View from the top
O Rope access technician Mohd Noorzaid Rambly’s high-flying job is not for the faint-hearted
PEOPLE look down on Mohd Noorzaid Rambly whenever he tells them that he is a window cleaner.
But then, not many realise
that it takes nerves of steel to be in his profession.
Professionally, he is known as an industrial rope access technician, and he only cleans windows of high rise buildings.
But abseiling more than 150m above ground with just a rope and harness to keep him from falling and an untimely end is not the worst of it.
“It gets bad when the weather turns,” Noorzaid, 38, told theSun in a recent interview.
He recalled an occasion when he was caught in a storm.
“My partner and I were just 10 minutes into the cleaning process when it began to rain heavily.
“The wind was so strong that it blew my partner across the side of the building.”
There was nothing they could do but hang in there for 45 minutes.
In that time, their buckets filled up and overflowed and the ropes that were holding them became heavier, making it almost impossible for them to haul themselves up.
“It was nerve-wrecking but experience had taught us to stay calm so we could remain stable in the storm,” Noorzaid said.
In a worst case scenario, the ropes could get twisted, and the body could sway in the wind, but panic would only aggravate the situation.
Noorzaid’s first day at work was equally scary. “I was assigned to a 33-storey building and I could not visualise myself being lowered over the edge with just the ropes to hold on to.
“My colleagues assured me that nothing could go wrong.
“Even so, I held on for dear life.”
But dangling at least 150m in the air is routine for Noorzaid now.
He stressed that having to work under such difficult conditions required one to be both physically fit and mentally strong.
Before each descent, all equipment checked.
Each window cleaner has two sets of ropes attached to him, and anchored independently to permanent structures deemed safe.
One is a working line and the other serves as a safety net.
The safety helmet is also a must. To communicate, they carry walkie talkies. They are required to work in pairs.
A third person will remain at the top of the building to observe their movements and raise the alarm if something goes wrong or the weather turns.
While the job can be exciting, high-rise window cleaners must also put up with some inconveniences.
“We have a limited amount of time to clean so there is no changes to detach ourselves from the harness to have lunch, so we eat in mid air,” Noorzaid said.
But things get a little tricky when Nature calls. “Invariably, we end up wetting our pants,” he said with a laugh.
To be an industrial rope access technician, one needs to go for training and then obtain a certificate.
The job pays RM2,000 to RM5,000 a month, more than the earning of a window cleaner with feet planted firmly on terra firma.
While Noorzaid concedes that it is a risky job, he also enjoys the freedom of being in the air.
The tallest building he has cleaned is the 78storey Four Season Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
“The view from up there is astonishing,” Noorzaid said.
That, he said, makes up for the less-than-rewarding pay packet every month.
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