Continue with Microsoft TeamsRead the Following Selection
Read about skyscraper window washing, or click on the play button below to listen aloud.
Skyscraper Window Washing
Skyscrapers are very tall buildings. How does the outside of the windows stay clean? Skyscraper window washers keep them clean. These workers must not be afraid of being up in very high places.
Booms and Bosun’s Chairs
Most window washers stand on a platform called a boom. The boom is attached to ropes, and the ropes are attached to the skyscraper’s roof. The boom starts out at the top floor of the skyscraper. When one floor’s windows have been washed, the boom moves down to the next floor. A boom is long. It has room for two or more window washers to stand on it.
Some window washers sit while they work. They use a special seat called a bosun’s chair. The bosun’s chair is attached to ropes that are attached to the building’s roof. A bosun’s chair has room for only one person.
Staying Safe
How do window washers keep from falling? They wear a harness. A harness has straps that go around a person’s chest and back. The harness is attached to the boom or bosun’s chair. Window washers who fall off a boom or bosun’s chair do not fall to the ground. They hang at the end of the rope and can be pulled back up to the roof.
Windy Days
You won’t see window washers working on very windy days. Wind can make a boom or bosun’s chair move back and forth. It’s hard to wash a window if you are moving back and forth!
Now, show what you know!
Complete some questions about the reading selection by clicking “Begin Questions” below.
