The Benefits of Rope Access in Building Construction and Maintenance

It seems that people are unaware of what they stand to gain by utilizing this concept during building maintenance or construction.

Rope access refers to various advanced access techniques that use specialized equipment and especially ropes to support the labour force working at high/ hard-to-reach places. With this technique, you don’t require any cradles, aerial work platforms, or scaffolding. Also, you can traverse, descend, or ascend ropes for access while working since the harness suspends you.

You can even use a work seat with rope access.

How safe is Rope Access?

This access technique utilizes a redundancy support system that eliminates the likelihood of failure. It achieves the redundancy by employing two ropes- a safety line and a working line. Additionally, trade associations like the IRATA have mandatory requirements that ensure members (rope access companies) submit all incident, near miss occurrences or accident reports.

It allows for the comparison and evaluation of information sourced from the entire rope access industry to assist in developing better safety measures.

So, how does rope access add value to your building?

Here are a few pointers:

Cost Effective- Rope access services are quite economical. Because few workers can complete more tasks quicker than when using traditional climbing methods. As a result, your business experiences minimal downtime and increased production. Which means more profits.

Versatility- The rope systems are applicable in an extensive selection of environments. You can use it to scale confined space scopes or to install complicated structural steel. This makes it easier to position your vinyl graphics installation, banner installation, sign installation, etc.

Environmentally friendly- When you compare this technique with conventional methods, rope access leaves way less footprint. It doesn’t require electricity, oil, or petrol to access even the tightest or highest areas.

Swift and Efficient- It takes little time to build and dismantle rope access systems. You’ll, therefore, experience less interference with your other facility operations. On top of that, rope access guarantees fewer disruptions and a safe environment for your employees throughout the project.

Unobtrusive- Ongoing works with rope access are unlikely to be a source of distraction. Everything goes down seamlessly. Thus, your business can maintain a sharp focus on day-to-day tasks.

Reduced working hours- Since rope access makes working tricky areas a whole lot painless, your project might not require as many staff hours as to when using conventional methods.

Safety Assurance- On top of the protection measures mentioned earlier, all rope access systems get operated on by only IRATA certified technicians. These experts cannot comprise on safety. Their training enables them to maintain a high focus on identifying as well as implementing safe systems of work, dropped objects control, rope rescue plans, etc.

Superior access- Rope access systems can reach areas that would otherwise be impossible to get to with conventional methods. If your building requires maintenance in internal regions like domed roofs, chimneys & smoke-stacks, or ducting, this technique makes the job untroublesome.

Flexibility- You can achieve greater rescheduling and flexibility with rope access. For example, when a change in weather condition happens during an ongoing project, it takes little time to dismantle the system and change work priorities. Remember, the hire/ transportation of conventional access equipment can be such a financial and logistical nightmare if things change at short notice.

No Need for Heavy Equipment- The heavier your access equipment, the higher the costs of transporting and using it. Rope access systems are relatively lightweight, which decreases the time, workforce, and resources needed to operate them. Their obtrusive nature also enables them to curb significant hazards associated with traditional access equipment.

Application Areas for Rope Access

Now that you know how gainful rope access is, it’s imperative that you understand the various ways you can use it. There’s a myriad of projects where rope access is a great solution. They include:

Building maintenance and installations

Rope access works excellently in many kinds of installations such as window decal installations, sign servicing, and installation, exterior painting, vinyl wrap installer services, plus many more.

Boiler Inspections

Rope access techniques can make boiler inspections cost-effective and quick. Why? You don’t need to construct scaffolding. Technicians can get to different levels of your boiler and provide accurate NDT and visual inspections.

Bridge Pier Inspection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOBf6y57inU

Thanks to rope access, technicians can now perform an inspection of bridges, wharves or piers painlessly. Which means that you can quickly confirm if your pier decks and above-water bridges have the required structural integrity. So it takes little time and resources.

Pipe Work

Most rope access technicians can rapidly and effectively carry out inspection, repairs, or maintenance on all types of pipework. Whether you require welding to repair vulnerabilities/ cracks, or a carbon steel pipe inspection PMI, this technique will help. Trust, technicians will complete the job fast.

High Rise Electrical/ Signage

Rope access is arguably the best way for a signage installer to complete tasks in high areas of your building. Why? It’s quicker, more affordable, and safer than conventional systems like scaffolding, heavy machinery, and even cranes. Additionally, rope access is excellent for the installation, repair, or replacement of electrical components in multi-story buildings.

Other places where rope access is applicable include dams/ hydrological sites, ground anchoring, gunite application, incinerators, lighting protection, manufacturing plants, beverage/ juice plants, pipe hanger inspections, rigging services, in offshore projects, etc.

The Take-Away

Undoubtedly, rope access offers many advantages to users. Out of all the benefits, low maintenance budget requirements, and cost savings are by far the most superior. Usually, the price for building maintenance is quite high, especially when using conventional methods in a tall structure. Luckily, rope access changes all that and places the pricing on a sliding scale. The higher the building, the more savings you’ll make. Furthermore, this technique can make real saving even at smaller heights because of less downtime and faster project completion. With all these applications of rope access, it is high time to take advantage of rope access