Window Washer Injured in Accident
Posted: August 20, 2011 at 5:25 a.m.
A window washer was injured Friday when a truck struck a lift he was on and pushed him into a window at the University of Arkansas.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Water Restrictions in Houston may affect your window cleaning business
Businesses Fear Further Water Restrictions: MyFoxHOUSTON.com
HOUSTON - Houston is in Stage 2 water restrictions, limiting the hours and days on which residents can irrigate their lawns.
But if the water shortage gets worse, some local businesses are worried about being shut down.
Under Houston city ordinance, during Stage 2 restrictions, companies that use water for their “primary business practices” are exempt from prosecution. That would include car washes and pressure washers.
But that protection disappears if we enter Stage 3 water restrictions, even though many such businesses claim to be more efficient than a homeowner trying to accomplish the same task.
Don Palmour owns Clean Car Turnpike in northwest Houston.
His car wash uses about 80-gallons of water per car. But most of that water is recycled onsite, he says. Only about 10 gallons of fresh water is required, each time.
And Palmour says, for economic and environmental reasons, water recycling is becoming the industry standard.
“I would guess that in car washes like this,” Palmour estimates, “well over 50-percent would be recycling their water.”
Another local company that puts its wastewater to good use is commercial pressure washer Environmental Magic.
“We recover, recycle and reuse the water during our process,” says CEO Patrick Kramer. “So we actually use a lot less water than a regular pressure washer, say, that people go buy at Home Depot.”
Kramer doesn’t like for his company to be lumped in with other pressure washing outfits that don’t recycle water.
But when water is scarce, any company that uses it conspicuously is vulnerable.
Houston’s Public Works department was not willing to discuss what might happen under Stage 3 or Stage 4 water restrictions.
But FOX 26 Legal Analyst Chris Tritico analyzed the city’s water shortage ordinance at our request.
“Once we hit Stage 3,” says Tritico, “the way I read this ordinance, it's going to be unlawful to run a car wash, to run a window washing business, to run a building-washing or sidewalk-washing business. Because you're not allowed to use that water.”
Window washer wins $50,000 on ABC's Wipeout
By PETER LARSEN / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Travis Montgomery might be the Window Whack Job to the hosts of ABC’s “Wipeout” but he also earned another title on the goofy reality TV competition show on Thursday: Winner.
Montgomery, a window washer from Newport Beach, became the second Orange County man in two weeks to take home the $50,000 prize that goes to the winner of the show. A week earlier Daniel Fritz of Coto de Caza won his episode on the series.
“I’m super pumped!” Montgomery yelled as he was about to start the first of three different obstacle courses on the show. “I’ve got 200 people in Newport Beach watching!”
His exuberant style of mismatched Hawaiian print shirt and shorts and confidence – he repeatedly shouted at hosts John Anderson and John Henson to just go ahead and write his name on the check – earned Montgomery the Window Whack Job nickname, but he was nothing but serious when it came to blazing through the courses.
A friend of Montgomery’s tipped us to his victory, and slipped us his phone number, but when we called we got a message that his mailbox was full. Everybody loves you when you’ve got a fresh $50,000 in your bank account, we suppose.
Think you can make it on "Wipeout" or want to at least give it a try? There'll be another open casting call at Downtown Disney in Anaheim on Oct. 8. Follow the link for everything you need to know, as well as information on auditions in Burbank and San Diego this fall.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Two window washers clung to their lives in Mission Bay
Two window washers clung to their lives in Mission Bay Thursday morning when their scaffolding broke 16 stories above the ground, according to SFGate.
While cleaning a high-rise luxury condominium at 300 Berry Street, Raul Aguilar and his nephew Benito Aguilar were saved by their safety harnesses when the scaffolding gave way beneath them -- half of it crashing to the courtyard below. The pair dangled from the roof while waiting for rescue teams to arrive.
According to CBS, both men were pulled to safety by rescue whttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giforkers, but were immediately transported to San Francisco General for injuries.
Tony Aguilar, Benito's cousin, had been washing windows down the street when he heard about the incident and rushed to the scene. He told SFGate, "I came over here and saw the scaffold hanging."
Source:
Two window washers are lucky to be alive after part of a scaffolding gave way and left them dangling 14 stories high on a Mission Bay apartment building Thursday morning.
Passersby gasped as fire crews rushed to the building at 300 Berry St. just after 8:30 a.m. The scaffolding hung vertically, but the workers did not fall because they were wearing harnesses, San Francisco fire spokeswoman Lt. Mindy Talmadge said.
Firefighters pulled one of the men onto the roof. The other man was rescued through a 14th floor apartment. The residents of that room were on vacation in Ireland, a neighbor said.
One of the workers was transported to San Francisco General Hospital with serious injuries, Talmadge said. The other went to SFGH with minor injuries, she said.
The window washers were identified as Raul Aguilar and his nephew Benito Aguilar.
Rodney Blanchard, an installation and repairman with AT&T who had a job in the building, filmed the harrowing scene on his cellphone.
"I'm just glad they're okay," Blanchard said.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating. The owner of the window washing company said that a davit that is attached to the building and is supposed to secure the scaffolding snapped.
Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/08/window-washers-survive-soma-scaffolding-mishap#ixzz1U5u8urP2
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