[SunShineCleaning]

Brian Cairns Nov 26th 2008

A window cleaner died from a blood clot seven weeks after he fell from his ladder and broke both ankles, an inquest has heard.

The sitting at Mays Chambers in Belfast also heard how Brian Cairns had complained about a shortness of breath and back pain in the week prior to his death, but had not sought medical help.

"I asked him if I should get the doctor but he said 'no'. He wasn't one for fuss," his widow Julianne told the court yesterday.

Mr Cairns, a 42-year-old father-of-two from Carn Drive in Newtownabbey, fell about 10ft when his ladder slipped while he was working on November 26, 2008.

Family friend Philip Douglas, who had been with him at the time of the accident, said: "The ladder slipped and he went down. You just knew he had seriously hurt himself ... one of his ankles had completely turned around.

"But he was fit as a fiddle before that happened."

Mr Cairns underwent two operations at the Royal Victoria Hospital before being discharged. He was wheelchair-bound and attended five physiotherapy sessions before his death on January 16, 2009.

According to Sarah Beattie, the lead physio at Musgrave Park Hospital, he had been making good progress towards a full recovery. Ms Beattie told the court if he had indicated that he was suffering from breathlessness her team would have sought assistance from medics.

State Pathologist Jack Crane determined the cause of death as pulmonary embolism due to deep venous thrombosis (DVT), due to bilateral ankle fractures.

The court also heard how the Belfast Trust has reviewed protocol on discharging fracture patients and now prescribes DVT prophylaxis and written information on the risks of pulmonary embolism and thrombosis.

Coroner Brian Sherrard described Mr Cairns' unexpected death as a "terrible loss".

The coroner urged Mrs Cairns to take some comfort from the fact that a change of policy means medical patients will not now find themselves in the same tragic situation as her husband.

The family were too distressed to speak after the hearing.

[SunShineCleaning]

Roland Jungbauer March 9th 2010

A safety conscious window cleaner suffered fatal head injuries after falling from his ladder, an inquest heard.

Roland Jungbauer, 43, was a former scaffolder turned self-employed window cleaner with a conscientious attitude to safety at work, Wakefield Coroner's Court was told.

There were no witnesses to the fall, which happened as Mr Jungbauer, of Ossett, was working at a house in Grey Court at Outwood, Wakefield, last March 9.

Householder Katie Mellor was out when Mr Jungbauer was cleaning her first floor windows.

Coroner's officer Colin Mantell said when she returned home, just before 3pm, Mr Jungbauer told her: "Let me in I'm freezing."

Mr Mantell added: "She opened the door and he collapsed in the doorway."

Mr Jungbauer was taken to Pinderfields Hospital at Wakefield and later transferred to the intensive care unit at Leeds General Infirmary.

He did not regain consciousness and died from a severe, traumatic brain injury at LGI seven days later.

In a statement read to the court, Mr Jungbauer's sister Sally said her brother was a "conscientious worker - always aware of his own safety."

She added: "He used to be a scaffolder and was used to working at heights. He did not take risks and to the best of my knowledge he had never fallen from his ladder before."

Miss Jungbauer's life-long friend and fellow window cleaner Paul Wilkes said in a statement how he noticed after the accident that Mr Jungbauer's ladders were broken on the third rung up, adding: "I know he only bought the ladders last year. He always kept his equipment in good working order."

Recording a verdict of accidental death, deputy coroner Melanie Wiliamson, said: "Tragically, for some reason Mr Jungbauer did fall from his ladders. We do know the third rung up was broken, how that happened we do not know."

[SunShineCleaning]

Keith Harrison Jan 2012?

A WINDOW cleaner who had been in the business for more than 40 years has died after falling from his ladder.


Keith Harrison, 72, was cleaning windows when he fell and banged his head. He was rushed to Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital but died three days later, following a stroke.

Eunice Clifton, 67, his close friend and neighbour in Ardsley, Barnsley, said: “He was jolly, kind and just a lovely man. People are in absolute shock.

“He loved being a window cleaner, I think it was the social aspect of it. He just couldn’t retire because he liked it so much.

“The day he had the accident he had been mending my fencing. He had got to the last panel and was coming back in the afternoon but never got the chance.”

Mr Harrison, who had lived on the same street since he was a boy, was a former miner who worked in Barnsley Council’s refuse department and started an afternoon window cleaning round.

