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"Industrial Rope Access" describes a variety of advanced access techniques where ropes and specialized equipment are used as the primary method for providing access and support to workers in their jobs at high or hard-to-reach places.

There are many benefits for rope access. Unlike traditional access methods, custom rope access solutions can be designed to fit various applications. Among other benefits, rope access is:

• Versatile: rope access operators can apply the techniques to a wide variety of environments, from confined-spaces to tower structures to complicated steel installations.
• Cost-effective: rope access is very economical. Because fewer personnel can accomplish faster completion it means minimal downtime which effectively means lower costs.
• Efficient and quick: rope access systems are installed and dismantled quickly and require fewer personnel than traditional access methods. Less interference with other facility operations means less disruptions and minimized downtime.
• Environmentally friendly: rope access techniques and equipment has minimal effect on the surrounding environment compared to traditional access methods.

Industrial rope access (as with all works at height) is defined as being potentially hazardous, but the hazards can be identified and the risks managed in order to produce a safe system of work. Industrial rope access boasts the best safety statistics in the entire access industry. All Abseil Access Technicians are thoroughly trained in Industrial Rope Access techniques and methods certified by IRATA.

Various standards exist around the world to govern Rope Access industry. With the development of IRATA (the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association) in the early 1990’s, guidelines for safe, practical operational and safety guidelines have evolved to make IRATA the only internationally recognized standard of Industrial Rope Access. IRATA has an exemplary safe working history with no major incidents having been recorded since its creation, despite the many millions of combined rope hours of its recognised 30000+ members.

A confined space in relation to a place of work, is defined as:

“An enclosed or partially enclosed space that:

• May (or may not) have restricted means of entry and exit, and/or
• May have an atmosphere with potentially harmful contaminants, an unsafe level of oxygen* or stored substances that may cause engulfment, and/or
• Is not intended or designed primarily as a place of work. ”

* "safe oxygen level" refers to a minimum oxygen content in air of 19.5% by volume under normal atmospheric pressure and a maximum oxygen content in air of 23.5% by volume under normal atmospheric pressure.

For more information of the legal requirements in relation to confined spaces, visit the workcover website.

Industrial Rope Access applications were first developed to perform Inspections and Maintenance on off-shore oil and gas platforms in the North Sea. As this method became more readily recognised as a safe and highly adaptable form of access it has been enthusiastically taken on by on-shore refineries and mine sites, managers of commercial buildings and more recently, construction companies looking to save time and money on various projects and instillations.