Fearless Workers in Great Height: Replacing an Aviation Light at the Very Top | Free Documentary

[Music] this time high above Las Vegas if you make a mistake something can really go wrong really horribly wrong a precision tossed on an extreme structure it's pretty windy I'm not gonna lie I'm a little nervous in Phoenix a stomach-churning drop into open space there's a trapdoor in there like craziness and the pressure reaches breaking point and a work is piling up on us and we has to be done this crew take on the jobs no one else can their goal to be the number one road access team in Las Vegas you couldn't pay me enough to do that I'm scared just looking at them down here they climb let no one else dares it's exciting like when you get to a spot and you're like no man has ever been here before attempting the impossible every time they go to work the most terrifying jobs in the world call for sky high scrapers Las Vegas gaming capital of the world and a town full of extraordinary buildings but these vast and complex structures are a huge challenge to clean and maintain enter high-rise rope team Absalon USA these men do the jocks others deem too dangerous or too difficult to even attempt their motto any job any height any building they've recently branched out into Vegas from their base in Phoenix Arizona now they've gained a foot in the door working on sports stadiums and high-rise apartments but to really make it in Las Vegas they need a shot at the big time the famous casinos and Resort Hotels where the world comes to strike it rich it company boss Ken peppers and his team can secure some high-rolling clients it would enhance their reputation and secure their future in the town word-of-mouth that's travels fast you do a good job in this business people are going to know who you are and eventually we'll take over Vegas we'll have us a stronghold in Las Vegas [Music] and Ken's Las Vegas luck is in its crew Ricky Sam and Mike are at the glamorous Paris hotel on the Las Vegas Strip they've won a blue-chip Commission they'll be higher profile than anything they've done before building engineer Tom steel has a white-knuckle task which if they get it right will give the team massive kudos the aviation lights the top of the Eiffel Tower the crowning glory of Paris Las Vegas is their giant replica of the Eiffel Tower a hundred and sixty five meters up the aviation warning lights need replacing it's a very dangerous area to be up in there that's why we got you guys out here you guys are the professionals there's nothing surrounding you up there you're a super expose I think that's amazing it's pretty high what we can do on a tower like this you have to do a terrifying prospect for most people but for these men it's a dream ticket for a company that came out of Phoenix Arizona to walk into Las Vegas all of a sudden have the Eiffel Tower what could be bigger this is the first time I've been up here so it's a freaking tower people say they climbed all the way to the very tip of this you know of this thing and not very many places anywhere around here that people have been to the top oven hey if we get the opportunity hey we're gonna go up we're gonna go out to the table that's what we do Mike Joo ran a trusted high access supervisor he's been with Ken for years for Mike life is all about action and adventure our whole life is kind of built around extreme stuff any day could be our left is that the way you want to look at it on the eiffel tower public observation deck over 140 meters up the team gets its orders from building engineer tom because we're so close to the airport we've got to have a light up there we need you guys to go up and replace those we like to get them replaced every five years whether they need it or not and then there's a lightning suppressor dome up there while you guys are up there I'd like to take a look at that make sure that it's physically in shape we don't need to have any repairs done on it everything else [Music] to reach the aviation light and lightning protector at the very top of the flagpole the team must now go beyond the areas of public access a vertical ladder leads to the next level up an open platform to prevent Falls is a clip on full protector that should slide up a steel rope as you climb yeah that's that's definitely not right okay that's sticking instead of sliding freely the full protector catches making climbing awkward and potentially unsafe the system has been there for 14 years it's quite weathered it's been out in the elements we've had some issues with it sticking it's and being outdated until it's fixed the team will rely on their own safety gear especially as the journey to the top continues up a much more exposed ladder you guys are gonna have to descend this and get up there to get that light this is as far as I go but up here equivalent to 50 stories high there's a fierce wind blowing this is the days that we try to avoid especially we're gonna do things you know I hate but it is pretty windy up here and for the most part you know this would not be a day for us to get up - up to the peak it's a little too windy but you know weather permitting then we should be able to get up get up there get it done if the wind gets any higher tomorrow the team may be forced to cool off the job they need the weather to improve it's