He cleaned windows all over Barnsley and was working at a house in Darfield when the accident happened last week.

A funeral will he held on Monday at Ardsley Crematorium.

[SunShineCleaning]

Paddy McDermott Jan 2012

Derry City FC steward Paddy McDermott passed away in hospital this afternoon just days after sustaining serious head injuries in a fall.

The 45-year-old, who owned a window cleaning business, fell from a ladder while cleaning guttering at a house in the Oakbridge area of the city on Monday.

Mr. McDermott, from Hazelbank, was initially taken to Altnagelvin Hospital but was later transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast where he died yesterday.

Billy Scampton, Events Controller with Derry City FC, last night described his close friend as the “salt of the earth.”

Mr. Scampton said his friend was “very well known” and “very well liked - particularly within Derry City FC circles.”

“I’m sure I speak for everyone at the club - in particular the stewards - when I say we’re heartbroken at the loss of Paddy.

“Not only have we lost a good friend but the club has lost a very valuable individual who played a key role at Brandywell on match days.

“I’ve been working with Paddy for 15 years and I can say without hesitation that he will be a very big loss to the club.

“We worked hand in glove together and we were part of the FAI-winning Match Day Management Team for the 2010 season.

“We had just been working on contingency and emergency plans for the forthcoming season for Derry City Council.

“In fact, I was just about to phone him when I received the news of his accident.”

Mr. Scampton said his friend “would have given you the shirt off his back.”

“He was a tireless worker on behalf of the club and our thoughts are with his family at this very difficult time,” he added.

Sinn Fein MLA Raymond McCartney, a friend of Mr. McDermott, said he was deeply saddened to hear of his death.

“I would like to take this opportunity to pass on my regards to Paddy’s family,” he said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time.”

[SunShineCleaning]

Hugh Winfield November 20th 2012

A window cleaner has died after getting his foot caught in his ladder and plunging 15ft to the ground. Hugh Winfield, known as Hughie, was working in Western Road, Lewes, when the freak accident happened. The 51-year-old, who was due to become a grandfather again in three months, carried out rounds in Coldean, Moulsecoomb and Woodingdean as well as Lewes and rural East Sussex.
 
His death on Tuesday was followed two days later by that of his beloved pet Max, a Staffordshire bull terrier. Mr Winfield’s widow, Karen, said she believed the dog had died of a broken heart. Speaking yesterday from their home in Wolseley Road, Coldean, she said: “The vet said it was probably a coincidence but Max was very sensitive.
 
“I will miss them both so much – I think they are together again.” Describing what happened to Mr Winfield, who was nicknamed the Silver Fox by members of his darts team in Hollingbury, she said: “Witnesses said that his foot got caught and he sort of jumped backwards, hitting his head on the ground.
 
 
 
“Last week everything was normal – now it has all changed.” Mr Winfield died on his father Clive’s birthday and just two days before his mother Jackie’s birthday. His daughter Mikayla, who is six months pregnant, turned 24 on Thursday.
 
Mrs Winfield said: “Everybody loved him. “He had a lot of friends and a lot of interests.
 
Mr Winfield leaves a son James, 30, and daughters Lynsey, 26, and Mikayla, 24, stepsons, Kelvin, 34, Ross, 32, Scott, 29, and Jay, 25, his parents and siblings.

[Granny]

I've still got a few ladder jobs

 "He used to be a scaffolder and was used to working at heights. He did not take risks and to the best of my knowledge he had never fallen from his ladder before."

Thing is I don't really mind tradding or ladder work - in fact I quite enjoy it -  uses different muscles gives you a break but reading those from SunShine makes you think - it could be a "break" you just don't need.

[SunShineCleaning]

No offence guys but how would you feel about transfering your comments to the other Obituary thread.

I was hoping that Admin or a Mod could make this a sticky with just the names and press releases on.

Feel free to add names and press releases though.

[SunShineCleaning]

Daniel Scott Alfred Lobb 23rd January 2012

A WINDOW cleaner fell to his death while cleaning a first floor window, an inquest heard yesterday.
 
Daniel Scott Alfred Lobb, aged 43 of Atherton, died while working up a ladder at a house in Eccles on January 23, Bolton Coroner’s Court heard.
 
