How safe is rope access?

If you think of Tom Cruise doing a Mission Impossible stunt when you think about rope access, it’s time for some myth-busting. Despite appearances, commercial rope access solutions are a cost-effective, quick, and safe way to get the job done.

Obviously, dangling from a skyscraper using nothing but a rope and harness looks highly dangerous from the ground. But industrial abseiling actually has an excellent safety record and is a well-established way of accessing hard to reach places. 

Is rope access potentially hazardous?

You might have heard that the Health & Safety Executive defines rope access work as “potentially hazardous.” Working at height indeed comes with potential risks, so our industry is highly regulated, under the 2005 Work at Height Regulations.

These regulations are in place to remove all human errors before work begins. In short, they state that any working at height must be:

  • Extensively planned, paying attention to working conditions and potential hazards.
  • Undertaken by competent and fully trained workers with the correct safety equipment.
  • Properly risk assessed and the right gear for the job selected.
  • Undertaken using equipment that’s regularly checked and well maintained.

At #think, we take things one step further. Our Konnected system allows us to work smarter and safer, giving us real-time control of all our projects 24/7.

Training and professionalism

Both employers and teams need to know the regulations inside out. And that means that all our rope access technicians need to be fully qualified before they can offer our services, including rope painting and erecting safety netting. To give you a taste of what our technicians have to undergo to work for us, their training requires:

  • Undertaking rope access and rescue procedures
  • Knowledge of equipment and rigging techniques
  • Knowledge of legislation, quality assurance and safety protocols

Then to progress to further qualifications, operatives need to log a minimum of one thousand hours of experience. Again, it’s a mark of their dedication and professionalism.

In addition, our technicians are used to working under constant supervision to get the job done within your budget, on time and to the highest standards. They know rope access is about much more than the fantastic views!

Management and planning

Before the introduction of safety standards and training schemes, rope access technicians would often have a background in climbing or caving. But don’t expect to see our teams swinging from the end of a rope, like Spiderman. Instead, their knowledge of rigging techniques and working at height mean they can get to the most inaccessible places quickly and easily with minimal impact on the environment or the fabric of the building.

Our technicians can be harnessed up and ready to tackle any job in a fraction of the time it takes to put up a scaffolding tower. And because each job is fully risk assessed, there’s no chance that our operatives will have the wrong equipment causing hold-ups to the job. 

Our bespoke mobile management system puts us one step ahead when it comes to planning and managing your project. From first contact to completion, we make short work of complex issues like recording time sheets and safety documentation, budgeting, invoices and tracking assets. We never fail to plan, so your job is executed to the highest standards.

#think for safe and efficient rope access

If you’re looking for a reliable and affordable alternative to scaffolding, rope access is safer and more cost-effective than you think. We provide a range of services backed up by our Konnected system, so you have complete control of the job. Get in touch today to find out more.