essential they prove to their important client they can get the job done [Music] 7:00 a.m. at the last vegas eiffel tower Ricky Mike and Sam from Absalon USA need to replace the aviation warning lights at the top the high-class venue is a new client for the budding business so it's vital they earn its trust yesterday high winds made the team very nervous they might have to cool off the job and this morning conditions have only improved a little but the team thing they might just be able to get on with the job and they're calling for high winds again today hopefully it's not too windy were safely do your job Tom the building engineer has the old important hardware but these bulbs look surprisingly domestic these are the bulbs with the guys tell me all right I don't believe they are Wow look a little bit like regular house bulbs here it's not the right ball give me the ball that's up there and I'll get one coming right away okay sounds good waste too much time up there okay ever professional the team take unexpected complications in their stride but discovering it's the wrong bulb at the top of the Eiffel Tower could cost valuable time and the wind could change at any minute the root to the tart continues with an access ladder riki the most experienced on the team takes the lead Riki Dillman is Ken's most experienced and trusted technician after six years in the job he always maintains a cautious approach going over the edge is probably the scariest part that's it gets me every time gives you the the butterflies in the stomach the adrenaline rush yeah but that's what keeps me going that's what it's gonna keep everyone safe is that that initial fear 160 meters from the ground Ricky's concerns about the wind are increasing pretty windy I'm not gonna lie I'm a little nervous I'm gonna say it's about at least pushing 25 miles an hour right now that's 40 kilometers per hour when dat that speed can put a stop to rote work if hanging or abseiling is involved but for now with ladders firmly under their feet and ropes being used as safety restraints they can carry on but it's the gusts they have to watch out for you don't know when when a huge gust is gonna come by and didn't start to shove you you know and then you count for that when you start getting blown you start pushing your body into it and the wind stops and you kind of dive into the free you know the ladder of the air so we're all tied off we have all our safety points and everything but sometimes when you're not expecting and you get one of them big gust it's like whew it gives you a little shake and it's like it reminds you of where you're at they must have complete trust in their climbing gear each man has three safety lines attached a large spring clips nicknamed meat hooks two of which are hooked on at all times five meters from the top Ricci reaches the final stage of the climb a terrifying open ascent via footpegs up the needle and the wind hasn't dropped but getting to this incredibly exposed spot is only the start of it Ricki the first person up here in years now has a job to do at 165 metres it's one of the highest points on the Las Vegas Strip in a city known for severe storms it's crucial the towers lightning protector is firmly fixed at the top of the tower there's like a little UFO looking dish that's at the very top has a prong on it and it's supposed to disperse the electricity when it does strike the reason to inspect is just to make sure that over the last 14 years the bolts and nuts have been wiggle loose that it's not going to fall down and make a hazard for the public down below with the lightning device checked Ricky's next task involves increasing the risk of falling parts to change the aviation warning light he has to deliberately loosen and dismantle the red cover it's just like a little screw that holds it in pretty much a bolt holds it tight I've taken that off with the wind you know not drop human nut 540 15 Aires huge so you know you're really focused on what you're doing if you drop something from up there it could go in either direction you know hundreds of feet out way below Ricki the Las Vegas Strip is teeming with people a stray bolt plummeting towards their heads could be highly dangerous but cordoning off the whole street would be impossible so Ricky can't drop a thing and the job is about to take an unexpected turn the cover itself like there's a little cable on it that's supposed to stop it just in case it does fall and that popped off just from the the Sun bacon on it so I mean having a piece that supposed to be connected to the tower just come off in your hand is that way is a good 5 or 10 pounds you know just thinking about dropping that and what damage it could cause to the public down below is this huge you know that's a lot of stress that you're dealing with perched on top of 165 metres of steel with a wind howling it takes confidence and a level head that's why the most experienced climber goes on first and doesn't work you know you can't send someone it's new up there and expect them not to drop anything with the unit dismantled Ricky now has to check he's been given the correct Bowl 60 watch yes you want me to try this the bulb Ricky's taken out is only sixty ones but the one he's been given is a brighter 100 watt rating this isn't the best place for a discussion