ROPE ACCESS CHAMBER

The Rope Access Chamber of the IWH Professional Body represents the practitioners involved in working at height by using ropes and associated equipment as the primary means of positioning and fall protection. It could also be described as “industrial abseiling”.

With the correct training, rigging of ropes and supervision, a Rope Access employees can perform vertical, horizontal, diagonal and more complex manoeuvres in three dimensional space, that allows them to scale tall structures and move around obstacles to get into an appropriate position where a required work task may then be performed. Rope access relies on a double rope system for safety, into which the technician is connected with a harness. The first rope is mainly used for positioning, and the second rope for fall protection, in the sense that it arrests a fall if any unforeseen compromising event occurs on the positioning ropes, causing the technician to fall. This fall arrest component of the rope access method is related to fall arrest requirements described in the construction regulations, specifically Construction regulations 8 that deal with legal requirements for fall protection planning.

The IWH Professional Body recognises the following high-risk skills programmes within the ROPE ACCESS industry, and are therefore designate the competent and experienced persons accordingly:

There are 3 levels of registration for ROPE ACCESS:

CERTIFIED WORK AT HEIGHT TECHNICIAN specializing as a:

1.1

ROPE ACCESS
TECHNICIAN (Lev1)

A registered Rope Access Technician is a professional that operates under direct supervision, in an array of work scenarios, where work locations at height need to be accessed in such a way that requires complete suspension from ropes or associated equipment. The Rope Access Technician is the most basic rope access designation and requires continuous direct supervision by advanced rope access designated persons, particularly the rope access supervisor.

Criteria for Obtaining Recognition

To be recognised with the IWH Prof Body as a ROPE ACCESS TECHNICIAN the professional must be competent in the following unit standards:

Academic Component

Must have completed the following:  

(If the person has not completed this training programme but have proof of experience, the person can also complete the IWH PB’s RPL assessment, and if found competent, the person will be licensed accordingly).

(Training and assessment must be conducted by a SETA ETQA/QCTO accredited and IWH Professional Body recognised training provider)

Other criteria

Criteria for re-licensing

CERTIFIED WORK AT HEIGHT PRACTITIONER specializing as a:

1.2

ROPE ACCESS
PRACTITIONER (Lev2)

A registered Rope Access Practitioner is a professional in a junior-supervisory capacity and who can be placed in a position of limited control or supervision of a small team, typically consisting of one to four Rope access technicians. A rope access practitioner has limited abilities relating to the management of responsibility for the safety of the team in terms of job planning, risk assessment, rope rigging, and rescue procedures.

Criteria for Obtaining Recognition

To be recognised with the IWH Prof Body as a ROPE ACCESS PRACTITIONER the professional must be competent in the following unit standards:

Academic Component

Must have completed the following NQF registered unit standards:

(If the person has not completed this training programme but have proof of experience, the person can also complete the IWH PB’s RPL assessment, and if found competent, the person will be licensed accordingly).

(Training and assessment must be conducted by a SETA ETQA/QCTO accredited and IWH Professional Body recognised training provider)

Other criteria

Criteria for re-licensing

CERTIFIED WORK AT HEIGHT PROFESSIONAL specializing as a:

1.3

ROPE ACCESS
SUPERVISOR (Lev3)

A registered Rope Access Supervisor is a professional of a supervisory nature, who is in control of a team or multiple teams of rope access personnel, typically consisting of Rope access technicians and Rope access practitioners. A Rope Access Supervisor has overall responsibility towards the safety of his/her teams, in terms of work planning, risk assessment, rope rigging, and advanced techniques in rescue procedures

Criteria for Obtaining Recognition

To be recognised with the IWH Prof Body as a ROPE ACCESS SUPERVISOR the professional must be competent in the following unit standards:

Academic Component

Must have completed the following:

(If the person has not completed this training programme but have proof of experience, the person can also complete the IWH PB’s RPL assessment, and if found competent, the person will be licensed accordingly).

(Training and assessment must be conducted by a SETA ETQA/QCTO accredited and IWH Professional Body recognised training provider)

Other criteria

Criteria for re-licensing

CERTIFIED WORK AT HEIGHT PROFESSIONAL specializing as a:

2.

ROPE ACCESS
MANAGER

The registered Rope Access Manager is a person authorized by their employer to be responsible for managing the employer’s rope access work program, who is suitably knowledgeable, experienced, and qualified to manage the rope access program, including matters relating to safety, training, regulations, staffing, equipment selection and management, and other program responsibilities as designated by the employer.

Criteria for Obtaining Recognition

To be recognised with the IWH Prof Body as a ROPE ACCESS MANAGER the professional must be competent in the following unit standards:

Academic Component

Must have completed the following:

(If the person has not completed this training programme but have proof of experience, the person can also complete the IWH PB’s RPL assessment, and if found competent, the person will be licensed accordingly).

(Training and assessment must be conducted by a SETA ETQA/QCTO accredited and IWH Professional Body recognised training provider)

Other criteria

Criteria for re-licensing