First, What is Rope Access? the primary purpose of rope access is to enable workers to access difficult-to-reach locations without the use of cradles, scaffolding or aerial platforms (such as man lifts, scissor lifts, etc.).
A rope access technician will use ropes to descend, ascend, or traverse ropes while held in place by a harness, and sometimes a rope access work seat as well.
These days, there are wide array of rope access works and jobs that involve rope access.
For example in the civil sector, for instance, the most common uses are for window cleaning (External Facade & Glass Cleaning), Maintenance, and support.
In the industrial sectors, the most common uses are (NDT) non-destructive testing (also simply known as inspections).
The main advantage of using ropes access lies in the speed and safety with which they allow workers to reach hard-to-access areas/locations in order perform their work, often with minimal impact on other operations and surrounding areas.
PROS and CONS of ROPE ACCESS
- Accessibility. A rope access solution can always be found to reach an 'inaccessible' place, whether it is in height or depth.
- Safety. Working at height is generally a safe activity when conducted according to IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association) guidelines.
- Speed. A rope access system can be quickly constructed and dismantled. Because of this it can be quickly set up and taken down when needed. There is very little inconvenience.
- Space. Compared to other methods for reaching challenging areas at height, rope access takes up very little space, which means that it doesn't pose a significant disruption to a work site.
- Flexibility. The work comes across many projects which have a very long height. No building cannot be clime without using rope access. Rope access does not really need any ground support and it’s super flexible to adjust.
- Environmental considerations. Rope methods are considered environmentally friendly because they don't require the transportation of large machinery, and because they allow people to reach worksite locations without clearing or adapting land.
- Less complicated equipment. Although both rope access and powered platforms have weaknesses, arguably less can go wrong with rope access systems. Rope access systems are fundamentally simpler than powered equipment, and though human error and/ or equipment malfunction are both possible, management of the rope access system is relatively easy due to its simplicity. Mobilization and rigging of powered equipment is more complicated, presenting greater potential for human error and/or equipment failure. With powered equipment, failures can also occur in the mechanical or electrical systems that are not necessarily directly within the operator’s control.
- Less intensive labor requirements. In our conversations with window washers, many state that they prefer to wash windows from rope descent systems (e.g., boatswain’s chairs), and that powered equipment is more expensive and time-consuming to set up and operate and therefore less preferred. Again, any increased costs are ultimately passed on to the building owner.
- Perception. Although rope access is generally safe, many companies still feel wary about it because they have a perception that it is dangerous.
- Access. Ropes do not allow access to every single area where a person might need to go for the purposes of work.
- Directional limitations. Rope access systems are not powered, which means that they only allow a technician to go down, and not back up.
- Maintenance work limitations. Working on ropes limits the abilities for a person to do certain types of maintenance work, making some kinds of more intensive work impossible.
- Little room for tools. Tools used with rope access are typically those that can fit in a bucket, while powered platforms typically have sufficient space for many and/or larger tools, including power tools. Further, any tools used with rope access systems typically must be tethered to the worker or the system, and any tools over 20 pounds must be suspended from a system independent of the industrial rope access system.
- Less flexibility regarding who can use the system. In our experience, rope access systems are difficult to impossible for less experienced personnel to use. Only specially trained staff members are permitted to perform the investigation.
There may be pressure or doubts on hiring/getting Rope Access companies to do the intensive works externally such as cleaning, maintenance, etc. Rope Access is one of the best methods to be used nowadays due to it's efficiency and speed to finish the task at hand.
- https://www.flyability.com/rope-access
- https://www.wje.com/assets/pdfs/articles/WJE_Advisory_RopeAccesss_20180318.pdf
- https://josephblog.winkl.co/content/pros-and-cons-of-using-rope-access