about whether it matters the wind could change for the worse at any minute so building engineer Tom makes a call they'll go with a higher power bulb may I see no issue in putting a hundred watt bulb in that picture and remove the 60 since he's already up there it'll be a little bit brighter handling the fragile bulb is the most tense moment of the whole job a sudden gust of wind could be disastrous an amazing Ricky with the job done the team can now take a moment to check out the amazing view a view the public never sees one of the highest positions on the Las Vegas Strip that's pretty freakin awesome gotta be the most amazing structure I've been on so far I mean it's something else up here on safety QT down below Sam records the team's first high prestige job in Vegas I can't say I got to the top of this I get to the top definitely I mean this is what we live for seeing Las Vegas from that viewpoint of something else's it was it was pretty awesome it's a massive personal moment but it could be just what the business needs to really hit the big time in the city when I looked over and I see you know those bright red lights I remember you know that at one point today I was I was up there that was us you know we got out there were the ones that that did that you know we we accomplished the job that we set out to do it's just a great feeling to know that now that with us Ricky's having trickin with the reputation boosting eiffeltower job in the bag Ricky and Sam have been joined by their boss can at the rented company house having trained as a chef Ken's cooking dinner to celebrate the success yeah I've been here for months and little by little and now all of a sudden not so little and pretty dang quick we're taking over this whole damn town so it's one moment in your life that will always stick with you we're Paul pulling in a larger crowd than some of the shows that were going on in Vegas and our performers you know we are getting you know pretty equal sized crowd is then so that's that's pretty impressive by just doing our job that's all we're doing it's just doing what we normally do you know Ken it's amazing like always oh the chicken you love the chicken like the sauce is something else Ken's prepared the food with the French touch inspired by watching his men on the Eiffel Tower this guy was standing next to me staring up he said that's pretty amazing and he's looking at me I wonder what they're doing I said doing an inspection on the Eiffel Tower how do you know and I said those are my guys and it felt proud because a lot of people were crowding around pointing up looking at them in the air I'm just seeing that is you know it's amazing kind of pulls at your heartstrings toast Las Vegas Paris you guys did a great job a new day around 500 kilometers southwest of Las Vegas is Phoenix Arizona and the teams HQ back from the Eiffel Tower triumph Mike Duran who lives here with his family is preparing for today's job I love it back to normal routine we're gonna go out and take care of a couple jobs and we gotta keep moving no gotta keep on rollin we gotta keep money coming in so it's got it back to a regular day company president and Ken's wife Renee is getting the other teams up and running for their tasks so we start at 4:30 in the morning and our day continues until whenever right now we have about eleven people the men feed off of the jobs like it just excites them it's a thrill and especially if it's something new that they've never done so proud of them all they're like my boys they are they're like my boys Mike's job today is one of the company's toughest window-cleaning challenges in Phoenix the summit where the access involves a terrifying vertical drop through trap doors in the overhanging roof it's exactly the kind of extreme building that's made this team a contender in Las Vegas with over a hundred windows to do in just four hours before sunset Mike's brought his fearless partner Martine to help well this is it right there's a trapdoor into like craziness this is where I get to work today the building itself has overhangs and at the end of each overhang there's hatches that you open up and basically soon as you open up the hatch the square hole in the ground that you know you see you're 260 feet down that's pretty far down there Martine na VIU's a keen snowboarder and mountain biker he's been a rope access technician for six months and has taken to it like a duck to water my lifeline I know how to tie that really good Michael told me what's next after this today is Martin's first encounter with a summit building if he proves himself he could soon be assigned two jobs in Las Vegas a martín de jure I did your line hit the ground it's about five feet from the deck up IP so lose that with the stretch we should be fine thank you their rope is designed for abseiling and is slightly springy it's different to rock climbing rope which stretches more to cushion a fall tied off two loops embedded in the wall Martines kit is ready - 11 millimeter lifelines above a 17 meter drop to solid concrete below Phoenix Arizona rope-access men Mike and Martine have to clean the windows on the inaccessible summit building before sundown at 6 p.m. here an ordinarily simple task is made into a nightmare by having to drop through terrifying trapdoors on the roof first-timer Martine