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Arcoservices > Rescue at Height > Window Cleaners Rescued At World Trade Center

Window Cleaners Rescued At World Trade Center

Firefighters have rescued two window cleaners who were stuck on scaffolding outside the 69th floor of One World Trade Center in New York City.

The nerve-wracking drama unfolded on Wednesday afternoon on the south side of America's tallest skyscraper.

Emergency officials cut through panes of glass to reach the workers while a second rig was lowered as a back-up option.

The stranded workers at One World Trade Center

TV images showed one side of the scaffolding platform dangling

A cable on the scaffolding snapped shortly before 1pm (6pm GMT) and the workers were pulled to safety nearly 90 minutes later.

They were taken to hospital suffering from mild hypothermia, said officials. 

A stranded window washer at One World Trade Center in New York

The men's ordeal lasted about an hour and a half

The pair were named in local media as Juan Lizama and Juan Lopez.

Television images showed one side of the scaffolding platform dangling at a sharp angle.

Picture from @FDNY of window washer rescue

Picture from FDNY of the window washer rescue

The workers were not at imminent risk of falling because they had been tethered by harnesses to the roof, said officials.

The building has 104 floors and is 1,776ft (541 metres) high, making it the tallest in the western hemisphere.

The $3.9bn skyscraper only opened for business last week for the first time since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Almost 200 employees of magazine publisher Conde Nast were the first to move in.

 

(source)

 

Total Access (UK) Ltd can offer Rope Access supervision rescue and standby teams to offer specialist cover all across the UK.

 

The Emergency Response   Division of Total Access (UK) Ltd offers a complete solution for all Rescue at Height scenarios to ensure that our clients fully meet the requirements of the Working at Height Regulations.

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Our Service includes:

 

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