All Things J. Racenstein and Window Cleaning

An article about the working conditions of high rise window cleaners done by FOX 9 Investigators in Minnesota. Minneapolis has had the highest window washing accident rate in the United States since 2007 according to the IWCA.

Read the full article here: Investigators: A Window Washer’s World: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

Learn more about safety conditions and join the Internation Window Cleaners Association (IWCA)

Keep up with OSHA Regulations: http://osha.gov/

OK lets talk protection.

Get your minds out of the gutter we’re talking protecting one of your biggest asset’s.  Your business.

What kind of protection? Protection against scratched glass lawsuits. Sound redundant?

Say to yourself yea yea I know all about it? Well sadly, coming from the outside of the industry now looking in many window cleaners still are not educated on this important topic. Just last month I was talking to a window cleaner who’s company was facing a lawsuit because of not being educated on this important issue. Fabricating debris on tempered glass remains still a big problem.

Fact: Scratched glass is financially damaging to your company.

So what to do? First there is no excuse for ignorance. Education, education, education. After this if you do decide to use scrapers on tempered glass. WAIVER WAVIER WAVIER!!! Please do not fool yourselves, the fight is not over in educating window cleaners on this important topic.

Yes there is a lot of politics concerning this issue. For those companies who are just coming into the industry, or for those who still wear a veil, we will keep it simple. Educate yourself and have a scratched glass waiver signed if you decide to take on a job where tempered glass will be present and scrapers used.

Below are links to help you on this topic please visit them today.

http://www.scratched-glass.net/pdfs/fabricatingdebris.pdf

http://www.stopscratchedglass.com/challenge/glass_quality.asp

http://www.jracenstein.com/store/docs/ScraperWaiver.pdf

Courtesy of Staten Island Advance/Anthony DePrimo & www.silive.com

As most of you have heard already, Nick Genovese, a Staten Island Window Cleaner was electrocuted recently using his 40 foot window cleaning extension pole. He called his wife in the hospital and told her that he had a problem. His wife’s thoughts immediately was that he had gotten into a car crash, but he told her he had been electricuted. His wife was in disbelief, “You got what?!” she said.

He did a little research to see what he had went through and found that he had survived 11 times the shock of an electric chair, which typically carries 3,000 volts. He said he felt the shock go in through his hands and out his feet.

Pictured, is his wife holding the socks he was wearing the day of the incident. They had burn holes through them. He has been discharged from the Nassau County Medical Center’s East Meadow Burn Unit, but needs to see a neurologist, cardiologist and ophthalmologist to make sure the shock didn’t cause him any internal damage.

All in all though, he is happy to be alive and at home with his good friends, loving wife and beautiful 2 children.

For safety information on working near powerlines, visit: http://www.toolsofthetrade.net/

Scrapers are one of the most important tools in a Window Cleaner’s tool belt.  Windows regularly need heavier cleaning than soap, water and a washer sleeve can provide.  To remove bird droppings, paint, tape, stickers and construction debris like stucco or caulk, a razor-sharp scraper is a must.

Scrapers are precision instruments that must be used and maintained properly.  They are also extremely sharp, so great care must be taken in their use, handling and storage.  Most scrapers come with locking covers, make sure yours is always covered.

Window cleaning scrapers are available in blade-lengths up to six inches, so large areas of glass can be cleaned with less effort.

The Industry Standard: Triumph's plastic handle with a six-inch razor-sharp blade; this will clean almost anything. The razor-sharp blade is held securely in the handle's reinforced channel.

THE RIGHT TOOL
Triumph, Ettore and Unger all offer scrapers ranging from three inches up to six inches.  They all feature well made handles that hold the blade in a perfectly straight channel.  If you do a lot of scraping you’ll want a strong but light handle.  Triumph offers angled handles, heavy duty handles and one that has a closing mechanism for quick open and closing (most scrapers have covers that need to be removed then snapped back on).
Triumph’s Blade Dispenser
It’s absolutely safe, new and used blades each stay inside their own secure compartments.

A Must Have A pocket sized scraper will handle tough work in small areas.

HOW TO SCRAPE
There are several important rules to consider when scraping:

• Only scrape wet glass, adding soaps helps even more
• Only push a scraper, never pull it back. Small bits of glass debris (see below) can get caught under the blade and scratch the glass
• Apply even pressure holding the blade flat against the glass
• Approach edges slowly so you don’t cut caulk or damage frames
• Never scrape windows with tinted or mirrored film, the scraper will cut it and even lift it off the glass

The Blades: Available in stainless steel or carbon, they come in different sizes and quantities to meet every need.

SELECTING THE RIGHT TOOL
The blade is what actually makes a scraper worth its weight in gold. A good blade is a precisely made, ultra-sharp and very thing piece of metal.  If the blade isn’t perfectly true it will not function properly.  Looking straight down the blade when installed in the tool should reveal a perfectly true edge.  The blades are commonly available in stainless steel or carbon steel. Carbon steel is preferred for heavy usage because it’s thicker and  a little stronger, but the blades generally rust quickly, so they’re really only good for one days’ use.  Stainless steel blades are far more resistant to rust, they are thinner and not quite as durable as carbon; if you only scrape occasionally, the stainless steel is the way to go.  The blades are sold in 10 or 25 packs and come in clever dispensers that safely distribute one blade at a time and also hold used blades in a safe chamber.

CAUTION- Watch Out for Glass Debris Scratches
Believe it or not, some new glass is delivered with small (invisible to the naked eye) imperfections; small flecks of glass that become affixed to the glass surface during the tempering process.  Window manufacturers don’t admit it’s there, but it is.  Scraping windows with “debris” can be hazardous to your financial health; the debris can break loose and scratch the glass, and you could get sued for the expense of replacing the windows.  You generally can’t feel or hear this happening, so you may not know until it’s too late.  Wise window cleaners have their customers sign a waiver before they start scraping, and ultimately stop scraping  if they determine the glass is being scratched.  This is a very important subject in the window cleaning industry; check out IWCA.org to review the position of the IWCA.  There is also a scraper release form at http://www.jracenstein.com/store/docs/ScraperWaiver.pdf

Take a look at this article for a rally in Minneapolis, back in April 2010.  The article talked about employers not providing workers enough safety, such as old ropes.

Read the article here: [Window Cleaners: Just one slip away from tragedy]

A recent death rallied up other window cleaners and their families to make a stand.  As you read the article, the description of how one wrong move or a piece of equipment that isn’t stable can put your life at risk is a tad bit terrifying.

Look at the diagram to  see how you should have your equipment.

Have you ever slipped and saw death flash before your eyes for 2 seconds? Hopefully that has not been the case.

Check out the ropes we offer to help keep you safe and eating dinner with your family every night.

Well after about 2 weeks, turns out, the window cleaners in Service Employees International Union Local 26 ended up receiving better safety standards, union controlled Taft-Hartley training fund, $3 wage raise over 5 years and increases to the pension fund. Not too shabby.

Read about it here: [Window cleaners win new contract; Lockout Ends]

Way to go guys!

For more information on safety, visit the IWCA website.