enters the hole it takes huge body strength and immense courage fun to slip down into space got it that's the toughest part is access in these holes because it's not like just going over an edge where there's the facade of the the building itself so when you come off you have something to put your feet on here you're falling into free spaces basically they're just going into open air with Martines first difficult maneuver pulled off elegantly mike is right behind him what he made it look fairly easy I'm pretty proud of when I was pretty good ah that was a good try especially for his first time tackling jobs like this takes more than physical ability it requires the right frame of mind to we have to really be able to focus and even if we're like 300 feet up in the air 500 feet it doesn't really matter and you can't really train that into somebody you either have it or you don't have it with total confidence in there rigging and that tough nylon call ropes which can each support the weight of 20 men they settle into work Martine wants to hear about Mike's experiences on the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas now you're up there and then you're looking at this pole that's it there is no more safety there is no more you know guardrails there is no more anything like it was kind of chilly man has a bit a little wind going yeah so that made it that definitely made make the day right there this gave it that little extra element of excitement you know Mike and Martine have over a hundred windows to clean one entire face of the unforgiving building before the residents get home for the evening but they're getting slowed down because of the overhanging louvers the men are hanging too far away from the windows they need to clean Martine uses his strength to try and reach the glass but Mike's been here before and knows a trick of the trade position yourself in front of the louver I like whoo in front of whatever when are you gonna start on yeah if you grab on to the next one might be a little bit easier for you like right there yeah and then what you'll do is basically spin or spin around if you get on the other side of the line a lot of times you can spin your whole body around your arm Oh catch on the line itself and there you go there you go that way to position yourself with the arms and you're able to reach in and do your thing either back a professional manner with Mike's technique by six o'clock they just meet their target it's been tough but Martines taken it in his stride yeah I'm a little little spent but what they would again tomorrow that's for sure he could have a great future where the business needs him most on the extreme buildings of Las Vegas in the city the company has a growing client list and is now scoring repeat business my basketball working working today that back at the University of Nevada Sports Complex to work on the rebels basketball Stadium previously they scaled the floodlight towers surrounding the football field and hauled up 22 kilos of fireworks for a start of season display the new task here is to change the bulbs and the strobe lights at the very top of the Stadion arch these lights have been working in 12 or 13 years we used to have strobes up here that we would fire for all the repple events the only way to reach the outermost lights is by climbing out along the steel arch a task way beyond the stadium's maintenance team we need the lights to work the end of the day we need the lights to work as they start work Ricky's first concern is what the weather has in store being up on the highest point around is always dangerous you never know when clouds might roll in a storm might roll in or monsoon season the storms are on really fast and they come with a lot of power today it's not wind the team fears it's the searing heat of the Desert Sun here on the roof there's no shade anywhere you can't even spell the word shade up here it's yeah it gets murderously hot sometimes you know temperatures are expected to reach over 33 Celsius making a physically demanding task that much harder as with the eiffel tower job the most experienced crew member riki will take the lead it'll need strength and skill to scale the furthest struts of the steel frame and reach the lights he steps into midair using three ribbon like straps the inches is way along a fool at this height could be fatal it was I you know kind of sketchy just getting out there and starting the a Chivers not knowing with the slope of the arch and all that my straps are gonna slide or not Rick is just strapped in his way across this bad boy a little to stay safe it's vital ricky remains attached by two lines at all times as removing your on three different straps step1 step2 slipperiness to repeat it and repeat it and repeat it I haven't done in a while so just trying to get in that same rhythm was difficult to go crazy commando style you guys suppose you can straddle the top of these things you know just scoot your way along but I don't think that's gonna fly in any sort of a safety manual after a 15-minute climb ricky reaches the first light more difficult the more challenging those the more excited it is you know if it was if it was something easy grab a chair stand up on top of the chair and unscrew the light bulb will hold hum la-dee-da you find me somebody else