IRATA International code of practice for industrial rope access Part 1: Foreword, Introduction, Scope, Structure, Terms and definitions, Principles and controls September 2013 The first edition of Part 1 was published in January 2010. This edition was published in March 2013. Amendments issued since publication in March 2013 Amd. No Date Text affected 1 2013-Sep-01 Front cover: September 2013 replaces 2013 edition. This page: change of IRATA address and telephone number. Date in footer updated. All the changes are classed as editorial. Published by: IRATA International First Floor, Unit 3 Eurogate Business Park Ashford Kent TN24 8XW England Tel: +44 (0)1233 754600 www.irata.org Copyright © IRATA International 2013 ISBN: 978-0-9544993-3-4 IRATA International code of practice for industrial rope access Part 1 of 5: Foreword, Introduction, Scope, Structure, Terms and definitions, Principles and controls Commendations IRATA International code of practice for industrial rope access Although there is a steady decline in the number of injuries caused by falls; falls from height remain the most common kind of workplace fatality. They are the biggest single cause of serious and fatal injuries arising from construction and maintenance activities. Safety when working at height is essential, and making sure that people use access equipment properly is a key part of this. HSE recognises that, within the variety of work at height methods available, rope access is an accepted technique to use in appropriate circumstances. I am pleased to continue HSE’s support of IRATA’s guidance in this area. This voluntary code of practice sets out good practice for individuals and organisations using rope access equipment and will help to ensure that health and safety risks in this area are minimised or avoided. Philip White Chief Inspector of Construction, HSE The Offshore Safety Division of HSE concurs with the continued general support by HSE of IRATA’s voluntary code of practice. Use of this code of practice is also commended for offshore working when rope access methods are required. Rog Thomson HM Principal Inspector of Health and Safety, Offshore Safety Division NOTE The word ‘voluntary’ used in the commendations is intended to signify that compliance with the IRATA International code of practice is not a legal requirement under UK law. However, it is mandatory for members of IRATA International to comply with the principles of the code of practice and this is a condition of their membership. © IRATA International Part 1: page 1 of 19 2013-Sep-01 IRATA International code of practice for industrial rope access Part 1 of 5: Foreword, Introduction, Scope, Structure, Terms and definitions, Principles and controls Part 1: Foreword, Introduction, Scope, Structure, Terms and definitions, Principles and controls Foreword IRATA International is recognized as the world’s leading authority on industrial rope access. Established in the UK in 1988 as the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association, an increase in membership worldwide led to the name IRATA International to reflect this. The association’s aim is the promotion and development of the safe system that it has pioneered since its inception and to support its member companies and trained technicians to enable them to work in a safe and effective manner. There are several types of IRATA International membership. Full member companies are either trainer members or operator members (or both). These types of members have full voting rights. There are probationary levels of these memberships, which also have full voting rights. There are two more types of membership, neither with voting rights: associate, open to organizations such as manufacturers, architects and authoritative bodies, and individual, open, for example, to consultants and rope access technicians. Trainer and operator members of the association have to meet specific entrance qualifications and audits to ensure that they meet IRATA International’s requirements for quality assurance, safety, training and work practices. The benefits of the IRATA International system are demonstrated in the very low level of accidents reported by members, which are published annually, after independent collation and study, as the IRATA International Work and Safety Analysis. In the 23 years of monitoring, up to the end of 2011, there have been over 38 million hours worked on ropes by IRATA International members. The average rate for all types of accident on ropes over the 23 years is 2.24 per 100 000 hours worked and less than 1.0 per 100 000 hours over the last 7 years. This shows that the IRATA International system of effective training, diligent supervision and a proven method protects lives and guards against injury. It also demonstrates that IRATA International operates more safely than the work-at-height industry as a whole. In addition, the several references in this code of practice to the unlikely event of failure and the steps then taken to minimize the risk, even though statistically unlikely, highlights the cautious, preventative approach taken by IRATA International to safety. The latest statistics can be accessed at www.irata.org. This code of practice (all parts), which reflects current best working practice, replaces the IRATA Guidelines on the use of rope access methods for industrial purposes. A free download of the latest version, including any newly developed annexes, is available from www.irata.org. The code of practice has been compiled using