Roped access is now an accepted safe alternative to be considered against traditional methods in the construction industry and engineering world. Where appropriate the techniques can save time and money and as Tom Westgate of HRS Services explains, roped access skills are now being used for a multitude of construction skills, technical inspections on commercial and engineering structures, geotechnical works on rock slopes to high level and difficult access installation and maintenance works on site.
The use of roped access is a proven method of achieving a safe work position for inspection, engineering or maintenance work at height, or in areas of difficult access. It was initially developed from techniques used in climbing and caving sports with its first large scale use being in the late 1970’s for inspections on oil and gas platforms in the North Sea.
Since then it has gained credibility and is now accepted as a simple, safe and inexpensive solution to working at height. Sophisticated techniques have developed that mean that few surfaces cannot now be quickly accessed; the technique allows positioning under extensive horizontal surfaces or against irregular angular walls, in addition to the more familiar vertical abseiling.
It is now used extensively throughout the construction industry undertaking all manner of work including building safety checks; concrete, water penetration and brick slip surveys; high-rise repair and facade cleaning; and general maintenance and inspection work on many structures.
From a risk assessment point of view there is a hierarchy of safety to be considered but where appropriate roped access can eliminate the need for other access machinery or work equipment- platforms and cradles can often be dispensed with, saving expenditure and time. There is almost no security risk on site - all equipment can be removed overnight and there are no structures that might allow criminal use or vandalism.
In practice roped access involves the use of two ropes and an independent means of support – so that all elements of the system always have a backup. Each rope has a separate anchorage point and in the unlikely event of the working rope becoming damaged or unusable, the safety rope prevents a fall. Hand tools are tethered to the technicians at all times with heavier items being independently suspended. Limited exclusion zones are normally required below the work areas although these can be set up and moved as the work progresses.
As a result there is far less impact in the area being worked on, the ropes and slings used are highly portable so the area cordoned off can be very small and moved as work progresses. Rapid set-up and dismantling mean minimal disruption to the public, other work nearby, property owners and occupants.
This type of work obviously requires rigid training, quality and working procedures. IRATA, the industry trade association, was set up to ensure that companies work to consistently high standards. Reassuringly membership also involves a schedule of third party assessment.
IRATA has developed a respected scheme to ensure that high standards are set and maintained by all its members who must demonstrate that they have delivered an exemplary safety record based on a commitment to thorough training and diligent operational procedures including ensuring that all equipment is regularly inspected and well maintained in line with LOLER.
In the last 10 years the incident rate for its members is consistently well below that of other industries during the same period.
All roped access technicians carry a graduated certificate of competence from IRATA and are re-trained every three years including rescue procedures even although we all hope that this should never be necessary.
These days the roped access market has matured and competent companies have a variety of trade and engineering skills allied to the IRATA working and quality procedures. Roped access companies also use their experience to design safe systems of work for clients own personnel for those occasions when they are exposed to fall hazards. Off the shelf and bespoke architectural hardware can be installed and tested to allow fall arrest and work positioning environments to be formally set up as appropriate to the structure.
Emergency tasks or where there is limited possession also benefit from short set-up times. For example, across the UK rail network HRS Services has examined and removed vegetation from bridges, tunnels, air shafts, stations and retaining walls on or near the line. Modern access equipment allows teams to extend safe limits of work during the day or alternatively make the most of limited l possession and isolation windows.
Other recent contracts undertaken by HRS Services demonstrate the range of skills available including: the remedial works to the walls of Cardiff Castle, a condition survey on the concrete deck, piers and cable stays of the Flintshire Bridge on the Dee estuary and an inspection contract on three footbridges over the River Orwell in Salford.
Article Provided by
Bob Paterson
McLaren Marketing
