Rope access
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Rope access, also known as industrial climbing and commercial climbing, is a form of work positioning. Rope access originates from techniques commonly found in climbing, big wall climbing in particular, and in caving. Specifically, rope access relates to sieging, which is widely used in big wall climbing, due to the fixed rope nature of rope access. These methods apply practical ropework methods that allow a worker access to difficult to reach areas, with the use of scaffolding, cradles or an aerial work platform. All applications of rope access are to make working in vertical settings easier and more efficient.
Rope access training is regulated by the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA and the society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT). Both institutions base their training on the needs of the worker, employer, and clientele they work for. Allowing for the adoption of rope access into several industries. Organizations such as the Rigging International Group, Quality Companies, RAM access, and others offer in-house Rope Access courses. These courses are run by IRATA and SPRAT certified instructors and allow technicians to chose whether they want a certification in IRATA, SPRAT, or both.
Rope access technicians descend, ascend, and traverse rope systems to access and work in a suspended state. This is accomplished through the use of a harness, and in some situations a work seat is also used. The rope and harness are used to support the worker by eliminating the risk of a fall, backup fall arrest systems (Personal protective equipment) are used in case of a failure in the primary support system. The main rope and harness use a "working line" and the secondary fall arrest system use a "safety line".
Some industries where rope access is commonly used are the Oil and Gas, Wind, Aerospace, Power Generation, and Chemical. Rope access in the Oil and Gas industry speeds up the process of reaching elevated areas, by removing the need to build structures to work from. In this industry Rope access is commonly used to do Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), Corrosion assessment and surface preparation, Weld inspections and structural repairs at height, and installation and maintenance of offshore safety systems. The chemical industry uses rope access in similar applications, due to the vertical nature of refineries and plants. Rope access in used in these applications specifically to reduce the amount of time required for set-up.
See also
External links
- - Industrial Rope Access Trade Association