The Access Blog

If you have ever had a contractor tell you their crew is "rope access trained", you have been given a sentence that means almost nothing. Trained by whom? Assessed against what? Audited by anyone? IRATA is the answer to all three questions, and it is the reason the words on a certificate matter more than the words in a capability statement. What IRATA actually is IRATA International is the global trade association for industrial rope access. It does two things that matter to

When you're planning a job that involves working at height, one of the first questions is always, how do we access it safely and efficiently? The two most common answers are rope access and scaffolding, and while both get the job done, they're not interchangeable. Choosing the wrong method can cost you time, money, and unnecessary complexity. Here's a straightforward breakdown to help you make the right call. What Is Rope Access? Rope access uses a system of ropes, harnesses,

How often to inspect slings, shackles and hoists, who can do it, and what to record. Download our free Lifting Equipment Inspection Guide and ask for a register template.

A short one. These are the items worth confirming in writing before a crew mobilises - the ones that, left open, turn into lost hours inside the window. Scope Every access item located and listed, with the access method decided Conditional items flagged, with the repair path agreed in advance Confined space, hot work and overhead exposure identified Contractor IRATA membership confirmed, and the level mix named for each crew Trade qualifications confirmed for the work itself,

Shutdown overruns rarely trace back to one crew working slowly. They trace back to the gaps between crews. What fragmentation actually costs Split a shutdown across an access contractor, a welding contractor, an inspection contractor and a coatings contractor, and you have bought four sets of inductions, four SWMS to review, four supervisors to coordinate, and three joins where nobody owns the handover. Then the sequence slips. The scaffold is not up when the welder arrives.

Most access scopes are let in two pieces. One contractor gets the crew to the work face. Another does the work once they are there. It looks efficient on a procurement spreadsheet and it creates risk everywhere the two meet. Every handover is a gap When the access provider and the trade contractor are different companies, someone has to own the join. In practice nobody does. The access crew rigs to what they were told the scope was. The trade crew arrives and finds the work f

Working at height is one of the most heavily regulated activities on an industrial site, and one of the most commonly misunderstood. The misunderstanding usually sounds like this: "the contractor is responsible for their own safety." They are responsible for theirs. You are still responsible for yours. The duty does not transfer Under the work health and safety framework, a business that engages a contractor does not hand over its duty of care. Where duties overlap, they are

Most rope access quotes look alike. A crew size, a day rate, a mention of IRATA. The differences that matter are the ones not printed on the quote, and they are easy to check if you know what to ask. 1. Company membership, not just certified individuals Ask whether the company holds IRATA membership or simply employs certified technicians. Membership means the company is audited - its procedures, equipment records and supervision. Employing certified people is a much lower ba