Spider-Man Safety
- Source: Global Times
- [08:50 March 25 2011]
- Comments
Window washers clean the China CBD Teda Tower on Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang district on May 25, 2010. Photos: Wang Zi
By Yan Shuang
"A rope, a bucket, and there you are; you're ready to clean a skyscraper. That's how we joke about uncertified workers in our industry," explained Wu Yousong, an employee at the Special Operation Department of the China Construction First Building Group (CCFBG), which conducts safety training for high-rise workers in Beijing.
At least 60 percent of the city's "spider-men", a term used to describe the window washers or repairmen dangling from Beijing's skyscrapers, are working illegally without certification, while around 40 die from occupational hazards each year in Beijing, said a municipal work safety administration official Wednesday.
"The city has seen a rise in accidents as the demand for high-rise maintenance workers has increased in Beijing over the past few years," said Zhang Jiaming, head of the municipal Work Safety Administration, on a Beijing Public Service Radio program Wednesday.
"Being a spiderman can be very dangerous. A single slip can mean life or death," he added.
Safety first
Over 10,000 high-rise workers are employed to clean windows or install air-conditioners on skyscrapers in Beijing, according to Zhang.
Safety standards for high-rise work were often overlooked in the past, said Zhang, but the situation changed when administrators worked out a regulation in May 2009, which requires workers to receive professional training and certification through several examinations.
The administration assigned two official training centers in Beijing, through which about 2,000 spider-men have received certificates since 2009, according to Wu Hong, media department employee of the administration Thursday.
Only 57 percent of people passed the certification exam in October 2009, which consisted of oral, written and performance components, according to a Beijing Morning Post report.
"The work they do concerns human life, and that's why we' re setting the bar so high," said Zhang.
"We' re looking for those with 'safety awareness,' since that's what matters most on the job," explained Wu Yousong.
Fall of spider-men
Around 90 percent of the deaths that occur during high-rise work are a result of workers' mistakes, such as working without ample line or conducting equipment safety checks, regardless if they are certified or not.
"It's just like driving," he said. "Look how many traffic accidents are caused by licensed drivers."
According to the national Production Safety Law, a company that employs unqualified "special operation" workers face fines up to 20,000 yuan ($3,048).
A manager surnamed Xie of the Beijing Xinxing Cleaning Service told the Global Times "all our high-rise workers are certified, otherwise we would be facing punishment."
"We conduct regular inspections to weed out unqualified high-rise workers," Wu Hong told the Global Times.