on the property right now who wants to do what Rick's doing nobody nobody not everybody can do this these guys to me are amazing being able to access places nobody's been for years is this team's USP but after a decade or more in the baking Sun the light covers are proving hard to remove thing has welded on there the covers could be melted to the frame and at this height they can't afford to drop one of them they don't have any extra in stock so if we would have cracked one or dropping one that would have been in Rick did good I don't even think he used a four-letter word on that one as Ricky tackles the lights he relies on Sam to keep careful watch over his ropes it's not brain surgery or anything but it is it is a hell of a workout it's exciting like when you get to a spot and you're like no man has ever been to before I'm here with a couple pieces of rope Zion so that's pretty exciting each light bulb takes Ricky further from the safety of the roof there's no protection from the sun's glare and by the time Ricky reaches the last bulb the heat is sapping his strength he needs to get out of the Sun but he's won like bold short there it is give me some slack nice Rick victory let me know when you're ready I'll start leaking out the rest of this yellow line for you and you get the heck out of there yeah I'm ready Tommy said when you hit that deck right below you there's a there's an entrance back in so you'll have to go all the way to the ground I'm gonna meet you down there Rick all right to complete the job Ricky must now carefully descend through the structure to the safety of a roof nearly ten meters below the stadium has a brand new set of strobe lights but the hard work and the Sun has left Ricky exhausted I was gonna get some water yeah just take a break it was nice cause like I'm in the shade from the arching I like I'm right under it I got the shade seeing as I peek my head out and feel the heat [Music] as soon as night falls salmon stadium manager matt testa refurbished lights well Mouser now's the moment of truth ah cool you guys you guys helped us get something going ain't been running in 13 years that's it's it's awesome eh thanks man a great job big job I'm I'm digging it [Music] the rebels stadium is now looking as good as new for the road team the repeat business of the universities helped strengthen my reputation and takes them a step closer to Ken's dream of conquering Las Vegas [Music] and they've now been called back to do another job at the high-profile Paris Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip you know we've opened an office in Las Vegas we're making quite an impact in the Las Vegas market and I think there's more to come it's a long way from the solo window-cleaning round Ken started just eight years ago if you would have told me you're going to be in Las Vegas rappelling off the Eiffel Tower I would have told you were crazy and and I would have never thought that would happen but that here we are at this rate Ken will soon need more people to keep up with demand and here in Phoenix there's a prime candidate Martine one of the team's most promising rope technicians is working together again with Mike he's been on the team six months and has the level head and attention to detail needed to work on the extreme buildings of Las Vegas they can't get no better than that but now his wife has been offered a job 4000 kilometers away in Miami Florida leaving Martine with a tough decision he meets company presidents Rene with a bad news well I just need to let you know that uh Bella got a an opportunity in in Miami so I I think we have to go so I'm so sorry but I just need you to know that uh what we're gonna move so I have to put in my notice and we're we're gonna miss you you know I'm happy for you but I'm sad for Absalon cuz you are an excellent rope tack when we figured out that we could be right by the ocean I knew it would be just like a really good lifestyle healthy lifestyle I could really see how my my son would really enjoy that you'll leave the company in a few weeks time those guys I've learned a lot of stuff from I'll miss the the lessons and the the friendships that I've made the team have lost a huge asset in Martine without him Ricky Mike and Sam will be stretched to the limit was very urgent right now we're down a couple guys and we have a lot of work coming in and also a lot of work we need to keep up with and a work is piling up on us and we has to be done you know the client don't care if we have a new guys if I don't care if we're busy training people so it can be very tough it takes months to train new recruits time they don't have their second eiffel tower gig is just days away and they can't risk missing it [Music] can pepper sauce rope-access squad has lost an important teammate and is working a full stretch to cover the new work in Las Vegas it's early days for the company here and with a second job at the prestigious Paris hotel to fulfill its a make-or-break moment for their reputation they can't afford to let a climb down with Mike flat out in Phoenix Ricky and Sammy left in Las Vegas with just enough time to do the repeat Paris job those two windows were my worst areas this time there's a problem with some leaky windows on the replica Eiffel Tower I'll put the rest right here that where the windows