Firefighters rescued two window washers who were trapped hanging from scaffolding at a Midtown high-rise the morning of Feb. 28. According to a report in the New York Daily News, the scaffolding detached from the building’s facade and began swaying and spinning uncontrollably in the high winds. It then repeatedly slammed into the side of the building shattering glass and raining shards onto the street below, officials said.
Workers’ Safety Lines Not Attached
First responders closed off the streets surrounding the building at Columbus Circle and firefighters made their way to the 78th floor of the 80-story building where the scaffolding had broken free from the structure. Based on the news report, video footage showed the two workers, who were wearing harnesses but did not have their safety lines tethered to anything, holding on as the scaffolding swayed and swung. Firefighters managed to secure lines to unmovable objects inside the building and toss them to the moving scaffolding.
Once the lines were attached, they straightened the scaffolding, bringing it closer to the building. Firefighters eventually managed to pull the two workers inside. They were rushed to an area hospital for evaluation and exposure. Officials said if the scaffolding had dipped downwards as it swung, the workers could have plummeted to their deaths. The New York City Department of Buildings is investigating, but has not said anything yet about safety violations. Our thoughts and prayers are with these workers and their families. We commend the FDNY for their courageous rescue saving these workers’ lives.
Window Washers and Fall Protection
Many construction workers including window washers, roofers, ironworkers, steelworkers, laborers, carpenters, masons, bricklayers, painters, and electricians etc. carry out their tasks at elevations while on scaffolds, ladders, platforms, etc. Such jobs are often physically demanding and expose the workers to various perils.
Window washers face significant fall hazards, making fall protection requirements crucial for their safety. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets strict regulations for fall protection in the window cleaning industry. According to OSHA’s general industry standards (29 CFR 1910.27 and 1910.140), employers must provide fall protection systems for workers operating at heights of 6 feet or more.
Window washers must be equipped with personal fall arrest systems including full-body harnesses, lanyards, and secure anchor points that can withstand at least 5,000 pounds of force per worker. Rope descent systems (RDS) are also commonly used, but OSHA limits their use to heights of 300 feet unless an alternative method is infeasible. Proper training on equipment use, hazard identification and emergency procedures is mandatory.
In addition to OSHA rules, the International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) provides safety guidelines to enhance industry standards. Companies and contractors must conduct regular inspections of equipment, ensure proper rigging and provide safe access to work areas. Compliance with these regulations helps reduce falls, injuries and fatalities, ensuring a safer work environment for window washers.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Injured window washers may be able to obtain workers’ compensation benefits from their employers. In addition, workers and their families may be able to file a third-party lawsuit for substantial money damages against a number of parties, and thus have two sources of compensation. Third-party claims are filed against parties other than the employer or co-employees and may include general contractors, sub-contractors, building owners, managing agents, construction companies, etc. In cases where a worker dies from injuries suffered on the job, surviving family members may seek death benefits through workers’ compensation and/or file a wrongful death claim against a third party.
If you have suffered injuries in a construction-related accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
Our law firm recovered $3,375,576 for a construction worker (an undocumented immigrant) who was injured on the job — one of the highest construction case settlements in New York that year. Our law firm also recovered $3,000,000 for a man who fell and suffered two broken legs when he walked into an open elevator shaft. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/02/28/window-washers-trapped-hanging-outside-midtown-high-rise-at-columbus-circle/