Rope access is quantifiably proven to be a safe form of access for building repair and maintenance. It will stand up to comparison with any other means of access and prove as safe or safer.
Safety is such a key feature of our work at Extreme Access, working at height naturally dictates a high degree of safety awareness. Our teams are able to swiftly evaluate any project to recommend the safest access and working points for both our team members and the general public.
For rope access technicians, working effectively as part of a team is vital. Communication is ultimately what keeps people safe at height and alongside the ability to follow instructions, open-mindedness and on-the-spot problem-solving are crucial qualities to have.
At Extreme Access we take every precaution, prepare the site appropriately and train our team members to the highest level. A major aspect of the evaluation and preparation of a site is to keep a keen eye on the weather conditions, both during erection and use. This is where rope access has an advantage over scaffolding and cherry pickers, we are much more flexible both pre and post the actual maintenance/repair work. In essence we can extract our equipment within minutes as opposed to leaving it in the open for adverse weather to effect it. Our equipment is removed daily for this exact reason.
Rope access has proven to be an exceptionally safe access method with intense training a prerequisite part of the role. Scaffolding falls into the Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWP) category, rope access technicians must be trained to IRATA (The Industrial Rope Access Trade Association) standards to ensure all industry regulations are in place. Rope access operatives, through the intensity of their training programme, have a greater awareness of all working at height issues thus adding to overall working at height safety on a building.
Rope access is known for its general great safety record as a work at height solution. The industry boasts low numbers of global casualties and fatalities per year, and it is continually improving on the basis of new safety concerns. This is due to strict rules and regulations outlined in both legislation and the standardised procedures set and updated by IRATA.
One of the biggest advantages of using rope access methods mainly lies in the safety and speed with which workers can get to or from difficult locations in order to carry out their work, often with minimal impact on other operations, surrounding areas and the environment. Another huge benefit is the reduction of the combination of the total man-hours and noticeable level of risk for a particular task, when compared with other means of access and their associated risks and costs.