Mr Lobb’s long-term partner, Julie Grime, told an inquest jury that Mr Lobb had “the shakes” on the morning of his death, but he still went to work on his own as usual.
 
Mr Lobb was cleaning the windows at the terraced house belonging to Pauline and Derek Gibbons in Boardman Street when he fell.
 
Mrs Gibbons said: “I was concerned that he shouldn’t be climbing the ladders. I said I knew it was cold but they were not normal shakes.”
 
Mrs Gibbons’ next door neighbour, Fiona Hughes, also said Mr Lobb looked pale and shaky. Mrs Hughes, a nurse, was in her home when she heard a “thud” between 11.45am and noon.
 
When she looked out of her front window she saw Mr Lobb lying face down at the bottom of the ladder in her neighbour’s front garden.
 
Mrs Hughes and Mrs Gibbon called 999 but Mr Lobb died in Salford Royal Hospital later that day.
 
The court heard that it was possible Mr Lobb had propped the aluminium ladder against the plastic guttering of the property and put his foot on the window ledge to reach the corner of the window.
 
The ladder was still standing when the window cleaner was found on the concrete slabs beneath the window, and one of the paving stones was broken Pathologist Dr Desai ruled out the influence of alcohol or drugs as the cause of death and said Mr Lobb had suffered with a ruptured spleen and damaged kidney on his left side.
 
Police said there were no suspicious circumstances.

The inquest continues.

[wfp master]

dont agree with that being on here.I DONT WANT TO READ ABOUT DEATH ON A WINDOW CLEANING FORUM.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

I was going to start one for all those killed while driving a van. Unfortunately, the post was so long the forum wouldn't let me upload such a large file!!!!

STAY OUT OF YOUR VANS GUYS!

[SunShineCleaning]

Bill Wilson   29th July 2008


Window cleaner Bill Wilson died, aged 58, after falling from a roof on his weekly round on 29 July, 2008.

Mr Wilson was cleaning the windows of a house in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, when the accident happened.

He had had a weekly round in Ilkeston since 1991, which was mainly concentrated in the Shipley View estate, and he was a popular figure among his customers for his reliability and diligence.

He had been a fitter working on the surface at Linby Colliery, in Nottinghamshire. When the colliery closed,he decided to go into window cleaning because of his love of the outdoors.

Ilkeston was his biggest window-cleaning round but he also had rounds in Eastwood, Hucknall and Sutton-in-Ashfield.

One customer, Margaret Fairlie, from Ilkeston, said: "He was a lovely man. He was a very good window cleaner and a pleasant fellow.

"You knew that he would always be here when he said he would be, unless the weather was very bad. We would chat about his family and his holidays. We often had a bit of banter."

His wife Terry said: "Bill was a lovely man who never had a bad word to say about anyone. He loved his family, his DIY and he loved going walking. The pair of us often walked in the Peak District and his favourite place was Chatsworth."

Mr Wilson, from Hucknall in Nottinghamshire,was also survived by his four children.

[wfp master]

some right cheery ones on here.

[PureClean Window Cleaning Ltd]

I know one person who is paralysed from the neck down. one dead. 3 broken legs. just from ladders. good thread. should be pinned. haven't used mine for a year now.

[rosskesava]

What's the real point of this thread?

[[GQC] Tim]

I was going to start one for all those killed while driving a van. Unfortunately, the post was so long the forum wouldn't let me upload such a large file!!!!

STAY OUT OF YOUR VANS GUYS!

Mate, have some respect please.

[Fin Clearview]

'What's the point' - EXACTLY.  I wrote up about Mr Winfield last week and only one other person sent their condolences. Disgraceful response from his fellow tradesmen.

RIP to all the ones we've lost.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

'What's the point' - EXACTLY.  I wrote up about Mr Winfield last week and only one other person sent their condolences. Disgraceful response from his fellow tradesmen.

RIP to all the ones we've lost.

How many condolences have you sent to your fellow road users lately?

[SunShineCleaning]

The purpose is a simple mark of respect for those window cleaners that have died as a direct result of their job.
Feel free to start any thread you like about any subject you like and I'm sure it will be put in the most appropriate section.

If you don't wish to read such threads then dont read them, I would have thought the title was as obvious as it could be.

[SunShineCleaning]

There seems to be a few topics lately that could do with thinking about this one.

[AuRavelling79]

Good thread.