the experience of established rope access companies and is the result of many years of experience working with various national, international, regional and trade-based health and safety organizations, to which IRATA International is indebted for their advice and assistance. Members of IRATA International are required, as a condition of membership, to comply with the principles of the code of practice. It should be noted that the code of practice is not intended as a full interpretation of the law and does not relieve employers of their duties under the various legal requirements that may relate to their specific location, situation and applications. It should also be noted that the code of practice applies to industrial rope access work only, where the prime activity is the work itself. It is not intended to cover, for example, leisure activities or emergency evacuation systems and their procedures, although trainees in such other activities would probably benefit from a level of protection similar to that advised within these pages. Although care has been taken to ensure, to the best of IRATA International’s knowledge, that the content of this code of practice is accurate to the extent that it relates to either matters of fact or © IRATA International Part 1: page 2 of 19 2013-Sep-01 IRATA International code of practice for industrial rope access Part 1 of 5: Foreword, Introduction, Scope, Structure, Terms and definitions, Principles and controls accepted practice or matters of opinion at the time of publication, IRATA International assumes no responsibility for any errors or misinterpretations of such content or any loss or damage arising from or related to its use. Acknowledgements IRATA International wishes to express its gratitude to the following in respect of the preparation of this revision of the code of practice: Writer/compiler: Paul Seddon OBE Review panel members: Justin Atkinson, Graham Burnett, Jonathan Capper, Russ Manton, Steve Murphy, Paul Ramsden, David Thomas, Mark Wright Drawings: Angela Wright Comments received by other members of the association were also much appreciated. © IRATA International Part 1: page 3 of 19 2013-Sep-01 IRATA International code of practice for industrial rope access Part 1 of 5: Foreword, Introduction, Scope, Structure, Terms and definitions, Principles and controls Introduction IRATA International’s rope access system is a safe method of working at height, where ropes and associated equipment are used to gain access to and egress from the workplace, and to be supported at it. The advantage of using rope access methods lies mainly in the safety and speed with which workers can get to or from difficult locations and then carry out their work, often with minimal impact on other operations. Another major benefit is that the combination of the total man-hours and the level of risk for a particular task (man-at-risk hours) is often reduced when compared with other means of access and their associated risks and cost. The primary objective when using rope access methods is to plan, manage and carry out the work with a goal of no accidents, incidents or dangerous occurrences, i.e. to ensure a safe system of work is maintained at all times, and with no damage to property or harm to the environment. IRATA International has in place a continuously evolving regime with procedures that members are required to follow, which are monitored for compliance to ensure that a safe system of work is established and maintained. This sets IRATA International member companies apart from rope access companies that are not subject to such a rigorous scheme. Like any other method of working at height, the application of rope access should be regarded as a complete system, in which planning, management, competence and suitable equipment should be treated with equal importance, as each is dependent on the others to ensure a safe system of work. This code of practice gives recommendations and guidance on the use of rope access methods to provide such a safe system of work. Part 1 sets out fundamental principles and controls. Part 2 expands on Part 1, providing more detailed guidance. Part 3 consists of informative annexes, which give advice on the rope access aspect of associated work practices and information on other relevant topics. Several of these annexes are still under development. Part 4 gives links to relevant national legislation and Part 5 provides a bibliography. The parts should be read in conjunction with each other, particularly Part 1 with Part 2 and Part 2 with relevant informative annexes in Part 3. © IRATA International Part 1: page 4 of 19 2013-Sep-01 IRATA International code of practice for industrial rope access Part 1 of 5: Foreword, Introduction, Scope, Structure, Terms and definitions, Principles and controls 1.1 Scope This code of practice gives recommendations and guidance on the use of IRATA International rope access methods, including training, to provide a safe system of work. It is intended for use by IRATA International members, IRATA International rope access technicians, national or regional enforcement agencies, safety officers and those who commission rope access work, e.g. building contractors; multi-national oil and gas companies; the renewable energy sector. This code of practice is applicable to the use of IRATA International rope access methods for industrial purposes, i.e. for access to buildings, other structures (on or offshore) or natural features, such as cliff faces, where ropes are used