA. The company, Skyreach Window Cleaning, is located at 2857 St. Clair Ave. E., near O’Connor Drive. The owner, Kevin Stanley, worked as a part-time window-washer in his student days in Toronto. This early job motivated him to start his own company in 1987, and now it has grown to be one of the biggest window-cleaning outfits in the region.

For this CEO, acrophobia was never an issue. Not even when he was 1,815 feet up, cleaning the CN Tower when he was just 18 years old. Stanley considers himself a bit of an “adrenaline junkie.” But while he used to clean windows with his employees, he keeps his feet on the ground these days. “See, my hands are nice and soft!” he joked. But while high-rise window-washers appear precariously perched to the uninitiated, Stanley says that industry experience and ongoing technological innovation minimizes the risk. “The best way we do it is by safety training, and that’s why we care, because the customers ask for that,” said Stanley.

No matter how safe the work is, however, not everyone can clean the outside of a skyscraper. A fear of heights can often get in the way. “That’s one of our problems when we start hiring employees. A good chunk of the population is scared of heights, so we have to sift through the remainder of those who are not,” he said.  Stanley said that his company tries to be environmentally friendly. All of their basic cleaning solutions are biodegradable. And the employees help out with jobs that would be extremely difficult to do without the special equipment and experience that window-washers have.

Skyreach assists a charity to place high-definition cameras in the nesting areas of falcons. “We’ve gone over the wall many times with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Canadian Peregrine Foundation, and we help band the little chicks and grab them off the ledge and put them into bags,” Stanley said with a smile. Stanley’s biggest competitor is actually his brother, Roger, who opened Scarborough’s Solar window-cleaning 10 years before Skyreach. But the two brothers share a competitive streak, and Stanley said there’s little chance that they’ll ever join forces.

Three young peregrine falcon female chicks, named Jennifer, Janet and Skyreach in honour of the window cleaning company.

Peregrine falcons keeping a low profile: While experts from the Peregrine Foundation search for the new nesting site, three female chicks were banded Monday afternoon at the Mississauga Executive Centre on Robert Speck Pkwy. It's the oldest nesting site in the GTA. "We found three very healthy looking, feisty chicks," Nash said of the banding, which was done by biologist Mark Heaton of the Ministry of Natural Resources.While the peregrine parents were distracted, the chicks were removed from the nest, taken on an elevator ride down to the lobby of the office building, and banded. They were then returned to the nest. The eldest chick, at 28 days, was named Jennifer. Her younger sibling, born a day later, was named Janet. The youngest chick was named Skyreach, in honour of the window cleaning company that provides platforms for volunteers to stand on while they distract the parent birds and keep them away from the nest until the chicks are banded and returned.

New Window Cleaning High-Rise Guide Lines & Peeping Tom

New Zealand's rope access industry is growing quickly.

New safety guidelines for rope workers: A run of accidents in the rope industry over the past year has prompted officials to set out a new set of safety guidelines. The Department of Labour and the Industrial Rope Access Association of New Zealand (IRAANZ) have today released new Best Practice Guidelines for industry rope access in New Zealand. The guidelines come in response to three non-fatal incidents in the last 12 months. In February this year, 18-year old Louisa Kuypers fell about 30m to the ground while suspended from a building in Newmarket, Auckland, cleaning windows. This followed an accident in December, when acrobatic abseiler Mikaela Blayney plunged 20m to the ground while performing above Aotea Square. An abseiling window cleaner was seriously injured after falling at least five stories in central Wellington last June. Today's guidelines will give both rope access operators and building managers a shared understanding of what acceptable standard practice is within the industry, said IRAANZ President David Karam.

"This document will set a benchmark for rope access operations and promote a safer and more professional service throughout New Zealand," he said. Department of Labour's Brett Murray said any work involving rope access carried a level of risk but correct procedures needed to be followed to minimise that risk as much as possible.  "It is essential that the correct design and installation procedures are carried out where rope access is required," Murray said. "Everyone working in the industry needs to understand the dangers and these new guidelines provide the advice they need to operate safely." 

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A Filipina told Dubai Court how she thought a window cleaner was watching her while she showered at her flat in Bur Dubai.

Window cleaner accused of watching woman shower: A cleaner is accused of watching a woman take a shower while he was cleaning her bathroom window. The woman, a 38-year-old Filipina, told Dubai Court of First Instance the incident happened at her flat in Bur Dubai last month. She said: “I noticed the window was open so I closed it and then took off my clothes and started having my shower. I then noticed the window was open again and realised someone watching me.” She added: “I closed the window again and covered my body. I then watched the window until I saw the suspect open it again and I yelled at him and called Dubai Police.” Police arrested the 28-year-old Bangladeshi defendant, who denied the accusation. “He claimed that he wasn’t looking at her and was only cleaning the window from outside,” a policeman said in official records. The defendant has pleaded not guilty to molestation and trial has been adjourned to next month to prepare the defence.

Window cleaner 'peeped at showering woman' - A woman who was taking a shower looked up to see a window cleaner peeking at her, the Dubai Criminal Court heard today. Prosecutors said that JJ, a 38-year-old Filipina interior designer, had shut the bathroom window before getting into the shower on April 16. But halfway through her shower she noticed the window was open again. "I realised that someone was looking at me," said the woman. She then crossed the bathroom to shut the window once more before returning to her shower. She said she kept an eye on the window and after a short while noticed MJ, a 28-year-old window cleaner from Bangladesh, trying to open it. "I screamed at him and then called police," she said. The window cleaner denied a charge of sexual assault. "No this did not happen, I was just cleaning the glass windows of the building at Dubai Sports City," he said. A verdict was scheduled for June 11.

Cleaner peeps through bathroom window to see bathing Filipina: A Bangladeshi cleaner, MJM, 28, allegedly peeped into the window of a bathroom while a Filipina, JJ, 38, designer, was taking a bath, the Dubai Criminal Court heard. JJ testified that she went into the bathroom of her house to take a bath. “I noticed that the window was slightly open so I closed it… I took off my dress and got into the tub. While taking a bath I noticed that the window was re-opened. I suspected that there was someone peeping through the window. I covered myself with the towel and closed the window. I left the bathroom shouting and called the police,” she testified. Corporal Khalid Salem testified that he was rushed to the Sports City following the woman’s complaint. Checking with the building’s watchman, police found that MJM was assigned to clean the building’s glass. MJM denied peeping at the woman and claimed that he was only busy cleaning the window. The court adjourned the case for verdict till June 11.