are underneath the sign I've got some leaks coming in every time it rains and we get we get moisture coming in so it's there's two windows one right under the R and one under the E in the RN tower do you know if it's leaking with a heavy rain as with most of this structure the windows are very difficult to reach but Ricky and Sam are confident they can drop in and take a look from the end of a rope and they'll take a camera so they can report back what they see so you're gonna have a camera with you and be able to actually show me what what we've got so I know what let's do it deal with it where the water may be coming in or what connections we need to make yeah all right to reach the windows they have to abseil down onto the restaurant roof from the level above a drop of about 30 meters as chief supervisor ricky has taken the lead on most of the las vegas job so far but short and staff the company needs its new accrue members to move up so today Ricky will let Sam go solo on the rope and oversee from above so we're gonna set up our anchors and throw them over and see if we have enough rope on the ground and jump over we're saying this please I'm gonna be the guinea pig it's gonna be great you'll see Sam Shannon new to rope access work but an elite rock climber he's eager to show what he can do with so much exposed steel on the Eiffel Tower there are plenty of spots to anchor the ropes so Sam can make a speedy start anchor anchor at will basically y'all go nuts with the anchors set Sam now has to drop twin lines down to the restaurant windows he needs 45 meters of rope and total about 150 feet 25 so now I need 25 more ropes or arm lengths of rope so it's important he gets it right too much rope and it might hit the people below too short and Sam could drop off the end at the same time he's feeling the rope for damage before he trusts it with his life do the ball in up top as your man Sam may be an ace rock climber but the safety of the job is Ricky's responsibility and he has to check all Sam's rope work in a short time Sam's all set to go over the edge [Music] love my freakin job Paul I'm upside - hell yeah that's the real way to do right there Sam lives for moments like this so have you scared are you scared for me I'm scared for you good deal I'll relax then I'm cool up here I'm good wake up in the morning grab my ropes and get online my hands are pretty rough but they're still working just fine I sure you got a problem and you don't know what to do said no words man I got this yeah you know it's true cuz the higher that I get ya the happy [Music] eleven stories above the Las Vegas Strip he's setting foot where others rarely go my ropes cleaned up and I'll talk to you a sec Sam's upside-down technique may look unusual but it stops him hurting himself on the ledge easiest most graceful and what-not way to do it is to just plant your feet right on the very very edge of it and then just drop your upper body until you're all the way upside down and then you let your feet loose and now your your head will be about you know six inches to a foot underneath the very bottom edge of that face and that way you don't end up bumping yourself in the head efficiently positioned he now needs to check what might be causing the leaky windows this bit of flashing right here that I'm banging on looks like it was that one time fairly secure play in it I can almost rip it out the sheet metal screws are no longer attached to doing there rainwater is making its way under the roofing and into the restaurant above the windows assessment complete Sam and Ricky can now report back to the repair manager but before leaving Sam finds it's not just rain that's been falling here hey a diamond earring I'm keeping that next to my diamond earring was I getting tips Sam's done himself proud and it'll make someone else even happier when they check the lost property [Music] with two contracts in the bag on the prestigious Eiffel Tower it's a massive boost for Absalom's reputation dudes pat on the back for not only me but the company that we that I work for you know we've tried so hard to get to this point the Eiffel Tower was definitely a huge trophy put on our on our self the team in Vegas can now take time out to see the sights oh it's it's amazing I love how it feels like you're outside and have a guided tour of Paris Las Vegas [Music] next time the crew face one of their most terrifying challenges so far and gets covered by what seemed a simple job with the climb up it somehow but of course we can oh I can get up there but can I do it safely and the shortage of staff reaches crisis point we have a lot of work to do we have a lot of work to do and not enough manpower [Music] [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary

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Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), most dangerous jobs in the world, most dangerous jobs, window cleaner, skyscraper, skyscraper wind, skyscraper window cleaning, skyscraper window cleaner, skyscraper window washer, extreme height, working in extreme conditions, skyscraper documentary, toughest job in the world, tough jobs, Fearless Workers in Great Height, Fearless Workers, aviation light

Id: wvtxwJap1hk

Length: 43min 53sec (2633 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 08 2020