31 Mar CBC Radio 740
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CBC Radio Host: Ivan Kristoff has a tough way of making a living. He hangs off high rise buildings, inspecting walls, doing renovations and sometimes even undertaking rescue operations.
Jean Carter: A construction elevator takes Ivan Kristoff to the top of a 37 stories condominium building. One of the tallest buildings in Scarborough. His job is not one for the weak need. How high up are we?
Ivan Kristoff: We are 90 meters, over 300 feet off the ground, I would say 350 feet off the ground.
Jean Carter: Kristoff says buildings like these are so high window cleaners or rescue officials could be blown around like a kite. “- It’s like an earthquake, even worst than that, especially if you are on a swing stage and there is no way you can stop, because the force is to great.” His assignment is to install safety devices for the swingstages, the platforms used by window cleaners. He ties his ropes to the top of the building. This are his lifelines as he works his way down on the side of the building. Every third floor he drills a hole, inserts epoxy glue, than pushes in an eye bolt. The bolts are safety anchors to hold the swingstages in place. Kristoff has been dangling from buildings for dozen years… “- I started as a climber and that’s how I got into the Mountain Rescue. Than I had to go to the army in Bulgaria, because it’s mandatory. ” He says the hardest part of taking his trade in Canada three years ago was learning English, his sixth language.