Rope access companies operate safely because they follow strict rules and procedures. These seven reasons lay out how rope access companies perform seemingly dangerous tasks with little risk.

At first sight, it may seem that experts for rope access companies put themselves in the course of danger each day. But these carefully trained and very skilled employees have an amazingly powerful record of safety because they follow industry-standard safety and job performance techniques.

Rope access is actually a variety of work positioning that uses techniques developed for caving and climbing to perform inspections, surveying, construction, maintenance, mend and other services in difficult-to-reach locations. This process saves companies thousands in downtime because employees can reach complicated locations swiftly and efficiently, without scaffolding or platforms. It also makes reaching otherwise not possible locations practicable.

But some worry about turning to rope access companies because the process appears dangerous. In fact , however , technicians could not be more safe and sound.

Here are seven reasons work access companies can perform seemingly threatening tasks with very little risk:

1. All technicians work in pairs.
There are always at least two rope access technicians working on a project, and each is really capable of rescuing the other in the event of an accident. In most cases, there are rather more than two people present during work, but rope access companies never allow workers work alone. That is just begging for trouble.

2. Each technician is well-trained and individually assessed.
Companies don’t leave anything to chance, so every rope access employee is carefully trained, then evaluated by another party to make certain she can accomplish the job. Every effort is made to make sure that every employee is as good as the next.

3. Gear is inspected and fixed continually.
Gear is strong and has built-in failsafe mechanisms, but staff are trained to check and reinspect gear often both at the shop and on the jobsite to be certain everything is in perfect working order. Damaged equipment is never used.

4. There are always 2 points of rope attachment.
Each rope has at least 2 points of attachment with independent anchor points, making it almost impossible for a rope to come loose and lead to a employee to fall. If the rope is secure, so are the technicians.

5. There’s always a failsafe descent mechanism.
If a technician descends a rope quicker than anticipated, that can end up in fatal injury. That is the reason why decent is controlled, and there’s always a failsafe descent mechanism that makes sure the drop into a confined space or down the side of a structure happens at the safest possible speed.

6. Tools are secured with secondary ropes.
When tools and apparatus like drills, tubes of sealant or testers are used at a rope access job site, each item is secured with a rope, lanyard or other device to keep it from falling. That restrictions the danger to those who must be below the suspended employees, preventing head injuries and other catastrophic effects of dropped tools.

7. Industry affiliations meticulously define working systems and practices.
The International Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA), made up of a companies in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Australia and other locations around the world, outlines work procedures and standard practices to which member companies are anticipated to comply. Smart users of rope access corporations confirm they only use the services of trade organisation members.

As the rules are strict, the procedures are certain and the experts are very skilled, rope access companies can provide their services with minimum risk. That suggests there’s no reason for anybody to worry.

Driaan Louw, writes about fall arrest training and alternative ways to keep rope access technicians healthy because he knows how threatening their roles can be. He also knows that they do not have to take unacceptable risks when they’re correctly trained in equipment usage and safety routines.