Abu Dhabi - WAM
The Security Media Department's wireless remote-controlled drone equipped with modern technologies rescued a window cleaner of Asian nationality on Tuesday. After calming the panicked worker who had attempted to abandon the scaffold and cling to a window for fear of falling; the drone detected the technical malfunction of the scaffold, and utilised audiovisual monitoring to instruct the worker in how to repair the malfunction himself. The man had been trapped outside of one of the upper floors of a high-rise building on Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street in Abu Dhabi.
The Operations Room of the Abu Dhabi Police (ADP) received an emergency call about a window cleaner who had become stuck in a broken scaffold on the exterior of the building's 10th floor. To rescue the worker from falling, teams of the Civil Defence Department, the Emergency and Safety Department, patrols, the Security Media drone, and an ambulance immediately rushed to the scene. Performing a rapid intervention, the teams evacuated the surrounding areas to ensure the safety of pedestrians in the event that the crane or any of its parts should fall.
During the rapid intervention by the teams, the Security Media drone accurately detected and fixed the malfunction, rescuing the window cleaner. On-site medical tests were conducted and the man was found to be in good health.
The ADP urges maintenance and contracting companies to observe security and safety procedures and to ensure the quality of the equipment, most particularly the scaffolding. In addition to ensuring the quality, companies should also perform routine maintenance in order to ensure the safety and the lives of workers and bystanders, and train their employees in how to handle any possible malfunction.