Two window cleaners saved from 21st floor fall

Abu Dhabi Police said a defect in the equipment supporting the workers caused it to malfunction

Two window-cleaning workers were prevented from falling from the 21st floor of a building in Abu Dhabi when the platform on which they were standing was trapped while they were on the job, the Abu Dhabi Police said yesterday.

The police received an alert that two workers were trapped on a scaffold high atop the 21st floor of a building in the Al Wahda area of Abu Dhabi.

The rapid intervention centre of Abu Dhabi (Al Falah), accompanied by an ambulance, responded to the emergency.

A rapid intervention team broke the glass of the building’s facade and pulled the workers to safety. The workers were cleaning the facade of the building at the time.

Abu Dhabi Police said a defect in the equipment supporting the workers caused it to malfunction.

Lt Col Ebrahim Ali Jalal Al Beloushi, Director of the Rapid Intervention Department, urged contracting companies to conduct periodic maintenance of window cleaning equipment and to ensure the safety of workers. He stressed the importance of training workers and providing safety devices to avoid accidents.