as the primary means of access, egress or support and as the primary means of protection against a fall. This code of practice is not intended to apply to the use of rope-based access methods for leisure activities, arboriculture, general steeplejack methods or emergency personal evacuation systems, or to the use of rope-based access (line rescue) techniques by fire brigades and other emergency services for rescue work or for rescue training. NOTE Throughout this code of practice, the term rope access is intended to mean rope access for industrial purposes, unless otherwise stated. © IRATA International Part 1: page 5 of 19 2013-Sep-01 IRATA International code of practice for industrial rope access Part 1 of 5: Foreword, Introduction, Scope, Structure, Terms and definitions, Principles and controls 1.2 Structure 1.2.1 This code of practice consists of several parts. Generally, clauses and figures in each part are numbered to match the number of the part, e.g. in Part 2: 2.2, Planning and management, Figure 2.3 — Example of a scaffold knot. The exception is Part 3, which is a series of informative annexes. Here, the clauses and figures are given a letter to match the title of the particular annex, e.g. in Annex A: A.1, A.2. 1.2.2 The following list details the part titles and clause titles in each part up to the fourth level of numbering, e.g. 2.5.3.2. Clause titles at lower levels of numbering, e.g. 2.7.1.5.1 Work restraint (travel restriction) equipment, are omitted. Under Part 3, only the main title of each informative annex is listed. This is to allow flexibility in the development of each topic to be covered. NOTE This code of practice is intended to be a live, website-based document and is, therefore, subject to change, so clause numbers and possibly part numbers could change over time. Part 1: Foreword, Introduction, Scope, Structure, Terms and definitions, Principles and controls Foreword Introduction 1.1 Scope 1.2 Structure 1.3 Terms and definitions 1.4 Principles and controls 1.4.1 General 1.4.2 Principles 1.4.2.1 Planning and management 1.4.2.2 Training and competence 1.4.2.3 Supervision 1.4.2.4 Selection, care, maintenance and inspection of equipment 1.4.2.5 Work methods 1.4.2.6 Exclusion zones 1.4.2.7 Emergency procedures 1.4.2.8 Expanded techniques 1.4.3 Quality and safety controls Part 2: Detailed guidance Introduction 2.1 General 2.2 Planning and management 2.2.1 Objective 2.2.2 Planning 2.2.3 Pre-work analysis 2.2.4 Risk assessment 2.2.5 Safety method statements 2.2.6 Procedures and personnel to be in place before work begins © IRATA International Part 1: page 6 of 19 2013-Sep-01 IRATA International code of practice for industrial rope access Part 1 of 5: Foreword, Introduction, Scope, Structure, Terms and definitions, Principles and controls 2.3 Selection of rope access technicians 2.3.1 General 2.3.2 Experience, attitude and aptitude 2.4 Competence 2.5 Training 2.5.1 General 2.5.2 The IRATA International training and certification scheme 2.5.3 Additional skill levels 2.5.3.1 General 2.5.3.2 Trainer 2.5.3.3 Assessor (Level A/3) 2.5.3.4 Auditor 2.6 Rope access managers, rope access safety supervisors and other supervisory/management items 2.6.1 Rope access managers 2.6.2 Rope access safety supervisors 2.6.3 Other supervisory/management items 2.6.3.1 Disciplined working 2.6.3.2 Access by non-IRATA International qualified personnel 2.6.3.3 Company nominated person 2.7 Selection of equipment 2.7.1 General 2.7.1.1 Application-specific assessment 2.7.1.2 Legal requirements 2.7.1.3 Standards 2.7.1.4 Load ratings/minimum static strength 2.7.1.5 Equipment for work restraint, work positioning and fall arrest 2.7.1.6 Limits of equipment use and compatibility 2.7.1.7 Knowledge of equipment 2.7.2 Ropes (anchor lines) 2.7.3 Harnesses 2.7.4 Connectors 2.7.5 Descending devices 2.7.6 Ascending devices 2.7.7 Back-up devices 2.7.8 Lanyards and slings 2.7.8.1 General 2.7.8.2 Device lanyards and anchor lanyards 2.7.8.3 Anchor slings 2.7.8.4 Selection criteria for device lanyards, anchor lanyards and anchor slings © IRATA International Part 1: page 7 of 19 2013-Sep-01 IRATA International code of practice for industrial rope access Part 1 of 5: Foreword, Introduction, Scope, Structure, Terms and definitions, Principles and controls 2.7.8.5 Other information on lanyards 2.7.9 Anchors 2.7.10 Protectors for anchor lines 2.7.11 Work seats 2.7.12 Helmets 2.7.13 Clothing and protective equipment 2.8 Marking and traceability 2.9 Records 2.10 Inspection, care and maintenance of equipment 2.10.1 General procedures 2.10.2 Equipment manufactured from man-made fibres 2.10.3 Metal equipment 2.10.4 Protective helmets 2.10.5 Disinfection of equipment 2.10.6 Equipment exposed to a marine environment 2.10.7 Storage 2.10.8 Equipment withdrawn from service 2.10.9 Lifespan 2.10.10 Alterations to equipment 2.11 Primary rope access work methods 2.11.1 Double protection 2.11.2 The anchor system (anchors and anchor lines) 2.11.3 Use of anchor lines 2.11.3.1 Rigging and de-rigging 2.11.3.2 Protection methods for anchor lines 2.11.4 Additional safety measures 2.11.5 The use of knots 2.11.6 Work teams 2.11.7 Pre-work checking 2.11.8 Exclusion zones 2.11.8.1 General 2.11.8.2 Protection of third parties 2.11.8.3 Anchor area exclusion zone 2.11.8.4 Working edge hazard zone 2.11.9 Communication 2.11.10 Welfare 2.11.11 Emergency procedures 2.11.12 Reporting of incidents and accidents 2.11.13 End of shifts 2.11.14 Termination of a job © IRATA International Part 1: page 8 of 19 2013-Sep-01