Rope access for inspection and maintenance

This paper outlines the growing acceptance of roped access techniques in various parts of the construction industry, not only for inspection purposes but also for carrying out small-scale repairs and maintenance work, It gives a broad outline of the range of activities that can be carried out using these techniques, The current position regarding the health and safety aspects of this type of work is discussed including how the Health and Safety Executive has had an integral role in the development of the industry, The role of the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association in the growing acceptance of the techniques is described although it is recognized that the acceptance is not industrywide onshore, The majority of companies do, however, have their engineers and technicians trained and certified to the same qualification standards set by the trade association, The basic techniques are described plus a discussion of the appropriate parameters of difficulty and cost of access, Several common examples are from both the author's experiences and those of trade association members, Although even ardent advocates and practitioners of roped access techniques recognize that the method is suitable for only a limited number of inspection and maintenance activities, the growing use of the. techniques has resulted in the designing of new buildings being designed with rope access as part of the planned building maintenance.