Worker crashes through window at Kirkhof

A worker who was caulking a skylight on the Kirkhof Center crashed through a window Monday afternoon, but he escaped serious injury thanks to his safety equipment.

The worker, John Badour from Gemmen’s Caulking of Jenison, was replacing window caulk to repair water leaks on the atrium skylight on the east side of the building. He was advancing along the metal struts that separate the windows when one of the windows gave way beneath him. Badour was wearing a safety harness, which held him suspended some 18 feet above the conference room floor for a half-hour.

“If he didn’t have that on, he could have sustained some internal injuries,” said Officer Minh Lien, who was the first Grand Valley Public Safety officer to respond to the scene.

Grand Valley Public Safety and physical plant employees responded immediately, followed by Allendale Fire and Rescue. Responders used a high-boy lift to extract Badour. He was transported to Spectrum Health’s Butterworth Hospital where he received stitches to close a cut in his leg.